Richard Denning; Actor in ‘Hawaii Five-0’

Richard Denning, the classically handsome movie and television character actor best known for his role as the Hawaiian governor in the long-running television series “Hawaii Five-0,” has died at 85.

A resident of Maui, Denning was visiting relatives in Southern California when he died at the Palomar Medical Center in Escondido on Sunday after a lengthy bout with emphysema, according to his family.

Born Ludwig A. Denninger in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1914, Denning dabbled in acting for several years before landing a contract with Paramount Studios in 1937 and a role that year in the film “Hold ‘Em Navy.”

Parts in dozens of mostly second-tier movies followed--along with roles in a few notable films, including “An Affair to Remember,” “Some Like It Hot” and the cult favorite “Creature From the Black Lagoon.”

Denning worked for four years in the television series “Mr. and Mrs. North” before landing his featured role in “Hawaii Five-0” in 1968.

“Hawaii Five-0,” which lasted for 12 years, was shot in Honolulu, so Denning and his first wife, actress Evelyn Ankers, moved from the mainland to Hawaii.

After the series ended, Denning and his wife stayed in Maui, where he became active in community affairs, serving as an executive director of the Boy Scouts of America and as the unofficial, honorary president of the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Ankers died in 1985. Later that year, Denning married the former Patricia Leffingwell.

In addition to his wife, Denning is survived by his daughter, Dee Dwyer, and two granddaughters.