by todd » Sat Jun 03, 2017 3:05 am
I spent some time one-on-one talking to Zulu at the 1996 Los Angeles Five-O convention.
One of my first questions was why he left the show.
His answer was, "The Lord giveth... and the Lord taketh away", referring to Jack Lord.
He then made it even more clear that he strongly disliked Jack Lord (who at the time was alive, but suffering badly from Alzheimer's), and felt that he was unfairly forced off the show.
On a side note, Zulu also had a bit too much of an interest in my then-22-year-old girlfriend -- one of just two women under 30 at the entire convention (the other being Julie Helmer). He kept going out of his way to talk to her, and repeatedly told me odd things such as, "Your girl is a really special person". He never did anything inappropriate, though, so we kinda just laughed it off. Zulu was 59 at the time.
Later, I asked Karen Rhodes about the Zulu/Jack Lord situation. She indicated that the Zulu departure was his own fault, and that Jack Lord was not to blame. However, Jack Lord was notoriously difficult to work with, even by his own admission.
This article claims that Zulu was fired because of an altercation with the show's publicist, where Zulu uttered racist comments. (It's not mentioned which race Zulu was insulting.) After leaving the show, Zulu said, "I need something different. I've had it with the 'yes boss, no boss' routine."
However, if this were the full story, I don't understand why he would blame Jack Lord nearly 25 years after his departure.
Does anyone else have any information on this situation?
Mr. Mike » Sat Jun 03, 2017 5:33 pm
As per the Five-O FAQ on my site:
Why did Zoulou leave the series at the end of the fourth season?
The "truth about Zulu getting fired" is as follows, told to me by a friend of the late James MacArthur, who was witness to related events. Sometime during the 4th season, the Coast Guard (with whom Zulu had served before becoming an entertainer), came to CBS and said they wanted to honor "one of their own" by having a special dinner and event with Zulu as the honoree. They wanted funds and publicity from CBS to sponsor the event. CBS initially agreed. Plans began to proceed for the gala event. However, when Jack Lord, who considered himself "the star" of Five-O, got wind of it, he made a fuss. He went to CBS and threatened if they allowed it to happen, he'd leave the show. So CBS decided to compromise and told the Coast Guard they either had to honor Lord (who never had anything to do with the Coast Guard in Hawaii or anywhere else) and Zulu both together, or do nothing. The Coast Guard decided it would not make sense to include a non-Coast Guard person in an official Coast Guard event, so they cancelled the whole thing. A publicity guy for CBS, who happened to be Jewish, was delegated to break the news to Zulu, who was devastated, and he took it out on the publicity guy. In his anger, Zulu slurred the man, using some pretty horrible anti-Semitic terms. This was on the set and witnessed by several people, none of whom knew the background behind why Zulu was yelling and calling this guy and everybody else at CBS racist names. People were shocked and stunned and Zulu went home in tears. And when word of the incident got back to Leonard Freeman [who was Jewish - MQ] and the rest of CBS, Zulu was done for. Fired. He got a phone call soon after, telling him he need not return to the set ever again.
by barnzoboy » Mon Jun 05, 2017 1:15 pm
This incident must have occurred with very fortunate timing in terms of the break between season 4 and start of season 5. Zulu does appear in the last episode of Season 4 (R&R&R) and is then is removed prior to the filming of the start of season 5, and replaced with Mr. Harrington.
by Mr. Mike » Mon Jun 05, 2017 2:45 pm
R&R&R was not the last episode to be filmed in the fourth season. See the attached, showing the production order, from Karen Rhodes' book. I quickly scanned through Good Night Baby -- Time to Die! and Zulu does not seem to be in this show, just James MacArthur and Kam Fong.
by H50 1.0 FOREVER » Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:59 pm
It always bothers me when people say ugly things about Jack Lord. I know he ran a tight ship on the set and could be as tough as nails, and I know that not everyone was aware that he was an ex-officio producer and part-owner of the series. Even so, it very seldom is mentioned that Jack did a lot to help other people, people who were disadvantaged, whether physically, emotionally, financially, or employment-wise.
The ego that Jack is said to have possessed can't leave his money to the disadvantaged (Those losers!?! He laughs at them). That size ego helps only one person (himself). That size ego does not leave his entire estate to charity (Some leave their estates to their dogs!). That size ego does not visit recovering service men and handicapped and retarded children (He doesn't have time for them). That size ego does not devote his time to leading such causes as the No Greater Love program at Tripler Army Medical Center (Let the VA run its own program. Better yet, abolish the program; it's a waste of taxpayer dollars). That size ego does not spend many hours helping to train locals to act and/or work behind the camera (It's easier to fly them in from the mainland). That size ego does not draw himself away from his own interests to drive his visually impaired wife to the store (She can call a taxi if she wants to go somewhere). That size ego doesn't live in a condo (He'd probably even laugh off the grand home that was Charles Ogden's in "How to Steal a Masterpiece" and Tony Alika's in "Number One With a Bullet"). That size ego doesn't drive the same car for 30 years, until it is rusting away (Drive anything older than the current model??? Surely, you jest!). That size ego doesn't stop smoking because it is what his wife asked for for her birthday (I'll smoke if I damn well want to!). That size ego would not help the Hawaiian people establish their own film festival or build their own film studio (at least, not unless they named them after him).
William Finnegan once said he'd never met an actor who received as much bad press as Jack, and he couldn't understand why. He described Jack as very nearly the perfect actor to direct, because he was the consummate professional.
Leonard Freeman said he was pleased with his decision to hire Jack, because Jack was the consummate professional actor and demanded perfection from himself as well as from others.
Did Jack object to Kono hurling racial slurs? Probably. You don't grow up in Queens, New York, without understanding and appreciating people from backgrounds different than your own.
Did Jack object to Kono receiving special mention from the Coast Guard? If the racial slurs accusation is correct, he may have had a good reason to object, a far better reason than wanting credit for himself.
Did Jack take a very hands-on approach to Five-0? Sure, he did! With the studio 2,500 miles away and Leonard Freeman suffering from a bad heart, many more duties fell on his shoulders than ordinarily would. Actually, Jack comes across as a very generous person to have taken such a personal interest in another person's project. Most actors say their lines and go home. They don't get up early and stay up late to not only help manage the production, but also to help make it the very best that it could be (That's someone else's problem). If he had not, Five-0 would have been forgotten within six months after the camera stopped rolling in December 1979. Instead, we are a year away from celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first airing of what remains a much beloved television program. As Rose Freeman said in an interview with Emme Tomimbang on Emme's Island Moments, "Memories of Hawaii Five-0" (Emme, Inc. / KGMB-TV, 1996):
Emme Tomimbang: Your husband died during open-heart surgery in the fifth season, but [Hawaii Five-0] continued to live for six more years after that. That must say a lot about him for you.
Rose Freeman: It says a lot about him, and it also says a lot about Jack Lord. Jack kept the show going. He is a perfectionist, and I thank him for it.
We all should thank him for it.
by ringfire211 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 10:59 am
Did Jack object to Kono receiving special mention from the Coast Guard? If the racial slurs accusation is correct, he may have had a good reason to object, a far better reason than wanting credit for himself.
Well, the racial slurs occurred AFTER the Coast Guard incident. But even if they occurred BEFORE I still have to take Zulu's side. I just don't understand what business it is of Jack's as to whom the Coast Guard wants to honor. It doesn't even have anything to do with the show. Zulu at some point was with the Coast Guard so they want to honor him for that specific service. Whatever racial slurs there may (or may not) have been really is irrelevant. It's about his service with the Coast Guard, not his behavior outside of it. To be fair I'd be mighty pissed too if someone was sticking his/her nose in my affairs. And it's not like Jack was his boss or anything. Lenny Freeman was still running the show. But if it's true that Jack just wanted the spotlight for himself then that's even worse. That's really petty!
Outside of that I know that Jack did much humanitarian work and of course that's admirable, as was his dedication to the show and the acting craft. As far as him wanting to be recognized as a star I have to assume it has a lot to do with the Old Hollywood system during which he grew up. Star power was something huge in those days, unlike today. Being a star and perhaps even more importantly being recognized as a star was a big deal. Of course you have exceptions like Roger Moore who was well known for not taking himself or any of that Hollywood baggage seriously. He would always downplay his popularity or any talent that he had (and I happen to think he was very talented, and sharp as a tack with his wit). It's easier to get along with someone like that so that's why you don't hear anything negative about Roger. But with Jack being the perfectionist that he was and a tough taskmaster I'm not surprised that there are folks with negative things to say about him. And on top of that if he sought recognition then I suppose that would ruffle some feathers even further.
Bottom line is that I don't see someone who cares for others and wants to do humanitarian work and someone who also wants to be acknowledged as a star to be mutually exclusive. You can be both. It all depends on your character and how strong your drive is. The insdustry you work in also shapes you a great deal. Jack also had good looks and was leading man material so I'm sure that strokes your ego a bit too. Let's just say he was no Karl Malden looks-wise.
by todd » Tue Jun 06, 2017 5:23 pm
I agree with ringfire.
I admired Jack Lord as an actor, and thought he pretty much WAS Five-O.
I also can appreciate the seriousness with which Jack approached his craft and the entire product of Five-O in general. He took the show very seriously, and didn't tolerate others who didn't take it as seriously. That clearly helped Five-O to run as long as it did after Freeman died.
However, it's also clear that Jack Lord's ego was, at times, out of control. The Zulu Coast Guard story, if true, is a fine example. It should not have been Jack's business if Zulu was being honored by the Coast Guard. On the contrary, he should have been happy about it, as it would have brought positive attention to Hawaii Five-O, and he would benefit as a result. But Jack was apparently so obsessed with the spotlight being on him (even though Zulu was clearly no threat to upstage him) that he threw a tantrum about it and basically held the show hostage over it. There's no excusing such behavior.
It's also known that Jack did not see the other Five-O actors as co-stars, but rather as assistants. That's why it stated "Starring Jack Lord" TWICE in the credits (once in the opening theme, once in the ending theme), but listed the other Five-O actors as "With". Even when speaking of them, Jack was careful not to refer to them as co-stars.
Little things like that grate on people's nerves, especially given the fact that the show was written to showcase Jack and Jack only, and there was zero chance that people were going to confuse any of the others as the stars of the show.
Jack's increasing creative control also was somewhat responsible for the debacle that was Season 12. This was a case of Jack overreaching and believing he had abilities where he did not, thus leaving tasks in his hands which would have been better suited to others. I will admit that the later seasons of any show will tend to struggle (especially when missing most of their original actors), but this was made worse by Jack's heavy handedness.
I'm sure that Jack had many positive qualities, as stated in the post two above mine. It's possible that, outside of Hawaii Five-O, he was a great human being. His wife was especially loyal to and protective of him in his final days, which was indicative that they had a good relationship and he treated her well.
However, at the same time, I can understand the disdain some had who worked for him.
With all of that said, I am still a very big fan of Jack Lord's work with Five-O.
by ringfire211 » Tue Jun 06, 2017 6:19 pm
That's why it stated "Starring Jack Lord" TWICE in the credits (once in the opening theme, once in the ending theme).
Notice how this was added in the end credits starting with season 6 which is when Lenny Freeman died. Or was on the way out. So it's very clear this is when Jack was taking control of the show.
Like Todd said Jack was brilliant on the show and pretty much WAS the show. Probably my all-time favorite TV actor!! But as for his personal life that's a whole different story. I believe it all depends on what your experience was with the man. If you read what Michael Anderson, Jr. said about him he had nothing but positive things to say. Others not so much. For whatever reason those 2 seemed to hit it off really well. Also you can be one person at home and completely different at work. I once had a boss who could be downright nasty at work and could easily fly off the handle and curse you out twelve days to Sunday! But his wife was practically fawning all over him. I couldn't understand it until I saw how he treated her and you'd think he was the kindest and most gentlest human being ever. But we didn't know him this way at work. Very often he would get flustered and start yelling without even listening first to our explanations. Yell first, ask questions later. Of course you won't have kind things to say about someone like that. But at home and with his kids he was great. He may have even donated to charities for all I know. It wouldn't surprise me. Some folks just have a short fuse and tend to treat different people differently - in my boss's case he treated us like we were some lower class of people.
P.S. It was this same boss who sent me to Hawaii (business trip) for close to 2 months so I suppose something positive did come out of my experience of working for him. I try to convince myself that it was worth enduring all that just for that free trip!!
by Mr. Mike » Tue Jun 06, 2017 10:29 pm
Did Jack object to Kono receiving special mention from the Coast Guard? If the racial slurs accusation is correct, he may have had a good reason to object, a far better reason than wanting credit for himself.
You have the above backwards. As has been mentioned above, the business with the Coast Guard came first, then Zulu was told that it was cancelled by the Jewish PR guy, Zulu yelled anti-Semitic things at him, and then Zulu was fired. Lord had nothing to do with that decision, Zulu was fired by Leonard Freeman and other people at CBS.
If you want the unedited version of what appears in the FAQ, it is as follows. This comes from a friend of MacArthur who sent me this in 2010, about a month before MacArthur died. Be warned, this is is told in a somewhat sensationalistic way. Although MacArthur reportedly witnessed the big blow-up with the PR guy, some of the other information here to me seems likely to have been related to MacArthur by Zulu after the fact. Maybe Zulu embellished the story, who knows? Neither he nor MacArthur are with us any more.
"Sometime during the 4th season, the Coast Guard (with whom Zulu had served before becoming an entertainer), came to CBS and said they wanted to honor "one of their own" by having a special dinner and event with Zulu as the honoree. They wanted funds and publicity from CBS to sponsor the event. CBS initially agreed. Zulu was thrilled. Local boy makes good and all that. Plans began to proceed for a gala event honoring former Hawaiian Coast Guard member Gilbert Francis Lani Damian Kauhi. However, when Jack got wind of it, he pitched a hissy. He was the STAR of the show, the ONLY star, it was HIS show, HE was the guy who should be getting honored, nobody but HIM, and on and on. He went to CBS and said if they allowed it to happen, he'd walk right off the set and never look back. He threw a royal temper tantrum. So CBS decided to compromise and told the Coast Guard they either had to honor Jack (who never had ANYTHING to do with the Coast Guard in Hawaii or anywhere else) and Zulu both together, or do nothing. The Coast Guard decided it would be a mockery to include a non-Coast Guard person in an official Coast Guard event, so they cancelled the whole thing. A publicity guy for CBS, who happened to be Jewish, was delegated to break the news to Zulu.
"Poor guy. Zulu didn't have a mean bone in his body, but, like so many people of his generation, he had some racial bias. It didn't show up often, but it existed. And he wasn't a sophisticated man. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he didn't know how to disguise his feelings very well. He was devastated at the news, and he took it out on the poor publicity guy. In his anger, his hurt, his heartbreak, he slurred the man, using some pretty horrible anti-semitic terms (I don't know precisely what). This was on the set and witnessed by several people, none of whom knew the background behind why Zulu was yelling and calling this guy and everybody else at CBS racist names. People were shocked and stunned and Zulu went home in tears.
"And when word of the incident got back to Lenny Freeman (a Jewish man himself) and the rest of CBS (lots of Jewish people there too), Zulu was done for. Fired. Pau. He got a phone call later that day or the next day, telling him he need not return to the set ever again.
"Yes, Zulu did something pretty darned awful. He used words nobody should use against another human being. He most certainly should have been reprimanded. But fired on the spot? Not if you knew the full story. Zulu was just a local guy who was suddenly a big star. He was proud of himself. He had a right to be proud. He'd seen Lord lauded as "Lord of the islands" and all that jazz and he'd played along as best he could. But Jack wasn't content with that. He had to have the whole pie, he couldn't share even the tiniest slice with anybody else. Jack ripped what Zulu had rightfully earned away from him, without a care in the world about how that would make Zulu feel. Zulu was a guy who lead with heart, not his head, and he made a big mistake that he regretted for the rest of his life.
The real bad guy in all of this was Jack, not Zulu. And the fact that Jack not only never told the real story, but actually used the story as a way to glorify himself, telling people that he was the one who insisted that Zulu be fired (he didn't instigate the actual firing, but he jumped on the bandwagon real quick when the subject came up) makes it all the more galling.
"And that's the true story of how Zulu got fired."
In addition to the above, there is the following from an e-mail I received in 1998 concerning an interview which was being done with MacArthur:
"There was an awkward moment early in the interview. We had been talking about Zulu and what a funny guy he was, and everything was going great -- then I asked, "What was the real story behind his getting fired from the show?" JM said, "Oh, that was such a silly thing..." Then he went silent for a long time, and I realized he was suddenly very uncomfortable. "Oh... well...." he mumbled, rubbed his face and then was silent again. He looked like he was on the verge of tears! I felt awful! Finally he said quietly, "I don't want to talk..." and couldn't finish the sentence. I jumped in and said "That's OK, I don't mean to dig up dirt or make anyone feel bad, I just wanted to set the record straight." Then I tried to steer the conversation in a different direction, but he obviously felt embarrassed at not being forthright, so we kind of fumbled around for a few minutes and at last he gave me the complete story.
"Jack and Zulu were both going to get a citation of some kind from the Coast Guard, and Jack got pissy and said that he wouldn't accept the award because Zulu was also getting it. CBS decided to junk the whole idea and deputized the PR guy, who was Jewish, to tell Zulu that he wasn't getting this citation because Jack had refused it. Zulu flew off the handle and, in the heat of the moment, called the guy something anti-Semitic. The guy went back to the CBS brass and complained, and Zulu got canned. JM stresses that Zulu isn't anti-Semitic in the least, so the whole thing was just a dumb, unfortunate incident."
By the way, I find it interesting that producer William Finnegan is quoted above as saying that Lord was such a neat guy, when Lord, according to Karen Rhodes' book, almost quit the show over an incident during the filming of Presenting ... In the Center Ring ... Murder where Lord objected (and not unreasonably so, in my opinion) to a guest to the set. And who was the one who invited this guest? Finnegan!
by North » Wed Jun 07, 2017 8:14 am
Jack Lord reminds me of my father in terms of the core personality and I say the following with full respect for both men. My father (85 years old now) is and always was a very charming, charismatic, generous, funny, successful and full of "star power" but deep down this seemingly self confident powerful persona is an insecure core. Anyone who by chance or circumstance was never involved in a situation where that insecurity triggered a defense reaction thinks of my father as the greatest guy they know. But if you somehow triggered that irrational fear-insecurity in him he could become a cruel tyrant who would do everything in his power to crush you. He did so much good for so many people and yet that other side of him did horrible vicious things to people who did nothing to him (apart from in his imagination).
It took me 40 plus years to be able to accept that both sides of him were real, he wasn't just a bad guy doing nice things or the opposite; he was both. Jack Lord displayed all those same seemingly opposing traits. He also must of harbored some wounded child deep inside of him. Like anyone you have to judge them on the totality of their actions both good and bad.
One thing I remember from the 70's was that my dad hated Jack Lord but now I realize that he likely hated him (subconsciously) because he saw too much of his own dichotomy in Jack. In hindsight he vehemently disliked any public figure who shared his own character traits.
Very few extremely successful men are-were also pleasant people to be around, perhaps the exceptional drive they all possessed also possessed them.
by ringfire211 » Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:17 am
One thing I remember from the 70's was that my dad hated Jack Lord but now I realize that he likely hated him (subconsciously) because he saw too much of his own dichotomy in Jack. In hindsight he vehemently disliked any public figure who shared his own character traits.
Do you mean he hated Jack Lord the man or the McGarrett character he played? Because I doubt back then many people knew about Jack or what was going on behind the scenes on Five-O. Were tabloids as bad back then as they are today?
by Mr. Mike » Wed Jun 07, 2017 1:04 pm
I've never been a big one to collect articles on Lord and other Five-O cast members. You see magazines containing these for sale from time to time on Ebay and such places. There are a few things on my WWW site that might fit into this category, though:
http://fiveohomepage.com/PDFs/Photoplay-May-1971.pdf
http://fiveohomepage.com/tvgsep71.htm
http://fiveohomepage.com/tvgfeb73.htm
http://fiveohomepage.com/lordoftheislands.htm
http://fiveohomepage.com/perspirer.htm
by ringfire211 » Wed Jun 07, 2017 6:24 pm
Thanks Mike. I'm sure I read some of those before, probably here on your site. I guess those are mostly interviews with Jack, not the tabloids trash of today.
by Vrinda » Wed Jun 14, 2017 1:58 pm
The Coast Guard award was given to Zulu in 1975, not in 1971. Jack got an honorary award from the Coast Guard in 1972. Zulu was kicked off the show after making anti-Semitic remarks to the show's publicist. Newspaper articles from both major newspapers in Hawaii mention this and they even ran an article where Zulu's apology was printed. There was no mention made of an award of any kind, and that would have been the best time to mention it - if it were true. There would have been no reason to cover it up. Jack did not even witness the incident and heard about it afterwards. He spoke to the publicist, and then told Lenny Freeman about it. Zulu's manager at the time, Liza Chong, said she wanted to get him off the show because they didn't like the "Yes, boss, no boss" lines. She did not blame Jack for it.
The Coast Guard award story came from an article in the 1975 issue of Playgirl, which Mike posted on his site. In the archives of Mike's guestbook in 2009, a member named Donna said she called the Coast Guard's public relations department and they told her Zulu got the award in 1975. I also called them and got the same information. There was no consideration made to give Zulu the award in 1971. For him, it was all done in 1975.
I have been working on a book on Jack and was a consultant for a documentary on Jack, which is currently airing overseas. The airdate for the U.S. is still to be determined. I spoke to Bernie Oseransky, the production manager, and Charlotte Simmons, the assistant casting director. They both said Zulu was fired for coming to the set late, not learning his lines, and sleeping on the set. They did not see the incident with the publicist, but they heard about it. They both said there was no Coast Guard award being given to both Jack and Zulu at that time. I used to write to Jimmy Borges and on some occasions, spoke to him on the phone. He said Zulu was always bullying Jack about his lines and Jack told him over and over that he did not write the scripts and did not decide how big anyone's part was. Jack told Zulu if he had an issue with it, to take it up with Lenny Freeman. Jimmy even saw this happen. Though he did not guest star on Hawaii Five-O till 1972, he was on the set in 1971 for auditions. Whether Zulu did speak to Lenny and the other producers about this issue or not is not known, but he kept harassing Jack about it.
I also spoke to John D.F. Black, Jerome Coopersmith, and Arthur Kane, who all wrote scripts for episodes in Seasons 1-4, when Zulu was there. None of them took orders from Jack on what to write. Even Lenny didn't tell them what to write, though Coopersmith said he would meet with Lenny to go over scripts. Anthony Lawrence also wrote scripts for H5O during that time, and he said he never met Jack or interacted with him, except when Jack sent him a thank you note for a script he wrote.
As for the billing, James MacArthur did not even ask for co-star billing. He wanted the credits to read, "Starring Jack Lord, with Zulu as Kono, Kam Fong as Chin Ho, and James MacArthur as Danny." Being billed after "and" is also as prestigious as being billed as the co-star. Lenny Freeman told James that in the show, he is with Jack - being his partner - so the credits should read, "Starring Jack Lord with James MacArthur, etc." Jack had nothing to do with the actors' billing. Jack told this story to one of the producers of the documentary who was a friend of his, named Joel Stevens. Joel was a DJ and concert promoter in the New York area and he's contributing to the book as well.
As for these rumors of egotism and all that, if one actually considers what goes into making TV show and the work that a TV producer, line producer, supervising producer, production manager, production coordinator, director, assistant director, etc., has to do, it is physically and mentally impossible for one person to do it all. The star of a TV show has production rights, whether it's in their contract or not, but that does not mean they can physically run the set, though many big decisions might come before them for a final word. Jack didn't have final say in the scripts or the casting, though he did work on revisions with the other producers - after the production team in LA saw them. That doesn't mean he controlled how many lines everyone got. No one - neither a writer or a guest star or other crew member - has ever come forward with such a claim, and they could have, if it was true.
Jack did refer to other actors as co-stars. I read this in some contemporary interviews. I never saw him call them assistants. You also have to remember that, Jack and James were the only professional actors in the main cast - with Richard Denning, Glenn Cannon, and Peggy Ryan. Zulu was a DJ who had a bit part in one film which wound up being deleted. Kam did repertory theater as well as bit parts in films and was a policeman, then went into selling real estate. People with those backgrounds don't get regular roles on a TV series in Hollywood. Only because this show was made in Hawaii and they needed locals, and there was a dearth of local talent with the same experience as a Hollywood actor would have, did these get picked. Harry Endo worked in a bank. Kwan Hi Lim was a lawyer, and Herman Wedemeyer was in government. They had little to no acting experience, yet were getting semi-regular parts and guest spots. Again, this would not happen in Hollywood. It's no wonder that such a situation would rub Jack, an actor who trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors' Studio, made the rounds of auditions and got rejected so many times, and had to struggle before he finally landed the lead role on a hit TV series, the wrong way.
He had arguments with directors and producers. That is normal when the star of the show is involved in the production process. He went off on actors when they did not learn their lines and showed up to the set late. Don Stroud told me that some actors that showed up on the set drunk. Kam Fong took anywhere from 30-50 takes to do a scene. I saw the outtakes. Who would be patient and coddling after that?
As for Seasons 11 and 12, what heavy-handedness was Jack showing there that was any different than before? The quality of those seasons suffered because a TV executive came in who wanted all the violence cut out of the cop shows. That is why Starsky and Hutch suffered as well. The producer at the start of Season 12, Gene Levitt, did things the way he wanted and not the way Jack wanted. If he listened to Jack, we wouldn't see what we saw in Season 12.
I people understood there were two sides to a story and took into consideration what goes into making TV show and tried to understand from a perspective other than tabloid gossip, then these stories about Jack would not be circulating in this manner today, when worse behavior from Hollywood actors, directors, and producers have been forgotten.