Question: Does anyone know why Zulu, who played Kono, left the show?
Answer: He was asked to speak at a local organization event but the producer insisted that Jack Lord be also there. It was an event in honor of Hawaiians and that set him off. He used a derogatory name for the Jewish producer and that pretty much ended his stint on the show.
Question: I'm trying to find out in which episode this happens. Reed and Malloy are driving when they get a call to be on the lookout for a red convertible. In the rear window of their squad car you see the exact car described in the radio call. It passes them, then is seen in front, but neither of them comment on it and it's not referenced later. Not sure if it was a poor choice of stock footage or a gag, but what episode does it happen in?
Answer: This is from Season 1, "The Long Walk." After Malloy and Reed responded to a "211 in progress", the partners later search the area and question a man walking his dogs, and it's this man who tells them the young guy they're looking for drove off in a red convertible, so Reed radios in the added information and clears them. Later, when the partners are driving along, Reed brings up the topic of the criminal's convertible, and while they're discussing it we can see through the squad car's rear window that a red convertible with its black top up changes lanes, and in Malloy's closeup just as they're talking about how the criminal's convertible was likely stolen, we see the red convertible passing Malloy to his left. That's all we see of this red convertible.
Answer: He was fired. He never really appreciated his character. He felt Kono was portrayed as a big dumb Hawaiian and that the stereotype was racist. He also felt underutilized. He was fired after a heated argument with the show's publicist regarding his character. It seems there's not much details given regarding the incident or the firing, so it's seems possible he upset the show's producers as well.
Bishop73
No he said something derogatory about one of the Jewish producers that's why he was fired.