Alo-whaaaat in the world!
In a rather shocking turn of events, CBS announced that two original members of the Hawaii Five-0 team will not be returning for Season 8. Both Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim are departing the series after failing to secure pay equality with their fellow cast members Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan.
At the end of last season, Park’s character, Kono Kalakaua, left the team to investigate a child sex trafficking ring. Meanwhile, Kim's character, Chin Ho Kelly, was given the opportunity to start up a task force in San Francisco.
Both characters will be referenced in the fall premiere of Hawaii Five-0 to provide fans with a quick update about what they’re up to. The show is also casting a new female series regular to fill in the void left by Park and Kim’s shocking departure.
“I will never forget meeting Daniel while still writing the pilot and being certain there was no other actor who I’d want to play Chin Ho Kelly,” showrunner Peter M. Lenkov stated. “Needless to say, Daniel has been an instrumental part of the success of Hawaii Five-0 over the past seven seasons and it has personally been a privilege to know him.”
Lenkov also expressed gratitude for Park, stating: “Grace’s presence gave Hawaii Five-0 a beauty and serenity to each episode. She was the consummate collaborator, helping build her character from Day 1. They will always be ohana to us, we will miss them and we wish them both all the best.”
Earlier today, CBS released a statement regarding Park and Kim’s exit. “We are so appreciative of Daniel and Grace’s enormous talents, professional excellence, and the aloha spirit they brought to each and every one of our 168 episodes. They’ve helped us build an exciting new Hawaii Five-0, and we wish them all the best and much success in their next chapters. Mahalo and a hui hou…”
What do you think about this casting shake-up? Will you continue to watch Hawaii Five-0? Hit the comments to dish and discuss all your unfiltered feelings.
