Alex O’Loughlin trains with Egan Inoue of Grappling Unlimited (Photo courtesy of Egan Inoue)
By now, only the completely oblivious won’t have noticed that Alex O’Loughlin has been adding muscle mass as this season’s progressed. This is thanks, in part, to diligent training with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) master Egan Inoue. Alex has been training with Inoue at his Grappling Unlimited gym, where he has been learning Jiu Jitsu, Hawaii Five-0 costar Scott Caan’s martial arts specialty.
Inoue has written several training and exercise books and Alex has been using Inoue’s bodyweight workout training techniques to obvious good effect, as the photo and video Inoue released this past weekend demonstrate.
Hawaii Five-0 viewers will also recognize Egan Inoue as one of Wo Fat’s (Mark Dacascos) henchmen from the Season 2 premiere episode “Ha’i'ole.”
This is an episode that I’ve really been looking forward to, and not only because we get to see hot men in shorts. (Yeah, I’m shallow, so what?) In spite of Danny’s fear of the sea, somehow Steve manages to get him out on the ocean blue, where they’re hijacked by pirates, including bad-guy extraordinaire, Todd Stashwick. Not that the real Todd isn’t a good guy, he’s just usually cast as the villain, and yet still somehow manages to draw the viewer in. With that talent, it’s no wonder he pops up everywhere on our TV screens. You may also recognize Michael McGrady (Southland) as a not-so-nice Coast Guard captain.
We’ll also see another “Lost” alum in this episode: Cynthia Watros who played the ill-fated Libby Smith. Well, I guess pretty much everyone on “Lost” was ill-fated, weren’t they? Libby’s sudden death came as a huge shock to viewers who had embraced her strength and compassion. I wonder what the odds are that Cynthia’s character Katie, will survive Hawaii Five-0?
“Lana I Ka Moana” was written by Elwood Reid who left Five-0 recently, and I believe this is his parting gift to viewers. We wish him the best of luck in his new adventures.
Some of you may know that when I talk about my favorite Hawaii Five-0 directors, it’s always a toss-up between Larry Teng and co-executive producer, Steve Boyum. Boyum is at the helm of this one, so it should be exciting. Now, on to the “boatgument” please!
“Lana I Ka Moana”
“Lana I Ka Moana*” – McGarrett and Danny’s relaxing day at sea takes a deadly turn when their boat is hijacked and they are left to die in the middle of the ocean, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Monday, Oct. 8 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
(*Lana I Ka Moana is Hawaiian for “Adrift”)
SERIES REGULARS:
Alex O’Loughlin (Steve McGarrett)
Scott Caan (Danny “Danno” Williams)
Daniel Dae Kim (Chin Ho Kelly)
Grace Park (Kono Kalakaua)
Masi Oka (Dr. Max Bergman)
Michelle Borth (Catherine Rollins)
In complete honesty, even reading about Grace Park’s experience shooting last season’s finale, had me holding my breath. But like Kono, Grace is a trooper and trusted herself and the crew of Hawaii Five-0 to keep her safe. Ms. Park also talks about how she’s happy to have more girl power on the testosterone-heavy set this year.
It’s an understatement to say Kono (Grace Park) went through a lot on Hawaii Five-0recently, as the Season 2 cliffhanger had her at death’s door – pushed into the ocean, bound and gagged, and sinking to her doom. Fortunately, she was saved by Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) in the Season 3 premiere, though not everyone was so lucky in that episode. During my recent visit to the set of Hawaii Five-0, I spoke to Park about what the experience of being thrown in that scary, underwater situation was like – both for Kono and for the actress playing her. We also discussed Kono and Adam’s turbulent relationship and the addition of more women to Hawaii Five-0 this season.
Grace Park in Hawaii Five-0
IGN TV: Suffice to say, Kono just went through a traumatic experience. How does she come out of it?
Grace Park: That’s what’s really interesting, because when a situation like that comes about, you think, “How does this impact the character?” It is part of the job, but that doesn’t mean she’s Teflon and unflinching. At the same time, I think the bigger thing is Chin Ho losing his wife. That seems like it overshadows my situation, where I managed to live. If anything, it’s probably going to be one of those incidents that contribute to Kono’s overall character as a cop and her experience being a police officer. It’s those layers and layers of experiences that kind of embed themselves into someone’s psyche that eventually, 20 years down the line when you meet someone, they have the essence of cop.
IGN: What was it like shooting those sequences where she’s underwater? I’d assume that wasn’t very fun…
Park: Kono’s a surfer, so she’s great in the water – she’s grown up in the water. If you’re surfing some big waves, you will have been caught underneath, sometimes for a few sets, right? So what I’ve learned — and I don’t even surf – is that the longer you can stay underwater, the more comfortable you are. Talking to some of the water men, like Brian Keaulana, he’ll tell you one of the first things you can do is learn to stay underwater for a long time. That way, you won’t panic when you’re underwater and the waves are coming and you are not going to get up there. I thought, “I can’t do that for very long.” But prepping for the underwater scene… I mean, I was so uncomfortable every time I read the script, because I would hold my breath as I was reading the script! I was so uncomfortable because I didn’t realize I’d stopped breathing, as I’m reading my character and she’s bound and gagged in the water.
IGN: Would that qualify as the toughest thing you’ve had to do on the show?
Park: Funnily enough, I was more comfortable doing that, the idea of being bound and gagged underwater, versus having to be in a shore break again.
[Editor’s Note: During the filming of the Hawaii Five-0 pilot, Park learned firsthand just how much ocean water can pummel you in a shore break - where a wave breaks directly on, or very close to, the shore]
[Hawaii Five-0 showrunner/executive producer] Peter Lenkov asked, “Grace, how are you with this whole underwater thing?” I’m like, “Am I in a shore break?” He’s goes, “No.” I’m like, “You sure I’m not in a shore break?” “No you’re bound and gagged, and you’re sinking on the bottom of the ocean.” I’m like, “But I’m not in a shore break?” “No.” “That’s fine, that’s totally fine.” “You’re sure?” “Yes!” It was just so traumatizing in the pilot! [Laughs] Other than that, I was researching and prepping on that. I started learning how to hold my breath underwater and the breathing technique that you do to be able to be underwater for minutes at a time. I got up to, like, a minute, but I wasn’t practicing for that long. But that was more than we needed. The thing I was thinking was, “Well, of course she’s going to know how to do this.” So when you do go underwater — and she knowsshe’s going to be tipped overboard — when she goes under, you don’t sink to the bottom of the ocean. We had to try to get me to sink. They put lots of weights on me and we had to have someone underwater dragging me down and all this kind of stuff.
Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park
Park: Right? Actually the trauma could have been during one take where I wasn’t ready, but I didn’t just say no. They’re like, “Are you ready?” I’m like, “Well, actually…” [Splash noise] They pulled me under, and I was kicking so hard to try to get out. I was supposed to have breakaway wrists and breakaway ankles, but they didn’t break away. So when I came back up, they were like, “That was really, really great, except we didn’t have your face on camera.” And I was just like, “I was trying to get out of the restraints!” But the weirdest thing was, I was kicking super hard underwater, and I didn’t have enough breath to stay under very long, but I was, like, zero panic. It was really weird because I had practiced already, so my body already knew, “Oh, you’re fine.” So that was really trippy, even though I had a lot of water and was coughing. So that’s the kind of stuff I knew about her character. She was already thinking when she was on the boat, and when I did the research diving with Ocean Ramsey, I kind of caught her out of the corner of my eye, and she wasn’t using her arms and legs to kick. She just did this kind of dolphin gliding thing in the water. So I tried it, too. I was like, “Oh my gosh!” You can move really fast doing that. It seems kind of like how fish move because fish don’t have arms — their fins are kind of small — but they move so fast. I figured that’s what she’s doing. Of course, it’s not on the screen because that’s not going to sell very well, but I figured that’s probably why she’s not as traumatized. There’s also always so much action, she kind of just rolls back into it.IGN: Wow, that has to add to the trauma!
IGN: I was initially going to ask you, “Is Kono’s relationship with Adam going to continue this season?”, but the premiere answered that question in a big way. Those two began as almost a Romeo & Juliet thing, with her a cop and him as the son of a mobster. Is it going to be a little smoother now?
Park: I think that relationship — just with the setup, like you said — the setup is such that it’s never going to be easy or smooth. I think that their relationship is good. There’s a real attraction… They actually like each other. There’s a lot of possibility and potential there, but with the situation, you know… How clean is he? How good is he going to be at managing his father’s alliances and the rest of the business, because they’re not all gonna want to switch their ways? They have a good life, and they have it working pretty smoothly. So things could always change. I think as it unravels, we’ll see how it goes. Peter [Lenkov] has a few things up his sleeve, which I’m really excited about. I mean, it’s fine that it’s smooth, but they’re certainly not the type to just stay at home and watch movies and just eat pizza.
Ian Anthony Dale and Grace Park in Hawaii Five-0
IGN: That’d be an interesting episode though.
Park: [Laughs] For sure! People would be like, “What’s going on with that relationship? Shouldn’t they have guns and be kicking people?” [Laughs]
IGN: They’re watching Real Housewives or something.
Park: Yeah! [Laughs] I’m making a phone call. “Oh… be right there!”
IGN: Yeah. “Gotta do some cop stuff.” “Gotta do some mob stuff.”
Park: Yeah, that would be hilarious, actually. I did tell the other actor, Ian [Anthony Dale], “Yeah, Peter wants us to reflect on the nature of real relationships, and so he wants you to gain 25 pounds. He says I’m fine.”
Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim and Scott Caan in Hawaii Five-0
Park: And Taryn [Manning] is coming back! Yeah, the thing is, it’s such a male-dominated show, on screen and on set as well. So it’s not a show where the women really bond with each other. I even think that has something to do with Lauren German’s character, Lori Weston, leaving, because they didn’t establish the females with each other. Not that we didn’t want it. I even asked for it right off the top. And by the end, we were having this great rapport, and I think they’ve learned now how important that is. To be able to have more of a female presence adds a duality and a complexity. That doesn’t mean we need to have them equal number, but that always changes things up. That’s why I think they didn’t keep Kono a dude. That’s why we didn’t just have five dudes. That would be a totally different show. Then we would have The Hangover… But I haven’t seen The Hangover, so I don’t even know if that’s accurate. [Laughs]
IGN: [Laughs] You’ve been the constant female presence on this show, but this season you’ve got Christine Lahti recurring and now Michelle Borth as a regular.
I think it’s just going to keep allowing every character like McGarrett or Danny to show other facets of their personality and their characters. People want to know more about the story, but they also want to know more about the characters they’ve been following for <years.
This has been a great week for Hawaii Five-0 fans and we have another interview, this time from IGN, with the cast in this week leading up to the Season 3 premiere. We get a few more tidbits of information, plus a glimpse of the more playful side of Grace Park.
Hawaii Five-0 ended its second season in a big way, with every character’s life in turmoil, either physically or mentally. With Season 3 set to debut this Monday, I recently visited the Oahu set of the series, and the first big example of this turmoil was standing in front of me, doing a a scene with Alex O’Loughlin as Steve McGarrett – Christine Lahti, playing Steve’s mom, Doris. This of course is oh-so notable because Doris was believed to be dead until the Season 2 finale.
Team Five-0
“We deal with that immediately,” O’Loughlin told me. “He sits down with his mom and says, ‘All right, please explain.’ There’s a lot that goes along with that, too. One would think after 20 years you’d be thrilled to know that your mother’s still alive, but there’s a lot more that needs to be processed before that luxury. Basically, the devastation that’s gone in the household and the family and his life is largely due to the decisions that she made. The murder of his father was the direct result of the constant pursuit of her killers and what happened to her. So that immediately drops Steve into a place of pretty deep resentment and confusion.”
When last we saw Chin Ho (Daniel Dae Kim), he was given a horrible decision to make, with his wife, Mailia (Reiko Aylesworth) and his cousin, Kono (Grace Park) both in deadly scenarios in separate locations thanks to William Baldwin’s villainous Frank Delano – and Chin chose to go to his wife. The Season 3 premiere will find Chin facing even more crucial decisions and put through the wringer emotionally.
Said Daniel Dae Kim, “I think it’s really interesting stuff for an actor to play because we are in what essentially is a crime procedural. It’s a crime of the week, we all know the format, it’s all over the television. Generally, as an audience, you know what to expect. As an actor, when you get material like this that’s of a very personal nature and speaks to their character’s history and future, it’s very, very rare. So I appreciate it a great deal. It’s the kind of material that makes me feel like an actor, so it’s been really fun to play. It’s been great for Chin Ho to kind of reveal those sides of himself. That’s the one great thing about television: character can reveal itself week to week as opposed to over the course of two hours in a film. So yeah, I really appreciate the opportunity to get material like that, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the ramifications of it are.”
Going forward this season, Chin will have to deal all of his recent actions. Said Kim, “He’s had to make some choices that he might not be proud of, in more than one way. You’ll see residual effects of it in subsequent episodes. I like the fact that it’s not just a ‘one-episode and done’ thing. It affects him physically, psychologically, as the season progresses.”
Danny ‘Danno’ Williams (Scott Caan) may have had the least jaw-dropping plotline occurring in the season finale, but it certainly was still one of vast importance to his character – as his ex-wife and her husband are threatening to take Danny’s daughter away from Hawaii, leading to his decision to fight her legally.
Daniel Dae Kim and Scott Caan in Hawaii Five-0
Regarding this turn of events, Caan said, “It’s obviously something fun to play with and something I like to do. The more character stuff they give me, the better. The more stuff they give me with my daughter or my family members, the better. The deeper I can dig and the more honest I can be, the more fun I can have. Ultimately, doing procedural stuff is more the job of this. But when you get the other stuff, it’s when you kind of light up and have more fun and play around a little bit more. I obviously enjoy that stuff the most. Anything that pokes me or upsets me or gets me going is good for drama.”
As for Kono, well… That’s a tricky one. Last we saw her, she was bound and gagged on a boat and pushed overboard, sinking to her doom. But it’s not a secret that Grace Park is still a member of the Hawaii Five-0 cast this season, so it’s also not really a secret that Kono is going to make it out of the lethal scenario… you know, most likely.
When I noted to Park that, since she was sitting in front of me on the set, I assumed Kono was either alive or a zombie, she grinned and ran through the possibilities for how she might be appearing in Season 3. “Yeah, Zombie Kono! She comes back in flashbacks. I play the evil twin. That kind of thing. No one’s ever done it before. Groundbreaking!”
I asked if this evil twin might sport the classic go-to evil twin goatee and Park replied, “Yeah, evil fraternal twin boy. We’re gonna take it back to the masculine.” [Since much of my conversation with Park hinged on what occurs in the premiere, look for a separate interview with her later next week, after the premiere has aired].
Grace Park in Hawaii Five-0
Hawaii Five-0: Season 3 will also have a new series regular this year – Michelle Borth, who has had a recurring role as McGarrett’s love interest, Navy lieutenant Catherine Rollins. Said O’Loughlin, “Michelle is now a part of our full-time cast, which is terrific. From the beginning, McGarrett hasn’t had a steady girl, and you know, Michelle’s been in and out. But she’s the obvious one that he has love for and a potential future with. So that’s going to open up a side of McGarrett that we haven’t really seen. Hopefully, we’ll tap into a softness and an accessibility that we haven’t seen that much of with this military sort of guy.”
When I asked what it was like working with the acclaimed Lahti, who’s won everything from an Emmy to an Oscar (the latter for directing a short film!), O’Loughlin laughed and exclaimed, “Jesus, she’s like a general, she’s so heavily decorated!”
He added that his TV mom is “Amazing. I love Christine very much. The first scene we ever did together, immediately after we met, was where they’re reunited at the beginning of [episode] 301. It’s a heavy scene, and we really had to be connected as people and as actors. So that was a wonderful way to start our friendship, and she’s a terrific person to have around. She’s very, very funny. She has a great sense of humor. She’s deeply humble and a lovely woman.”
Lahti recalled being pitched the character by Hawaii Five-0 executive producer Peter Lenkov and how she had to work to get Lenkov to give her any details about the mysterious character. Recalled Lahti, “He said she was a CIA operative, an assassin, who had to fake her own death to protect her family 20 years ago. That’s basically it, so I filled in a lot of the blanks. But then he told me a few other things because I insisted. He answered some questions about the first episode. So I know some things that even Alex doesn’t know. Clearly, I’m not going to tell you about it, but you’ll find out. Stay tuned!”
Michelle Borth, Alex O’Loughlin and Christine Lahti in Hawaii Five-0
When I asked Lahti, best known for roles in dramas like Chicago Hope, what it was like to enter the action-filled world of Hawaii Five-0, she described it as “Totally fun. You know, I’ve always hated guns, and I deplore violence. I’m really an advocate for gun control, and here I am, holding a gun and shooting. It’s really fun, though. Her CIA training and her life as a CIA operative was so long ago — and I don’t really know how much she’s involved — but there must be something because she’s pretty handy with a gun!”
As for portraying the mother/son dynamic with O’Loughlin, Lahti remarked, “it’s really complex, which was what was really appealing about the role to me. She has no regret — she did what she had to do to protect her family — but is filled with guilt. Think of all the pain she’s caused to her kids and her husband, and ultimately the murder of her husband. There’s so much love and so much loss and humor — she’s also really funny. One of the most appealing things about taking this job was for her humor. She’s really funny. In addition to everything else, she was that. It’s been a great ride.”
Lahti has initially signed on for four episodes, and isn’t sure if she’ll be doing more beyond that. In the meantime, she noted, “There was a lot of build-up for this character, for two years, so I felt like there was a lot of responsibility for me to live up to that. That’s a good challenge.”
Just in case you’ve forgotten any important plot points from last season, CBS has issued a new video recap to prepare you for Monday. Please pay close attention – there will be a quiz afterward.
Hawaii Five-0 fans in Australia and New Zealand have been frustrated for months after Channel 10 took the the series off the air before the second season was complete. The more vocal among them have been repeatedly asking the network when the show would return, only to be met with vague answers of “Soon!” Well, the viewers are finally being rewarded with the last two episodes (beginning Monday 9/17) but the big question remains, will Alex O’Loughlin and company’s Aussie fans be able to watch the third season of the hit CBS show? I suggest fans let Channel 10 know their thoughts on the matter.
Five-O is back, as slick, handsome and drenched in colour as ever. And, typically, we leap straight into the action, much of it worthy of a Bond blockbuster. The roll call of characters is pretty standard: the geek, the kick-arse hot chick, the sturdy straight man and, of course, our odd-couple leads, McGarrett and Danno. But each inhabits their role with enthusiasm, and the rapport between Alex O’Loughlin’s McGarrett and Scott Caan’s Danno has always been a fine thing. Everything that happens is highly improbable, of course. Not just the international espionage, but McGarrett’s Jason Bourne-like skills, many of which are called upon tonight. I almost expected to see “Blam!” and “Kapow!” explode across the screen in cartoonish graphics. Yet it still manages to create real tension as the team battles the forces of evil, accompanied by soaring strings and pounding timpanis. Great fun.
CBS will be showing the final Hawaii Five-0 episode from last year, the week before the premiere of the new fall season. I’m disappointed that the August March (Ed Asner) episode isn’t being re-run, but at least we’ll have him back for Season 2.
A handy rundown of the upcoming episodes:
Monday, September 3: ”Ka Iwi Kapu” (Sacred Bones) Some viewers thought that Robert Englund ( Freddy Krueger) was under-used in this episode, and while they’re probably correct, I found I didn’t care since the humor surrounding Danno was the high point for me. Englund’s “Samuel Lee” is actually only the second creepiest character in this outing, with Erin Way giving a wonderfully eerie performance as a mental patient. You can find Officer 808′s review here.
“Ka Iwi Kapu”
Monday, September 10: “Pā Make Loa” (Touch of Death) This is the NCIS: LA crossover episode and was lacking team leader, Steve McGarrett. Sadly, the most interesting character in it (Dracul Comescu,) was killed off much too soon.
Saturday, September 15: “Ki’ilua”(Deceiver) It’s the third time around for the rescue-McGarrett-in-North-Korea episode.
Monday, September 17th: ”Ua Hala” (Death in the Family) This drama-filled chapter brought us the end of Fryer (Tom Sizemore,) and the introduction of Karl Herlinger as “Toothpick.” Delano (William Baldwin) presents Chin Ho Kelly with an impossible choice that will haunt him for some time to come. And of course, that final word – “Mom?”
Monday, September 24th: Season 3 Premiere ” Lā o Nā Mākuahine” (Mother’s Day) Steve McGarrett meets the mother he long believed to be deceased. Doris McGarrett is being played by Christine Lahti.
I must admit I was a bit concerned after seeing that the details of the Australian release of Hawaii Five-0′s Season 2 DVD didn’t list a gag reel. I’m now relieved to see that the U.S. version does include it, because in my opinion, that was the best feature of of the first season set.
The current listed price on amazon.com (U.S.) is $43.48 for the DVD and $49.99 for Blu-ray
Highlighted by brand new behind-the-scenes looks and interviews with the cast and crew, Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season makes waves on Blu-ray Disc and DVD September 18, from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution. Starring Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park and Masi Oka, the exciting second season of Hawaii Five-0arrives just in time for the third season broadcast premiere this fall.
One of the year’s top shows, rating #1 in its timeslot*, the five-disc Blu-ray Disc and six-disc DVDsets feature all 23 episodes of the second season and provide fans unprecedented access to the creation of the popular series through hours of bonus features. Special features include “Aloha Action! Take 2″ featurette highlighting the show’s dramatic stunts; an inside look at the creation of the second season called “Shore Lines: The Story Of Hawaii Five-0, Season 2;” a special interactive “Crime Scene Locator” map that offers fans an insider’s look at key filming locations; and the exciting Hawaii Five-0 - NCIS: Los Angeles crossover event which also starsLL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell.
Hawaii Five-0 is a contemporary reinvention of the classic crime drama about an elite task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the Islands’ sun-drenched beaches.Alex O’Loughlin stars as Detective Steve McGarrett, a decorated Naval officer-turned-cop who heads up the new team. The series also stars Scott Caan as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, an ex-New Jersey cop; Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly, a former Honolulu Police Detective;Grace Park as Kono Kalakaua, a Hawaii native and the team’s most recent recruit; and Masi Oka, the quirky coroner. Together, this brash yet talented Five-0 unit is determined to eliminate the seedy elements from the 50th state.
Hawaii Five-0: The Second Season five-disc Blu-ray set will be available for the suggested retail price of $72.99 US and $76.99 CAN, while the six-disc DVD set will be available nationwide in the US and Canada for the suggested retail price of $64.99 US and $68.99 CAN. The Blu-ray Disc is presented in 16×9 Full Frame with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio with English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian subtitles. The DVD is presented in 16×9 full frame with English 5.1, English Stereo and English SDH, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. It is not rated in the U.S. and rated PG in Canada. The total running time is approximately 985 minutes. Episodes and special features are as follows:
Episodes:
Ha’i'ole (Unbreakable)
Ua Lawe Wale (Taken)
Kame’e (The Hero)
Mea Makamae (Treasure)
Ma’ema’e (Clean)
Ka Hakaka Maika’i (The Good Fight)
Ka Iwi Kapu (Sacred Bones)
Lapa’au (Healing)
Ike Maka (Identity)
Ki’ilua (Deceiver)
Pahele (Trapped)
Alaheo Pau’ole (Gone Forever)
Ka Ho’oponopono (The Fix)
Pu’olo (The Package)
Mai Ka Wa Kahiko (Out of the Past)
I Helu Pu (The Reckoning)
Kupale (Defender)
Lekio (Radio)
Kalele (Faith)
Ha’alele (Abandoned)
Pa Make Loa (Touch of Death) - NCIS: Los Angeles Cross-Over}
Ua Hopu (Caught)
Ua Hala (Death in the Family)
Special Features on Blu-ray and DVD:
Shore Lines: The Story of Hawaii Five-0 Season 2
Aloha Action! Season 2
Hawaii Five-0′Ahu: An Interactive Guide to Season 2 Locations
Touch of Death: NCIS: Los Angeles Episode
Gag Reel
Becoming a SEAL: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Toughest Training
Ricky Lo interviews the ground-breaking Hawaii Five-0 star, Daniel Dae Kim, and asks the all important question, who would you save, your cousin or your wife?
SINGAPORE — The eyes of Korean-American actor Daniel Dae Kim (or simply DDK) disappear into mere slits when reminded that he’s considered one of the Sexiest Men Alive (documented by People magazine in 2005) and ranked No. 81 on Buddy TV’s list of Sexiest Men of 2011.
Asked during an exclusive Conversation in a suite at Singapore Hilton how he felt about it, DDK said that it’s really no big deal being tagged sexy but he admitted that it’s good especially for Asian actors.
“You see,” he explained in a friendly, down-to-earth manner, “even if my friends tease me about it, on a social level I think it’s important for an Asian guy to be described as sexy. In American movies, Asian men are not really portrayed as sexy, so being considered sexy is good not only for me but for all Asians.”
DDK’s natural sexiness is showcased in his role as Detective Chin Ho in Hawaii Five-O which airs its Season 2 marathon from Tuesday (Aug. 21) to Thursday (Aug. 23), 9:05 p.m. exclusively on AXN (may be followed on Twitter). He stars with fellow “mucho macho” men Scott Caan (son of James Caan) and Alex O’Loughlin (the Australian hunk who was last seen on the big screen as Jennifer Lopez’s lover in The Back-up Plan), and Grace Park (yes, that’s her name, synonymous to a place in Caloocan City, also Korean-American). DDK plays Detective Chin Ho, played by Kam Fong in the original series.
While doing the series, DDK, who turned 44 last Aug. 4, lives with his wife Mia and their sons aged 10 and 15 in Honolulu. Doing TV is a welcome breather for the theater-trained actor who is a graduate of NYU’s Graduate Acting Program in 1996. His credits include hit TV shows (CSI, NYPD Blues and Seinfeld among them) and films (Spider-Man 2 as a scientist and Crash, the 2005 Oscar Best Picture).
Hawaii has become a second home to you. What do you find fascinating about it?
“I have children and Hawaii is a great place to raise an Asian family in. It’s the one place in America where Asians are in the majority and they speak English. We can be Asians and at the same time be Americans. So for that reason, Hawaii is a nice place. And it’s also nice because of its small-town mentality. I spend most of my adult life in New York and Los Angeles, and to raise children in those two cities can be very challenging. It’s always nice for parents to feel that their children are raised in a good, safe place.”
How has the Hawaii Five-O experience been so far?
“So far, it’s been really interesting. It’s good and bad and fun and boring sometimes because of the waiting (for the take), but as a whole it’s been a good experience and I’m happy that I’m doing the show.”
Talk about the good part.
“Yes, absolutely! It’s been nice to kind of take on a role as Chin Ho that’s different from my role as Jin (the loving but traditional husband) in Lost and one on which I get to speak English. You know, I’m happy to do things that I’ve never done before, like ride a motorcycle and shoot a shotgun.”
How’s your working relationship with Scott, Grace and Alex (who was recently injured during an accident on the set)?
“Yes, Alex was injured and it took some time before he got back to the show. As far as our working relationship is concerned, it has never been better. We have become some kind of family…yes, family is the right word because among siblings in a family, you love and you fight and then you love again. That’s very family.”
Is it all action on the set and no light moments?
“We do have some light moments. There’s heavy action and drama on camera, so you have to lighten the mood off camera by joking around and just relaxing and having a good time.”
Playing Chin Ho is very physical; it requires you to run and chase after bad guys. Have you, knock on wood, sustained any injuries on the set?
“Sure! In the first season, Scott hurt his knee while shooting a scene where he was running. He had a surgery on his knee. And, as I’ve said, Alex hurt his shoulder. It’s a very physically demanding show. So far, knock on wood, I’ve been okay.”
The original Hawaii Five-O was iconic, legendary. How do you guys make your performance different from that of the original actors without losing the old Hawaii Five-O flavor?
“That’s a good question. What I did was watch a number of episodes from the old series just so I could have a good resource material and that way I could try and make Chin Ho my own after that. But I always try to be respectful of and to honor the original show, and then try and modernize my character to something that speaks to me as an actor.”
Have you met Kam Fong?
“He’s not around anymore. But his son actually plays a recurring character on the show.”
Aside from being both Asian, how are you like Kam Fong in temperament and attitude? I suppose you’ve read and heard a lot about him.
“I don’t know very much about him except that he’s very well-liked around the island, the memory of him is well-respected, and I think that goes the same for the actors of the original series like Jack Lord (Who’s honored with a bust in front of a big mall in Honolulu. — RFL). All of them are considered icons in Hawaii. So we have some big footsteps to follow.”
You were born in Pusan, South Korea, and grew up in New York. How much of you is still Asian?
“Another good question. My wife Mia is also Asian, our kids are Korean, and we eat predominantly Korean food at home because she’s a very good cook. Yes, I love kimchi! My parents are still very close. We follow many Korean customs in the house.”
How much of the original Hawaii Five-O have you watched?
“Maybe three or four episodes as, as I’ve said, part of my preparation for the show. Throughout, I watched the very first episode and I watched something in the middle of Season 1, and I watched something in Season 2 and then I watched something late in the series because I wanted to see how it evolved.”
The intro music is iconic, too.
“Yes, I sing it and it keeps on replaying in the head!”
What traits of Chin Ho do you identify with?
“I think he’s very loyal.”
Are you?
‘Yes, I think so. I think he values his family like I do mine and I think he’s often put in a situation where he has to make a difficult choice. In the finale of Season 2, he’s faced with the choice to save either his cousin or his wife. He ended up trying to save his wife.”
Put in that situation in real life, what would you do?
“Between my wife and my cousin? I would do the same…save my wife! Hahahaha!”
You look so fit. Did you have to prepare physically for the show?
“It wasn’t a physical preparation but I wanted to learn what it was like to be a policeman in Honolulu. So I rode around with Honolulu cops for four days, stayed with them in the station, went out on the patrol car with them and got to know them a little bit just so I would be believable in playing the role.”
Is it hard to maintain your kind of body?
“I eat a lot of local fruit. Diet-wise, Hawaii is a good place to stay healthy because there’s a lot of fresh fish, vegetables grown right on the island and there’s so many places to run in and lots of sea to swim in. You can play golf and tennis.”
Any no-no’s?
“A local favorite is Spam but I try to avoid it. (It’s only in Hawaii where McDonald’s serves breakfast of Spam and egg with rice. — RFL) I’m not sure if it’s good for you.”
Was becoming an actor your only ambition?
“Actually, I was thinking of becoming a lawyer. I think ‘lawyering’ is theatrical in some way. I was a Political Science major and I was ready to go to law school. It wasn’t until I was in second year college that I took an acting class. That changed my life completely.”
Any dream role?
“I think I would like to play Henry V on stage. Why him? Because of his qualities and leadership that are admirable which I want to try and explore.”
In one of Hawaii Five-O’s episodes last year, the Philippines was prominently mentioned. Any chance for the series to be shot in the Philippines?
“Wow, that would be interesting! You know, our show deals with a lot of international kind of businesses, so I guess it’s possible. We’re still trying to figure out how to shoot in other parts of Hawaii, but if it opens up, yes, the Philippines would be a natural place to go.”
Have you worked with any Filipino?
“One of my best friends is Filipino. He’s a stage actor in New York. His name is Joe de la Fuente. He and I have been friends for many, many years; and he’s actually the person responsible for getting me to drama school at NYU because he was there first.”
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Are you ready for a third season in paradise with the hottest cast on television? To whet your appetite, CBS has updated their look back at Season 2 with a very exciting recap. Again I ask, are you ready for Season 3? I can’t hear you!
Grace Park in "Ua Hopu"
Hawaii Five-0′s third season debuts on Monday, September 24, 2012.
(U.S.) is $43.48 for the DVD and $49.99 for Blu-ray
What traits of Chin Ho do you identify with?
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