Hawaii Five-0 Loses Two Original Cast Members Before Season 8!!!
Carissa Pavlica
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The cousins we've come to know and love on Hawaii Five-0 are taking their leave before Season 8 arrives on September 29.
Grace Park (Kono) and Daniel Dae Kim (Chin) will not be a part of Hawaii Five-0 Season 8.
While you can expect to find out exactly what happens to the pair on the premiere on the Hawaii Five-0 Season 7 finale Kono was headed to Carson City to further investigate a child sex trafficking ring, and Chin had an offer to start a San Francisco task force.
The two began as regulars on Hawaii Five-0 at the start and have been a very important part of the team dynamic.
Kono's relationship and marriage were one of the stronger relationship storylines on the series, pushing the boundaries of what a cop can handle in the line of duty when her fiance isn't on the right side of the law.
As family, Kono and Chin have always had each other's backs, and it's been nice to have the family dynamic not only on the team but on the series to remind everyone that as important as their job is to do, nothing is as important as family.
“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," said Peter Lenkov, executive producer.
“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.
"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 one. They will always be ohana [family] to us, we will miss them and we wish them both all the best."
It's unconfirmed, but some sources have said that the two actors were seeking salary parity with leads Alex O'Laughlin and Scott Caan, but were unable to to come to a satisfactory conclusion.
Their salaries were believed to have been 10-15% lower than the series stars.
It could have also been a way for them to get out of their contracts gracefully, and we may never know the truth behind any of it.
"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 [until we meet again]," CBS said in a statement.
No matter how the parting of ways came about, it appears there are no hard feelings from CBS and the production team, who are eager to lavish praise on the talented departing cast members.
What's up next for the two?
Kim will be working as an executive producer on ABC's The Good Doctor starring Freddie Highmore.
He co-created the series with Howard Shore. We wish him all the luck in the world.
Park recently reunited with her Battlestar Galactica co-stars at the ATX Festival and has a movie with Judy Greer upcoming.
What do you think about these changes for Hawaii Five-0?
Do you hope new characters are introduced to take their place or are you interested in seeing the cast trimmed a bit so more focus can be on other characters already introduced? Who might you swing back around to get more screen time?
Have your way with this one Hawaii Five-0 Fanatics! And if you're feeling nostalgic, you can watch Hawaii Five-0 online right here via TV Fanatic.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
