'Hawaii Five-0' Asian actors quit show on pay gap issue

Stars of “Hawaii Five-O” Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim have left the CBS show. Their respective characters Kono Kalakaua and Chin Ho Kelly will no longer be appearing in the upcoming eighth season. The absence of their characters will be dealt with in the season premiere.

Sources say that Kim and Park had been crying foul and had been seeking pay equality with their co-stars Scott Caan and Alex O’ Loughlin, but were unable to reach reasonable deals with CBS Television Studios. CBS came up with a final offer to Park and Kim which was reportedly around 10% to 15% lower than what O’Loughlin and Caan had been making from the show. Both O’Louhglin and Caan also have deal that could give them points on the back end of the show.

Executive producer Peter Lenkov expresses his dismay and says that he will never forget meeting Daniel while he was still writing the pilot and back then, he was already certain that there was no other actor whom he wanted to play Chin Ho Kelly. He also says that Daniel had been an instrumental part of the success of the show’s reboot over the past seven seasons and he considers it a great privilege to know him.

Variety says that Grace’s presence on the set gave the show “a beauty and serenity to each episode.” “They will always be ohana to us, we will miss them and we wish them both all the best” adds Lenkov.

Kim and Park have been with the cast and crew of “Hawaii Five-O” ever since it was the reboot first aired back in 2010. Their characters are two of the show’s biggest leads and have grown to becomes favourites for viewers of the show.

When asked about this issue, a representative of CBS said that they are very appreciative of Daniel and Grace’s contributions and talents which they have showcased on the show. They have helped them build an exciting new “Hawaii Five-O” and they wish them all the best and success in their upcoming endeavours. On the other hand, representatives of the actors have not issued any statement to date.

Kim and Park’s departure from the show after seven seasons show a battle for pay equality in Hollywood. Emmy Rossum fought to be paid more than her “Shameless” co-star William Macy just last year, after making less than he did for years. The same issue has also been observed amongst cast members of “House of Cards” Robin Wright.

CBS Responds to "Hawaii Five-0" Original Members' Exit | E! News

Source: YouTube/E! News