Stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park didn’t just fill in the force on “Hawaii Five-O.” Both gifted actors had pivotal storylines, and their talents behind and in front of the camera captivated fans every week. The two stars strived for equity as cast members in salary negotiation and walked away from negotiations when that status was not offered by executives of the long-running drama.

While many fans are wondering how they and their favorite crime-fighting force will move on without Kono Kalakaua and Chin Ho Kelly, the actors who breathed such life into those characters as TV cousins are betting on bright futures and standing under bright blue North American skies.

Fans can always find comfort in seven seasons of the cop cousins keeping law and order on the islands, and clearly, the two don’t mind a change in geography.

Both actors came on to “Hawaii Five-O” with a familiar fan base from prior long-running roles, and both have been strong ambassadors for the series’ past and present. In his parting statement, Kim reflected on how he will miss his character. Some doors must close to allow new ones to open. Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park are too busy and having too much fun to take time out for looking back. The close friends and TV cousins made the most of their time together in Canada. This was evident in a made abundantly clear by a photo shared on August 2.

Feels good to be like family

Daniel Dae Kim said everything with his hashtags in the words “cousins” and “reunited” in his photo shared on social media with Park. The two friends are pictured under the vivid skies of Vancouver, in a backdrop of beautiful mountains. Kim, 48, and Park, 43, looked like the poster images for a “Fabulous in Their 40s” ad campaign.

Their smiles were radiant, and the two looked all set for a hike in the glorious outdoors up north.

Grace Park hails from Vancouver, so the time together was a homecoming for the incandescent actress who blended her character’s sensitive side with a ferocity that was unforgettable to those on the wrong side of the law. Kono Kalakaua was in flight to Carson City, Nevada when Season 7 closed, and now that the story arc that was planned for her character’s exit cannot be fulfilled, it will be interesting to see how both that crucial absence and a missing Chin Ho Kelly will be rationalized in the Season 8 premiere, set for September 29.

Looking to future plans

Daniel Dae Kim left another few hopeful words in his caption, “Until next time.” There is no doubt that both these powerhouse creative forces will have a bright future. No specifics have been officially announced as of yet, but Grace Park has “projects” in the works, and Daniel Dae Kim will have an active producing role in ABC's “The Good Doctor” starring Freddie Highmore as a superbly talented surgeon with autism.

According to an interview last May, Daniel Dae Kim had every intention of being a part of the “Hawaii Five-O” “ohana.” “Hawaii Five-O” continues to take heat for its poor cast pay and casting decisions. What is most dismaying is that show's executives and producers continue to extol that “lots” of money was offered to keep Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park as part of the cast.Peter Lenkov and other executives at CBS said the financial offers made were “significant."

“Hawaii Five-O” will have a new cast on September 29, and many local ethnicities will now be represented.

Ian Anthony Dale now will join the force as a cast regular, along with new co-stars, Meaghan Rath and Beulah Koale. Other long time support cast, like Taylor Wily and Dennis Chun, have been promoted.
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