'Hawaii Five-0' Season 8 Cast News: Daniel Dae Kim Addresses Departure
"Hawaii Five-0" fans were left heartbroken when news broke that Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim would not return to reprise their roles for season 8. At the Television Critics Association press tour recently, Kim addressed the situation and remained thankful for his time on the show.
Kim made an appearance at the TCA to promote "The Good Doctor," an upcoming show he executive produces on ABC. While there, he spoke about his exit from "Hawaii Five-0" following a salary dispute.
"That was a really important part of my life for seven years, and I'm really grateful to CBS and everyone involved with the show for giving me the opportunity," Kim said (via The Hollywood Reporter).
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He added: "That said, it's possible to be grateful for the opportunity and respectful of the colleagues and the people that I work with and still maintain a steadfast sense of your self-worth."
Earlier this year, it was reported that Kim and Park were leaving "Hawaii Five-0" after not being able to reach salary parity with co-stars Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan. And while some believed that the decision had something to do with the actors' race, CBS asserted that it was not a factor at all.
"We love both those actors and did not want to lose them," CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl previously said at the TCA. "We made very, very strong attempts to keep them and offered them a lot of money to stick around."
Fans are definitely going to miss Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, but there will be new characters taking their places. Meaghan Rath and Beulah Koale have been tapped to join O'Loughlin and Caan for the new season. Ian Anthony Dale, who plays Kono's husband, Adam Noshimuri, will also be a series regular beginning season 8. It has been said that Chin Ho and Kono's absence will be explained in the premiere episode.
"Hawaii Five-0" season 8 will premiere on Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. EDT on CBS.
