'Hawaii Five-0' Star Daniel Dae Kim Addresses Fans in Heartfelt Letter
Created by Peter Lenkov, "Hawaii Five-0" is a popular series about detectives fighting crime in Aloha State. The show garnered a huge fanbase enough to warrant seven seasons. However, it may never be the same after reports revealed that "Hawaii Five-0" stars Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park announced that they are departing from the cast permanently because of salary inequality.
Kim plays as Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly. Considering his character's deep and profound relationship with Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin), his exit from "Hawaii Five-0" wrecked some of the fans, who have been looking forward to see Kim in the upcoming eighth season. On the other hand, Park plays Kono Kalakaua who happened to be Kelly's cousin. Both stars are notable across the entirety of the series, and their exit has many questioning how the show will ever be the same without them
According to Variety, their exit was triggered by the fact that they are receiving significantly lower salaries compared to what O'Laughlin and Scott Caan, who plays as Danny Williams, are receiving. A few days after the fourth of July, Kim broke his silence and took to social media to address the issue.
"By now many of you have heard the news, and I'm sad to say it is true. I will not be returning to Hawaii Five-0 when production starts next week. Though I made myself available to come back, CBS and I weren't able to agree to terms on a new contract, so I made the difficult choice not to continue," posted Kim. "As sad as it feels to say goodbye, what I feel most is gratitude. I am so deeply thankful to our crew, writers and everyone associated with the show — and especially the cast, who have been nothing but supportive through this entire process."
Kim also took the time to promote a series he has produced. Set to air on ABC, "The Good Doctor" is his current focus. Meanwhile, fans of "Hawaii Five-0" will definitely feel the missing pieces when it returns this fall.
