Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park will not return for the show\u2019s eighth season. Two of the longtime leads of \u201c Hawaii Five-0 \u201d are reportedly leaving the show after seven seasons due to failed salary negotiations. Sources told Variety that Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park sought equal pay to Alex O\u2019Loughlin and Scott Caan, and quit when CBS offered the Asian stars 10 to 15 percent less than their white co-stars make. Kim and Park have been with the \u201cHawaii Five-0\u201d since the reboot first aired in 2010. Their characters, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, are two of the show\u2019s biggest leads. CBS did not respond to HuffPost\u2019s request for comment but told Variety the network is \u201cso appreciative of Daniel and Grace\u2019s enormous talents, professional excellence and the aloha spirit they brought to each and every one of our 168 episodes.\u201d \u201cThey\u2019ve helped us build an exciting new Hawaii Five-0, and we wish them all the best and much success in their next chapters.\u201d \u201cMahalo and a hui hou\u2026\u201d (Meaning: \u201cThank you and see you later\u201d or I don\u2019t give a shit from CBS.)<\/p>\n
Kim and Park\u2019s reported negotiations highlight a growing battle for pay equality in Hollywood. \u201cShameless\u201d star Emmy Rossum fought to be paid more than her co-star William Macy last year after making less than he did for several seasons. The actress got Macy\u2019s support, who said \u201cshe deserves everything.\u201d Robin Wright also spoke out last year about her demand to be paid the same as \u201cHouse of Cards\u201d co-star Kevin Spacey though she has stated in a magazine interview that she\u2019s not sure the equal paycheck will ever really materialize. Daniel Dae Kim sent a message to his fans about his choice to leave his beloved role on \u201cHawaii Five-0\u201d with this message: \u201cBy now many of you have heard the news and I\u2019m sad to say it is true. I will not be returning to Hawaii Five-0 when production starts next week,\u201d Kim wrote. \u201cThough I made myself available to come back, CBS and I weren\u2019t able to agree to terms on a new contract, so I made the difficult choice not to continue.\u201d Kim spoke out on the on the obstacles for minorities in Hollywood and thanked CBS for giving him the opportunity to play a lead character with as much depth as Chin Ho Kelly. \u201cAs an Asian American actor, I know first-hand how difficult it is to find opportunities at all, let alone play a well-developed, three-dimensional character like Chin Ho,\u201d Kim wrote. \u201cI will miss him sincerely. What made him even more special is that he was a representative of a place my family and I so dearly love.\u201d \u201cI\u2019ll end by saying that though transitions can be difficult, I encourage us all to look beyond the disappointment of this moment to the bigger picture.\u201d \u201cThe path to equality is rarely easy.\u201d Kim, who is also known for his role on the hit series \u201cLost,\u201d assured fans that he would be pursuing other opportunities on and off-screen. His production company, 3AD, will be premiering its first series, \u201cThe Good Doctor,\u201d on ABC in the fall. In a study of over 400 films and television series done by University of Southern California last year, only 5 percent had Asian speaking characters. Other actors, such as Aziz Ansari, have spoken out about these issues and roles that stereotype minorities. These issues were also highlighted by the social media #OscarsSoWhite and increasing backlash against films that \u201cwhitewash\u201d minority stories.<\/p>\n
Since Basically Old White Men In Suits Run Hollywood, It Will Be A Long And Hard Fought Victory <\/b><\/p>\nSusan Z\u2019s Conclusion:<\/h2>\n
I believe that Kim and Park have dealt with this issue for a few renewal contracts and really thought they would win their equal pay fight. I believe since it is the show\u2019s eighth season, the producers see a winding down on the series and were not willing to cooperate. I also confrontations in negotiations were big, which did not help winning their case.<\/p>\n
Five of Pentacles: <\/b>
\nThis is a card of low self-esteem and a \u201cless than\u201d mentality. It is fairly obvious why this card was drawn since these two Asian actors are pointing out this is exactly why they are quitting.<\/p>\n
The High Priestess:<\/b> Inverted (Upside Down)
\nThis is a woman who is self-sufficient but can also feel isolated and alone. Since pulled inverted, I believe that it was Grace Park who initiated the quit for not only is she dealing with Asian inequality but she is also a woman.<\/p>\n
The Hermit: <\/b> Inverted
\nThis card is one of going within and standing alone. Since pulled inverted, I feel it represents the two actors bringing to public awareness the inequality of pay they refused to accept.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018 Hawaii Five-0 \u2019 Loses Its Asian Stars, Reportedly Over Pay Dispute With CBS Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park will not return for the show\u2019s eighth season. Two of the longtime leads of \u201c Hawaii Five-0 \u201d are reportedly leaving the show after seven seasons due to failed salary negotiations. Sources told Variety that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1267],"class_list":{"0":"post-6804","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celeb-news","8":"tag-hawaii-five-0"},"yoast_head":"\n