Grace Park is finally opening up about her and Daniel Dae Kim’s abrupt exits from Hawaii Five-O.
At the time of their departure back in June 2017, reports claimed that Park and Kim both left the CBS action drama ahead of its eighth season because of unfair pay the network's final offer was allegedly 10 to 15% less than what their co-stars were receiving. But Park told Entertainment Weekly that money wasn’t the only issue.
“There were a number of factors spanning the show that affected the non-renewal of my contract,” Park said. “I’m grateful for the lessons learned, but I chose what was best for my integrity.”
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Park wouldn’t elaborate on the other factors, but she did dispute Hawaii Five-O showrunner Peter M. Lenkov’s tweet suggesting she left to spend more time with her family. “I let him know, ‘That wasn’t cool that you made a statement on my behalf.’ I know he did it to be helpful, and I care about Peter as a person, but I didn’t leave for that reason,” she said.
Unlike Park, who remained mum until now, Kim made a statement almost immediately following the departure announcement. In a Facebook post he said that he was “grateful” for his time on the show and explained that “the path to equality is rarely easy.” Still, things worked out well for Kim and Park in the end. Kim’s production company’s first show, The Good Doctor, has found a home on ABC, while Park stars in A Million Little Things, premiering on ABC in late September.
If she could do it all over again, Park said that she “wouldn’t be so quick to say yes” to everything offered, but notes that she’s still figuring things out. Additionally, she makes it clear that she’s ready to move on from this situation.
“Sometimes people are just really good at burying stuff, and I think I’m like that,” she said.