Hawaii Five-0: Why Each Of The Major Cast Members Left
For a decade, the CBS reboot of Hawaii Five-0 thrilled audiences with action, drama, and a standout cast. But behind the scenes, several major stars made significant and sometimes controversial exits from the series. This guide explores, in chronological detail, why each key actor left the show, how their departure was handled onscreen, and what they've been up to since. If you want to understand how Hawaii Five-0 navigated its many cast changes — or just catch up on your favorite actors — this is the summary for you!
1. Grace Park (Kono Kalakaua)
Grace Park was a cornerstone of Hawaii Five-0 from the very beginning, playing Kono Kalakaua — a role that was originally a male character in the 1970s series. Her character brought both brains and brawn to the elite team, quickly becoming a fan favorite thanks to her action-packed scenes and strong on-screen presence.
However, Park's departure in 2017 was both sudden and controversial. The reason? A dispute over pay inequality. It turned out she and co-star Daniel Dae Kim were making 10–15% less than the show's leading actors, Scott Caan and Alex O'Loughlin, even though their characters were just as important. CBS claimed both had received "large and significant raises," but these claims were seriously questioned after their exit.
Park finally shared her side of the story in 2018 — and her words were both honest and moving:
There were a number of factors spanning the show that affected the non-renewal of my contract. I'm grateful for the lessons learned, but I chose what was best for my integrity. I know that people are always trying their best, and everyone's coming from their own backgrounds. Throughout the whole series, I kept trying to see the best in everybody. Would I do it all over again? I wouldn't be so quick to say yes... I'm still figuring stuff out. Sometimes people are just really good at burying stuff, and I think I'm like that.
Because her decision came after Season 7 had wrapped, the writers didn't have a chance to script a big farewell. Instead, Kono was written out at the start of Season 8, having left Hawaii to work with a sex trafficking task force in Nevada.
After leaving Hawaii Five-0, Park appeared in indie films like Adventures in Public School and then found a new home on ABC's A Million Little Things, where her role was met with critical acclaim.
2. Daniel Dae Kim (Chin Ho Kelly)
Daniel Dae Kim was actually the first star cast for the new version of Hawaii Five-0, taking on the role of Lt. Chin Ho Kelly. His strong screen presence and experience from other major shows like Lost helped shape the series from the very start.
Like Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim departed ahead of Season 8 due to the same disappointing pay disparity with CBS. Despite his work and character being billed as central to the show, Kim was considered a "supporting lead" when it came to contracts, which led to what many saw as unfair treatment by the network. When a solution wasn't reached, both he and Park decided to walk away.
Kim's exit meant an offscreen goodbye: his character accepted a major position leading a Five-0 task force in San Francisco. It had to be that way as he wasn't present for Season 8 filming.
Since leaving, Daniel Dae Kim has kept quite busy! He played a part in the movie Hellboy, was featured in Netflix's romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe, and took a central role as both executive producer and actor in ABC's hit drama The Good Doctor. He summed up his experience on Hawaii Five-0 by focusing on moving forward, both creatively and professionally.
3. Michelle Borth (Catherine Rollins)
Michelle Borth first appeared in Season 1 as Navy officer Catherine Rollins—Steve McGarrett's on-and-off-again romantic interest. She became a series regular by Seasons 3 and 4, but left the main cast after that. Interestingly, Borth popped back up on the show in various guest appearances over the years, often tied to key moments in McGarrett's life.
The specific reasons for her leaving as a regular were never revealed, although it's rumored that a portion of the fandom disliked her character. What stands out about her exit is how amicable it seemed—she returned for special episodes seven times since leaving the main cast.
Catherine's character was initially written off by having her remain in Afghanistan, seeking a missing boy. Later, she returned for major events like Kono's wedding, and her more recent appearances were always tied to special missions.
Following her time on the show, Borth starred in several TV movies, like Devious Nanny, and landed the superhero role of Mary in Shazam!.
4. Masi Oka (Max Bergman)
Masi Oka joined Hawaii Five-0 as the lovable, quirky medical examiner Dr. Max Bergman, quickly rising from recurring to series regular by Season 2. With his unique humor and depth, Max became an integral part of the team—plus, fans enjoyed his fun costume choices and backstory, such as his marriage to Sabrina, played by Rumer Willis.
Even though his exit occurred during the same time frame as Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim's, Masi Oka's departure had a different origin. It was, in his words, a personal choice—both because his character's journey felt complete and for logistical reasons:
I just thought the character went through a major journey. He got married, now he's going off to Africa, so I think character-wise I felt like Max had done too much of everything he can do. And we've been so blessed to work for seven years on a great show, but a lot of my business has been in Los Angeles and Japan and it's been increasingly difficult to really commute to Hawaii. I'm probably the only one who really commutes to Hawaii, maybe 18 times a year round trip. It got to the point where the producers were very gracious enough to — like we talked about it and we thought Max was entering his journey and they allowed me, kind of like for my health as well, to be able to take a reprieve from being on the show.
Max was given a fitting farewell: he retired from his job and left Hawaii to work with Doctors Without Borders in Africa, accompanied by his wife.
Post-Hawaii Five-0, Oka worked on the TV show Mozart in the Jungle, voiced a character in Supermansion, appeared in The Meg, and lent his voice to the animated film Spies in Disguise.
5. Taryn Manning (Mary Ann McGarrett)
Taryn Manning played Mary Ann McGarrett, Steve's rebellious sister. She added a familial angle to the show's crime-solving, showing up at first as a problematic presence but later becoming a loving mother to her adopted daughter, Joan.
The specifics of Manning's exit weren't publicized, but it came down to the show wanting to focus more on the team's professional lives rather than their personal ones. Manning herself explained:
The family mystery was supposed to slowly unfold over the first season and I was going to play a big part in that with my own Nancy Drew mission. It was told to me that the first season would be based around the team more, and I should just hang tight.
Even after the regular role ended, Manning returned again and again, especially when a family storyline was needed. Her final appearance so far was in Season 9, when her character needed help with a nosy neighbor.
After Hawaii Five-0, Taryn Manning became best known for her work as Pennsatucky in Netflix's smash hit Orange is the New Black, in addition to acting in several indie movies.
6. Lauren German (Lori Weston)
Lauren German had one of the shortest runs as a regular Hawaii Five-0 character, joining for just a single season as Special Agent Lori Weston. She was brought in as a potential romantic interest for Steve McGarrett while fan-favorite Catherine Rollins was absent.
Unfortunately, many viewers did not connect with the character, and German's role on the show ended quietly without much official statement. She later hinted at offscreen issues possibly playing a part:
They decided to bring me on as the next detective. I don't know anything about the weird politics that went on but I think there were lot of women who didn't like my character.
Lori's exit was straightforward: after a tense diplomatic incident, she resigned from her position but not before professing unrequited love for McGarrett.
Lauren German quickly rebounded, landing a leading role on NBC's Chicago Fire and later becoming the female lead on the hugely popular series Lucifer, which continued filming its fifth and final season as of 2025.
Conclusion
Hawaii Five-0 underwent plenty of cast changes, but each actor's journey away from the show came with its own story — from pay disputes and creative shifts to personal journeys and new opportunities. Despite departures, the series continued to bring excitement and fresh faces, while the careers of its former stars flourished elsewhere. 🌴✨
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