Hawaii Five-0 adds another new character in season 8
Hawaii Five-0 is adding to its ranks again.
Christine Ko has booked a recurring role that kicks off later this month, EW has learned exclusively.
The Great Indoors alum will play Jessie, a recently freed ex-convict whom Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) recruits to help him with his newly formed unit tasked by McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) to take down the most ruthless crime syndicates on the island.
Ko joins other new season 8 additions including Meaghan Rath and Beulah Koale, who both joined the show in the wake of Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park’s exits.
In June, it was announced that both Kim and Park would exit ahead of the procedural’s eighth season. Kim posted a lengthy Facebook message to fans explaining he decided to leave the show after contract negotiations with the network failed. Kim and Park reportedly had been seeking equal pay with stars O’Loughlin and Caan. (Kim later told reporters that walking away from H50 was about maintaining a “steadfast sense of your self-worth.”) CBS, in turn, responded with a statement saying the network offered the duo “large and significant salary raises.” H50 boss Peter Lenkov, meanwhile, defended the network and the show’s continued diversity in response to outcry online over three Asian characters leaving (Masi Oka exited during season 7).
Hawaii Five-0 airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Ko’s first episode is slated for Jan. 19.
