On the Scene with Jason Quinn

Hawaii-born actor Jason Quinn, 41, juggles his career between theater, film and TV work in Hawaii and on the mainland. His TV credits include minor roles on “CSI: Miami” in 2005 and “Last Resort,” which was filmed in Hawaii, in 2012, and playing two different characters on “Hawaii Five-0,” in 2010 and 2015.

Quinn’s accomplishments are a dramatic turnaround from where he was in his teens. Growing up in Ewa Beach and Makakilo, he got into what he describes a “quite a bit of trouble … although I never was a heavy-duty gangster.” He was set on a new path after receiving a college scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. Quinn is appearing in Kumu Kahua’s production of “Buffalo’ed” through Feb. 26.

JOHN BERGER: In “Buffalo’ed” you play David Fagen, a real-life African-American soldier who got so fed up with the racism of the U.S. Army that he defected and joined the Philippine army. Did you know his story when you auditioned?

JASON QUINN: No, but after I saw in the script notes that he was a historical figure, I started reading about him. Then I contacted the playwright, and she gave me her source information. There’s a story to be told there.

JB: You were doing Shakespeare in New York City at 24. How did you go from Shakespeare to “CSI: Miami”?

JQ: My manager at the time said, “If you don’t go to L.A. before you turn 30, you’re going to regret it because you could be a film star.” My passion was theater but I went to Los Angeles. Within a week in Los Angeles I booked “CSI: Miami.”

JB: Where can we see you after “Buffalo’ed”?

JQ: “Snatched” with Amy Schumer, which should be out in May, and “Jumanji” with Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson, which will be coming out in December. (Both movies filmed in Hawaii.)

JB: What are the most memorable roles you’ve played?

JQ: “Top Dog/Underdog” with Moses Goods at The Actors’ Group in 2010 and “Othello” for the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival in 2015 pushed me to the edge of what I’m capable of.

JB: What do you like to do for relaxation?

JQ: I enjoy surfing and scuba diving, and swimming and mountain climbing, and skateboarding with my son. And I’m in the gym.

JB: What do you tell local kids who are where you were 25 years ago?

JQ: Anybody can do anything — it’s repetition, work and changing the area around you. Any kid thinking they’re stuck, they ain’t stuck. There’s a whole world out there.

“On the Scene” appears weekly in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Sunday Magazine. Reach John Berger at jberger@staradvertiser.com.