Alex O’Loughlin, star of "Hawaii Five-0," is taking some time away from the show to get treated for problems with pain medication, his representatives and CBS said.
"Alex is taking a short break to receive supervised treatment for prescription pain medication due to a recent shoulder injury," said a statement from Rachael Wesolowski, one of O’Loughlin’s representatives.
CBS and O’Loughlin representatives declined to comment on the nature of O’Loughlin’s injuries or his treatment.
O’Loughlin, who portrays Steve McGarrett, leader of a crime-fighting team, is known for doing many of his own stunts on the action-packed show. He reportedly will be absent for at least one episode.
He has homes on Oahu and in California.
The Australian-born actor, 35, has a loyal following of fans. Some traveled thousands of miles to see him at September’s premiere of the second season of "Hawaii Five-0" in Waikiki — one group of die-hards arrived at 3 a.m. for the evening event.
Some posted well wishes online Friday night.
A commenter on E! Online’s report wrote, "I wish Alex the best and hope he heals really quickly. I hope he realize that his health is more important then anything else he will ever do. May God help him get through whatever it is he is really going through. Plenty of rest and peace of mind."
A post at People.com read, "Love the show and wish him a speedy recovery. It takes a lot of strength to admit you have a problem."
Many fans were sharing that they had noticed the actor lost some weight recently.
The fan website alexoloughlin.org posted this update: "Everyone has noticed Alex’s recent weight loss, and many people have made comments about him looking tired. Recently when asked about Alex’s health, Producer Peter Lenkov had tweeted ‘He’s fine’ … Peter and other people on the cast/crew had noted that he was just a little over worked. There was no mention of an injury or other problems. …
"While we are sad to hear that Alex has been in pain and has had to take pain killers, we are proud of him for taking the time to get help right away," the post continued.
The series is now near the end of the second season and was reportedly shooting episode 20, which focuses on other characters in the series. Shooting is expected to take a short break after episode 20, then resume production on the remaining episodes for the season.
"We respect and support Alex’s decision," CBS Studios, which produces the series, said in a statement. "Everyone at CBS Television Studios and ‘Hawaii Five-0′ wishes him well and we look forward to his return."
