“Hawaii Five-0” series regular Dennis Chun, who has played Sgt. Duke Lukela since the first season of the show, expressed his sadness Friday as well as his extreme pride when asked about his reaction to the news that the CBS series would come to an end after 10 seasons and 240 episodes.
Known to the “Five-0” fandom as the “Ambassador of Aloha,” Chun and his character have come a long way from the first season when he guest-starred for what was supposed to be a one-episode part. “Duke” turned into one of the most beloved characters in the series. Chun shares a deep connection with “Hawaii Five-0” as his father, Kam Fong, played Chin Ho Kelly in the classic version of the show.
Chun, who is part Native Hawaiian, is the connection to the legacy of “Hawaii Five-0,” started by the actors (his father included) who launched the series in 1968. While the ending of the rebooted version of the series is bittersweet, Chun is also immensely proud of what the show has done for Hawaii, and the local actors and production crew members. Beyond that, the Oahu resident is extremely thankful to the thousands of fans around the world who watched every season, traveled to Hawaii to visit the home of their favorite show and brought “Hawaii Five-0” into their homes each week.
Question: What was your initial reaction to the news that this would be your last season?
Answer: There’s always sadness because a journey is coming to an end. It’s a great cast and crew, and we’ve all become ohana over the years. And it’s sad to know we’re parting and going out in different directions. But there’s also a sense of pride in what we accomplished for 10 years. I think that it’s a tribute to Peter Lenkov and to Alex (O’Loughlin), and the cast and the crew and to CBS. It’s been a magical journey.
Q: You’re inordinately proud of the show, and it’s always obvious in the way you respond to fans and to questions about the show, but maybe for the casual viewer, what do you think “Hawaii Five-0” has done for Hawaii?
A: I think first of all, it helped the economy — I’ve met a lot of tourists who came here and said they came because of the show, because they saw Hawaii and they wanted to come here and experience aloha and ohana for themselves. It’s provided opportunities for our local people and our cast and crew to get more experience. And now we have an excellent cast and crew, and we have a lot of young actors who have gotten some experience in front of the camera — which is so important so they can take it to another level. I’m just grateful for all of that. But it’s done a lot for Hawaii — most of all, it’s taken aloha and ohana around the world where I think we really need it.
Q: Speaking of aloha, you have been called the “Ambassador of Aloha” because of your history with “Hawaii Five-0” and because of the kind of person you are, but what do you think of the title and what does it mean to you when people call you that?
A: Well, first of all, I’m humbled by it and I feel undeserving. All I’m trying to do is share the love of Hawaii and a love of the show, and the history of the show, to let the fans and people around the world know how much we appreciate them. Because without them there wouldn’t have been a show for 10 years. You know, we still are one of the top-rated shows, we are still No. 1 on Friday nights, and that’s all due to the fans. So part of showing aloha is about trying to say thank you. It’s important for actors to just take a moment to say thank you to the fans.
Television is a little bit different, because when they watch us on film or in a theater, they come to the actor’s house — but with television they invite us into their homes to entertain them and their families. To me that’s extremely special and it’s a great honor. One of the most meaningful things is when people come up to me and say, “I watched your father” or “I sat in my father’s lap and I watched your father on the original ‘Five-0,’ and now my son or daughter sits on my lap and watches you.” It’s indescribable. It’s very special to me.
The last scene I shot for “Five-0” was on the soundstage where my father worked 50 years ago. The same stage. That was where my last scene was filmed for the series. My last scene shot was where my dad worked on the original “Hawaii Five-0.”
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Wendie Burbridge writes the “Five-0 Redux” and “Magnum Reloaded” blogs for staradvertiser.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
