Daniel Dae Kim on his ‘Hawaii Five-0’ departure: ‘All good things come to an end’

TV
Aug. 6, 2017, 12:01 p.m.

Daniel Dae Kim on his ‘Hawaii Five-0’ departure: ‘All good things come to an end’

Yvonne Villarreal

Over a month after news broke that Daniel Dae Kim would not be returning to “Hawaii Five-0” over a salary dispute, the actor was asked to address the matter during an appearance at the Television Critics Assn. press tour.

Kim was on a panel Sunday at the Beverly Hilton to promote the new ABC drama, “The Good Doctor,” on which he serves as an executive producer. But it wasn’t long before Kim was asked to elaborate on what led to his “Hawaii Five-0” exit.

“That was a really important part of my life for seven years,” Kim told reporters, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of the CBS procedural.

“That said, it’s possible to be grateful ... and still maintain a steadfast sense of your self-worth,” Kim said.

“All good things come to an end,” Kim said. “I’ve closed that chapter of ‘Hawaii Five-0’ and begin this new chapter on ‘The Good Doctor.’ I couldn’t be more excited at ABC where I started my career in earnest” on “Lost.”

News broke in late June that Kim and his co-star Grace Park would be leaving the show ahead of its eighth season due to a dispute with CBS Television Studios over claims they were paid less than their white co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan. Their departures brought renewed focus to Hollywood’s diversity problem.

“The path to equality is rarely easy,” Kim wrote in a message on Facebook at the time.

“The Good Doctor,” about a physician with autism starring Freddie Highmore (“Bates Motel”), premieres Sept. 25 on ABC.