Television
It's supposed to be Hawaii, but where are all the locals?

By Michael Tsai
The Honolulu Advertiser

RONEN ZILBERMAN / AP Actors from the NBC series "Hawaii" film a scene this month on a canal in the Chinatown section of Honolulu. The show is an hourlong ensemble police drama.

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The Hawaii that Lori Kim sees on TV these days looks like a nice place, but she wouldn't want to live there.

"I wouldn't fit in," says Kim, a 24-year-old office clerk. "There are no Asians."

Kim, who is a mixture of Chinese and Hawaiian-Korean, has been watching Fox's "North Shore," one of three major network series being shot in Hawaii, and has been disappointed — though not shocked — by what she's seen.

"It's like, 'Here we go again,' " she says. "The show itself is OK, but it's all Caucasians. Where's the diversity? If this is supposed to be Hawaii, where's all the locals?"

Kim's questions raise issues that haunt every TV and film production in Hawaii: How far is Hollywood willing to go in representing Hawaii's racially diverse population to a mainland audience accustomed to monochrome casting? Do producers view Hawaii as a distinct community of people or just a pretty backdrop of blue skies and empty beaches?

The degrees to which different Hawaii-based shows have addressed this question has been inconsistent at best. One of the earliest network shows to be shot in Hawaii, the phenomenally popular "Hawaii Five-0," was progressive for its time in trying to represent the mix of races and cultures in Honolulu with several Asian and Pacific Islander actors making regular appearances. The core cast of "Magnum, P.I." also set in Hawaii, was less diverse, but the show did include several local actors in guest appearances.

Many consider "Byrds of Paradise" to be among the best at portraying the local lifestyle — but its brief run may also serve as a cautionary tale to producers. "Baywatch Hawaii" featured Jason Momoa, who was born in Hawaii, and local actress Stacy Kamano as part of its core cast.

Producers and casting directors say they'd love to cast more local talent, but the pool of qualified actors and extras just isn't big enough to meet the demand.

"North Shore" first to air

"North Shore," the first of the three Hawaii shows to air, is an ensemble drama set at a fictitious luxury hotel on Oahu. The core cast of eight includes one actor with local ties — Momoa, who has paternal roots in Nanakuli, Hawaii, and was raised primarily in Iowa.

"Jason is cool," Kim says. "But I don't actually get a real local vibe from him. He seems kind of 'L.A.' — no disrespect or anything."

There isn't much to go on yet, but Kim isn't alone in her dismay about the way the new wave of Hawaii-based shows seems to be shaping up. Internet chat boards for "North Shore," NBC's "Hawaii" and ABC's "Lost" have been buzzing with criticism from potential fans about the apparent lack of diversity in the shows' casting — criticism initially based on casting moves reported in "Variety" and other entertainment media, as well as on each show's official network Web site.

	LUCY PEMONI / AP Actor Sharif Atkins, left, is part of the new NBC series "Hawaii." It is one of several TV series being shot in Hawaii and, by all accounts, "Hawaii" is one that is pushing to reflect the state's diversity.

"Hawaii," which premieres at 9 p.m. next Monday on NBC (KING) but will begin airing in its regular time slot at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Sept. 1, is an hourlong ensemble cop drama set in Honolulu with at least three Asian-American and Pacific Islander actors in its core cast. "Lost" is a survival drama shot in various remote locations on Oahu but not actually set in Hawaii. It includes two Asian Americans in its cast and airs 8 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC (KOMO) starting Sept. 22.

Brooke Burns and Kristoffer Polaha star in "North Shore." The show has been criticized for its lack of diversity, but producers say they are striving to capture a mix that will truly reflect the Islands.

"North Shore" executive producer Bert Salke says he and the show's other producers are committed to portraying Hawaii in a positive, realistic light.

"Of all the shows done in Hawaii, this one really attempts to capture the beauty of Hawaii," Salke says. "There is a big element of wish fulfillment in the show, but we also want to ground it in the reality of what Hawaii is."

To hit its target audience of 18- to 35-year-olds, the show has assembled a cast of attractive, young stars — headed by Burns and Polaha — to play up-and-coming professionals living and working in a tropical paradise.

The upscale hotel guests have an understandably mainland look, while the background actors and extras are pulled from a mix of local and mainland talent.

"Hawaii" tries for diversity

By all accounts, "Hawaii" is pushing to properly reflect the state's diverse population in its casting decisions. The core cast includes veteran actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Aya Sumika and Peter Navy Tuiasosopo.

Sumika, who was raised in Washington and has family on Maui, plays police officer Linh Tamiya (originally Linh Dias).

"She's a very tough, very strong woman surrounded by men," Sumika says of her character. "And she has goals. She wants to be a detective."

Producers intend to show a decidedly grittier side of Honolulu than has any show previously shot here.

Where "North Shore" operates primarily in the closed, rarefied environment of a luxury hotel, and "Lost" in isolated jungle and mainland flashbacks, "Hawaii" will bear the burden of trying to depict the range of urban Honolulu experience in as realistic a manner as possible.

"There's a responsibility we have to be true and respectful to what Hawaii really is," Sumika says. "For me, it's an honor to be an Asian American representing the people of Hawaii."

"It's our time to have a voice," she says. "I hope that more Asian Americans will get the opportunity to work and get jobs. I need the support of my people around me."

Momoa, who plays bartender Frankie Seau on "North Shore," adds, "I encourage every brother and sister to just go out there and do it," Momoa says. "Go to acting school, get to know the casting directors, go to L.A.

"The talent has to step it up," he says.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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