Wednesday, September 7, 2011

My TV hero: George Takei on Alex O'Loughlin

I appeared in the original Hawaii Five-O and can't wait to meet the new Detective Steve McGarrett

I love watching the new Hawaii Five-0 show with my husband, Brad Altman. We travel a lot, so we tend to record two or three episodes and then have a Five-0 fest for a whole night. What I especially like is the way Alex O'Loughlin has developed the lead character, Detective Steve McGarrett.

I was a big fan of the original series from way back in the 70s, when it was first televised. In those days, McGarrett was played as a granite, stolid character. But O'Loughlin has added more dimensions. He has been in other series, but I've not seen them ? and I think that's what makes his McGarrett much more interesting for me. I see it without the influence of other characters that he has created.

McGarrett is still the classic TV hero ? courageous, strong, handsome and all that ? but he is also tortured by his father's death, and has a sense of responsibility for his family; as a son, and as a sibling. And that makes him a more layered character. The connections that he has developed with the other lead characters ? Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Bark ? have turned Hawaii Five-0 into a very interesting story. It's a totally changed show, certainly in terms of rhythm and colour. And while I loved it back then for what it was, I love it even more for what it is today. It's not just action and adventure any more, but an exploration of character and relationships as well. I love Hawaii, and the show lets me go there vicariously every week.

I appeared in the original Hawaii Five-O, and there's even the possibility of me appearing again. If that happens, I'm really looking forward to meeting Alex. I only know him as McGarrett, so I can't wait to meet Alex O'Loughlin, the actor behind the character. And I'll definitely tell him I'm a fan. Why would I not? I always enjoy it when someone comes up and says they're a fan of mine.


guardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/sep/05/my-tv-hero-alex-oloughlin

Eric Pickles Joey Barton Royal Bank of Scotland The Ashes European banks Short breaks

No comments:

Post a Comment