When negotiating for the salary you deserve, sometimes you have to be prepared to walk away. Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park did just that when they announced they'd be leaving the CBS series "Hawaii Five-0" earlier this week.
During negotiations with CBS, Kim and Park reportedly asked to receive pay equal to that of their their white co-stars, Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan.
Despite having starred in the show since its reboot in 2010, Variety reports that CBS' final offer to the actors was 10 to 15 percent lower than what O'Loughlin and Caan are paid.
For the past seven seasons, Kim and Park have played Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, members of the Hawaii Five-0 Task Force. The two have each appeared in all 168 episodes of the series.
CBS said in a statement, "We are so appreciative of Daniel and Grace's enormous talents, professional excellence and the aloha spirit they brought to each and every one of our 168 episodes."
In a Facebook post, Kim expressed gratitude and acknowledged the difficulties that many Asian American actors face, writing, "As an Asian American actor, I know first-hand how difficult it is to find opportunities at all, let alone play a well developed, three-dimensional character like Chin Ho. I will miss him sincerely."
This is not the first time Kim has spoken out about the issue of pay equality. Last year, he told the New York Times, "The harsh reality of being an actor is that it's hard to make a living, and that puts actors of color in a very difficult position."
But Kim encourages others to remain optimistic. "Though transitions can be difficult, I encourage us all to look beyond the disappointment of this moment to the bigger picture." He added, "The path to equality is rarely easy. But I hope you can be excited for the future."
Fans of Kim and Park will have opportunities to see the two onscreen again soon. Kim has other acting projects in process and his production company, 3AD, is releasing The Good Doctor on ABC this fall. Park will appear in the coming-of-age comedy Public Schooled along with Judy Greer later this year.
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