#AlexOLoughlin Ponders Future on ‘Hawaii Five-0′ – 25 October 2013

by RYAN PEARSON

Associated Press

Alex O’Loughlin says he’s signed up for two more seasons of “Hawaii Five-0″ but is looking forward to a career beyond the hit TV series.

The 38-year-old actor plays policeman Steve McGarrett on the CBS series, now in its fourth season. He said the intense workload and shooting schedule had kept him out of other potential projects.

“Like I read Doug Liman’s script, ‘Everest,’ which he’s about to start directing — it’s amazing and it’s invigorating. But it’s also heartbreaking at the same time because it feels so far away from me at the moment,” O’Loughlin said at the Australians in Film awards dinner Thursday night.

“I’ve never played one character for this long. And it’s network TV, too, so it comes with its own set of challenges from the artist’s perspective. But I’m very lucky. My kids will get to go to good schools, we all eat organic food, and I live in Hawaii.”

The actor noted that the show — a re-imagining of the 1970s series starring Jack Lord — had overcome a number of hurdles to remain consistently highly rated.

“I mean, we’ve had cast troubles. I got really hurt and had to go and sort myself out in the second season. We’ve had injuries, we’ve had all sorts of things. It just keeps going,” he said. “We can’t seem to kill it. So I guess it’s going to stick around for a while.”

As for how long he’ll stick around:

“At the moment I can’t imagine working any longer than tomorrow. Because there’s just so much work. But we’ll see, we’ll see. I want to do other things sooner rather than later.”

My thoughts:

• I can’t believe some of the comments that I saw in different places where this article was published. Although only from a few people, I was amazed at what some people took from it and the rude comments that came with it (and what other journalists made of it).
• As you will see from the actual transcript below, the journalist mostly wrote just what Alex said. He only added the word “ponder“ in the heading and the intro he used “looking forward to a career beyond the hit TV series.” But for me it is just describing a realistic response from an artist who does not want to do one character for the rest f his life.
• Although we do not know what was actually asked on the carpet and it is clear that it is not a full account of all the questions and answers in the video, we can still get the idea of what was said and also the spirit of what it was said in. For me, definitely NOT a person who can’t wait to pack his bags and leave the show behind.
• I personally feel, Alex feels a lot like a lot of his fans. Happy that he is well paid in a series that is popular worldwide. Happy that he and his family can build a peaceful and wholesome life in Hawaii. Happy that he can do what he loves best – to tell stories. But also eager to see him in different projects, where he can explore more of his talent and get the chance to tell different stories. Stories that are maybe more worthwhile and interesting than just the cheap entertainment of a “Cops & Robbers” show.

I really think that someone with talent and who shows work ethic and loyalty towards the project that he is involved with, the way Alex is doing with Hawaii Five-0 (and all his previous work), will be rewarded with some great project that will make all his acting- and career dreams come true.

Transcript for the interview on the carpet at the AIF Awards on

24 October 2013:

Alex: It is funny, when I read other material, like I read Doug Liman’s script, ‘Everest’ that he is about to start directing. And it’s, it’s amazing, and it’s, you know, invigorating, but it’s also heart-breaking sometime. Because it feels so far away from me at the moment.

You know, it’s like my hiatus is so small. And to find a film that’s really great, that’s actually going to work, that I can commit too and have energy for, in that little bracket. It’s a slim chance, you know.

And so, I’ve never played one character for this long. And it’s not like….you know, and it’s network TV too. So, it comes with its own set of challenges, as it’s from the artist’s perspective. But, I’m very lucky. The kids all get to go to good schools. We all eat organic food. You know, I mean, I live in Hawaii, too, so.

I mean with …. we’ve had cast troubles. I got really hurt and had to go and you know get….you know, sort myself out in the second season. Like we’ve had injuries. We’ve had all sorts of things. It just keeps going. We can’t seem to kill it. So, I guess it’s going to stick around for a while.

I think I signed six years, so. I don’t know, I’m on my fourth and I can’t …. I mean at the moment I can’t imagine working any longer than tomorrow, cause it’s a lot …. there’s just too much work. But I will see, I will see. I want to do other things sooner rather than later.

Link to video :

Trivia:

• As far as I could see from information I could track down, the film ‘Everest’, by Doug Liman will star Tom Hardy, but is still not in productions. It was apparently postponed because of the other film with the same name, by Baltasar Kormákur, that is in post production and about to be released in  2015.
• If you look at the people in the background of the interview video, you might have noticed Mirrah Foulkes, who now plays Ellie on Hawaii Five-0, together with her husband David Michôd. The production company they are involved with, Blue Tongue Films, was also honoured at the AIF event in 2013.

Mirrah Foulkes with her husband & Alex