'Hawaii Five-0's' Grace Park: From Sci-Fi to Crime Drama

You may know Grace Park from her current role as the only female enlisted on an elite task force set up by the Hawaiian Governor in "Hawaii Five-0." For sci-fi fans she was the humanoid Cylon model, Number Eight, on the classic military science fiction drama, "Battlestar Galactica." Many of the male fans of "Hawaii Five-0" have commented on Facebook they want to see more Grace Park. Some even want to marry her. What do we know about her? She's been featured in other TV shows in the U.S. and Canada. Is she from Hawaii? Has she surfed all her life? Let's find out more about Grace Park.

Her Early Years in British Columbia, Canada

It may surprise you to know Grace Park was born in Los Angeles, California on March 14, 1974. When she was only 22 months old the family then moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her parents had emigrated to the U.S. from South Korea. While living in Vancouver Grace and her younger sister were raised in the Kerrisdale neighborhood. She attended and graduated from Magee Secondary School in 1992.

College in Vancouver, Canada and Korea - Plus Acting

She attended the University of British Columbia and graduated with a degree in Psychology. During a summer semester she attended Yonsei University, which is the oldest private university in Seoul, South Korea. While attending college Grace Park needed help with expenses, so she modeled and acted in commercials.

After graduation she decided to give acting a try for one year. She landed a number of roles that included her first appearance in the film "Romeo Must Die." Her role was that of an Asian dancer. In 2001 she appeared in the Canadian TV teen soap series titled "Edgemont." Also in 2001 she was in "Stargate SG-1." It wasn't until 2003 she was a member of the cast in a remake from a classic sci-fi show from the 1970s.

Famous TV Shows Redux - "Battlestar Galatica" and "Hawaii Five-0"

Originally "Battlestar Galactica" first aired in the 1978-1979 television season on network TV. Even though it was a success it lasted only one season. Other franchises developed in books which kept the name alive. It wasn't until a miniseries based on the original "Battlestar Galactica" aired on the Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy) in December 2003. It received huge ratings and was the third most watched program on Syfy to date. Her role on the miniseries was that of Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharon "Boomer" Valerii. The character was the Colonial Raptor pilot teamed with Helo, Cylon.

In 2004 the television series premiered in October on the Sci-Fi Channel. Grace Park's role developed to Number Eight, which was a humanoid Cylon model going by the names not only of Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, but also by Sharon "Athena" Agathon, "Sweet" Eight and "Hard" Eight. It was her performance in the season one cliffhanger of "Battlestar Galactica" that lead to TV Guide's listing of its "100 Most Memorable Moments in TV History." This remake sci-fi show received numerous honors such as the Peabody Award and Emmy nominations for writing, directing, editing and special effects.

After "Battlestar Galactica" she appeared regularly in the critically acclaimed cable television series "The Cleaner" with Benjamin Bratt. It wasn't until 2010 she was cast in another remake series from the '70s. This time around it wasn't science fiction, but a famous police procedural crime drama set in beautiful Hawaii. The original "Hawaii Five-0" series ran on CBS from 1968 to 1980.

Grace Park's character, Kona "Kono" Kalakaua is based on the male counterpart from the first TV series. Back then female cops in Honolulu were either just a few to non-existent. Kono is a rookie cop who recently graduated from the police academy. She is recruited by her cousin, Chin Ho Kelly, to be on the governor's task force. This character was also in the original series.

Before her career as a police officer Kono was a professional surfer. The 2010-2011 version of "Hawaii Five-0" is one of the most successful new shows of the season. It won the People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. On a personal note Grace Park married real estate developer Phil Kim in 2004. Members of the "Battlestar Galactica" cast attended her wedding in Mexico. Currently the couple lives in Vancouver. It is likely Grace Park and cast will be in Hawaii filming new episodes of "Hawaii Five-0" for many seasons to come just like the original.

SOURCES:

Hawaii Five-0, Facebook

The Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia

Grace Park Fan, Grace Park.org

Your Ultimate Source for Grace Park, Grace Park Online.com

Hawaii Five-0 Cast - Grace Park, CBS.com