After hitting its 150th milestone episode, Hawaii Five-0 star Alex O'Loughlin opened up about departing the CBS drama after Season 8.
"Hawaii Five-0" could be losing a major cast member. Although the series is yet to be renewed for an eight season, the possibility of McGarett being written-off from the series is becoming more likely. O'Loughlin, who portrays the fan favorite character, addressed his plans to depart the cop drama in a recent interview with Collider.
Should CBS grant "Hawaii Five-0" an eight season pick up, the Aussie actor said that it will mark as his final year on the show. Pointing out his reasons to depart the series, O'Loughlin explained that he does not want to continue anymore due to the fear of losing the show's "magic." He also worries for his physical health, which has been extremely affected by the stunts he does in every episode.
"I've decided. Beyond anything else, I don't want to do any more because I don't want to kill it," he told the publication.
"The other thing is that physically, I've had a lot of injuries. I've been hurt really badly on this show. I've now got some serious back issues, which I'm going back and forth to California to deal with. I don't want to fuck my body up anymore."
While this is certainly a sad news for longtime fans of "Hawaii Five-0," it does not fully-determine the show's standing with the network. Its 150th milestone hour, which sees McGarett getting some closure with Catherine and reuniting with his mother, recorded top ratings on its Friday night timeslot. The show may lose a major character, but the network still has the final say if its getting the boot or not.
As for O'Loughlin's plans on Hawaii Five-0's upcoming eight run, he revealed that he is set to direct an episode for the new installment. He also shared that he wants to stick to directing after he wraps up McGarett's storyline for good.
"After this is all over, I hope directing is a part of my career," the actor said.
"I don't think I'm that good at the acting part. I think I'm fine at it, but I think I'm probably a little better at directing."
"Hawaii Five-0" airs every Friday at 9PM on CBS.
