CBS announced today that actor Chi McBride has been promoted to series regular on Hawaii Five-0 after debuting as SWAT Unit Captain Lou Grover in the fourth season premiere.
In the role, McBride’s character, who is based on a character of the same name from the original Hawaii Five-0 series, often finds himself at odds with Alex O’Loughlin’s Steve McGarrett. Their dynamic, says executive producer Peter Lenkov, in part led to the decision to have McBride set up shop on the island. “After his first guest spot, we knew we had something special here with Chi playing Captain Lou Grover,” Lenkov said in a statement. “He just fit seamlessly into the fabric of Hawaii Five-0 and viewers are enjoying the spirited, if sometimes antagonistic, interaction between him and McGarrett. We are so thrilled to welcome Chi into our Ohana.”
Before Five-0, McBride co-starred on the first and only season of CBS’s Golden Boy, but is best known for his role as Steven Harper on Boston Public