HAWAII FIVE-0: Masi Oka Joins the Action Series as Doc Bergman

On October 18, 2010, the world of Hawaii Five-0 expands to add one more iconic character from the classic television series. Masi Oka joins the series as Max Bergman (aka Doc Bergman), a medical and musical prodigy working as a coroner in the Honolulu Police Department.

The actor recently participated in a conference call with reporter to discuss joining the series and his hopes for a longevity as Doc Bergman. For Oka, the opportunity to work on the remake of a cult classic has been an exciting experience. Not only has he been able to work in Hawaii and with such a talented, fun cast, he has reunited working with both Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who recruited him fresh off their film The Defenders.

Oka is the first to admit that he has not watched the original Hawaii Five-0 television series. In fact, he was advised against it as he was asked to bring his own fresh perspective to the character. So relying solely on the scripts and the inspiration brought by Orci, Kurtzman and Peter Lenkov, Oka hopes to bring a new, modern take on the classic character – while still maintaining flavor of the original Hawaii Five-0 brand.

What Oka loves about Max is the fact that he lives in his own world. Max is a brilliant savant who thrives off of intellectual challenges — challenges that he contemplates while playing the magical sounds of music on his piano. Max is a tactile thinker who is inspired by music; so, for him, he thinks better through music. Thus, there is a bit of a mad-professor aura to him – making him the “Mad Max” of the Hawaii Five-0 coroner’s office. In fact, Max is so absorbed in his own reality, that he does not always realize that there are people around him, talking to him. Yet that disconnect does not mean that he is not paying attention. He is just reflecting on everything in his own way.

So far, Oka has only been in a few episodes, but he is confident as the show continues that his role will continue to expand. He is not daunted by his guest star status and simply relishes the opportunity to work with Daniel Dae Kim, whose work he admired from Lost, and to play up against the likes of Scott Caan and Alex O’Loughlin — especially since Scott and Alex banter the same way off camera as they do on-camera.

Oka also understands that Max is a completely different character than his prior work on Heroes, and hopes that the fans will follow him. Max may not be Hiro, but both characters wear the same glasses and have a social awkwardness that invites the viewer to laugh with them, which he hopes will engage his fans.

When asked what is the hardest part about playing Max, Oka was quick to quip, “putting on the gloves!” Apparently, rubber gloves are a bit tricky to smoothly slide on during filming and even with the aid of baby-powder, the gloves provide moments of embarrassing grief for Oka who is doing his best to be innocuous so as to not disrupt the scenes. So the rubber gloves are definitely the bane of the entire Hawaii Five-0 experience for Oka, but that is minor compared to his joy in working on the show.

Hawaii Five-0 is a gritty show with a balance of witty repartee. It is Oka’s role as Max to provide the balance between the light and dark on the show. Max is the break – a subtle layer of light-heartedness to bring in a shade of humor while still maintaining the dramatic tone of the show. In the end, Hawaii Five-0 is a violent, yet smart and sexy show, all at the same time. It also has the nostalgia factor for fans of the original series. For Oka, it is simply an amazing adventure.

Hawaii Five-0 airs Mondays at 10/9c on CBS.