Alex O’Loughlin Says He Could Return For ‘Hawaii Five-0’ Season 9 To Keep His TV ‘Ohana’ From Unemployment

There is little doubt that Alex O’Loughlin is one of the most charismatic actors on TV. The hunky Australian has portrayed Steve McGarrett in Hawaii Five-0 since 2010, and fans are hoping O’Loughlin will stay on for years to come. Luckily, it sounds like the star of The Back-up Plan has reconsidered his previous decision to leave the CBS series.

Alex O’Loughlin has previously stated that he is ready to turn in his badge after Hawaii Five-0 Season 8, implying that he might not be able to do more action sequences. The actor mentioned that he was still fully capable when he first took on the role of Steve McGarrett, but might not be able to “sustain” the level of action that he has for years. Interestingly, O’Loughlin told TVLine that he sees the CBS show’s ninth season as “a part of my life.”

Alex O’Loughlin recently spoke to the news outlet about returning for Hawaii Five-0 Season 9, saying that “if CBS can make a deal and be reasonable,” he is more than willing to accept the offer. Needless to say, O’Loughlin pointed out that he would require “a little help with scheduling” since the father-of-three wants to spend more time with his family as well. However, the Three Rivers star’s other reason for sticking with the show has a lot to do with the people he works with.

“It’s a great show and a lot of people love it, but more importantly, we keep so many people employed in Hawaii who might otherwise be stacking boxes at a grocery mart. It’s hard to get work out here and this feeds a lot of families, so it’s a really good thing. It’s really, really important.”

The little people may not matter much for most actors since, as O’Loughlin pointed out, this is “not part of their negotiation.” In dire contrast, the Hawaii Five-0 star confessed that he is concerned about others because he claims, “the people I work with mean a lot to me.” O’Loughlin went on to call the cast and crew “our ohana,” which means family, and “some of the reasons why it would be great” for a ninth season to be made.

Although CBS has yet to confirm Hawaii Five-0 Season 9, Alex O’Loughlin has something else to look forward to in the current season. The former Criminal Minds star has directed a special episode of Hawaii Five-0 this season, as teased by showrunner Peter Lenkov on Instagram.

Catch Alex O’Loughlin as Steve McGarrett in Hawaii Five-0 Season 8, which airs on CBS on Friday nights.