Hawaii Five-0 star Katrina Law talks finally revealing Quinn’s past

Hawaii Five-0 fans will finally learn more about Quinn Liu in Friday’s episode, and Katrina Law told Precinct TV about uncovering her character’s history.

Quinn Liu has been somewhat of an enigma since she arrived on Hawaii Five-0, but that ends tonight—the CBS drama is finally going to reveal Quinn’s backstory!

In “E ho’i na keiki oki uaua o na pali,” fans will learn that Quinn (Katrina Law) was once married, because her ex-stepdaughter Olivia (guest star Siena Agudong, No Good Nick) calls looking for help. Quinn teams up with Adam Noshimuri (Ian Anthony Dale) to come to the rescue.

It’s a strong and important episode for Katrina Law, who spoke to Precinct TV about how excited she was to learn more about Quinn, what she thought about the episode, and how much the show has meant to her since she joined at the start of Hawaii Five-0 season 10.

Learn more in our interview below, then tune into a brand-new Hawaii Five-0 tonight on CBS at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT!

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Precinct TV: Before Hawaii Five-0, you starred in Training Day for CBS. Did you take any experience from that TV crime drama and apply it to playing Quinn?

Katrina Law: Training Day definitely applied to Hawaii Five-0 for me, because I trained during my Training Day days, and that skill set has definitely carried over here.

That being said, we have our own set of Navy SEAL technicians here on set to make sure that our techniques and our form is up to par. And they definitely gave me a refresher course on how to handle my weapons, and how to clear houses, and do everything that I needed to do.

PTV: This is the first time since Quinn was introduced that we’ve gotten to learn anything more about her outside of Five-0. What did it mean to you to get this episode?

KL: it’s always great when the writers give you something juicy to sink your teeth into. I’m happy every single day that I go to set on Hawaii Five-0, but there’s definitely something extra special when you know that you’re about to learn more about your character’s backstory and get to explore that world.

And I had the honor of being able to work a lot with the young woman who played my stepdaughter. Her name is Siena Agudong [and] she was amazing. She reaches out to me for help because she can’t find her father, who is my ex-husband. I basically help her find him.

PTV: It’s not a spoiler to say Quinn’s ex is in some trouble. What was your reaction to finding out that she’d been mixed up with this guy? Did it change your take on her?

KL: I had no idea what Quinn’s past was. I [was] just as curious as the fans are as to what her background story is. Then when I got it, I just thought, “Oh, how interesting.” And I think it makes Quinn that much more of a rounded person, because when you see her on screen, she looks pretty put together and pretty good at making decisions. And other than the first episode where you find out that she was demoted from Army CID, you think this girl’s pretty much got it together.

But people have blips in their life where they’re not necessarily proud of what they did during those time periods. For a lot of people it might be, I don’t know, college, but it’s always something. I think anybody who has abandonment issues with mothers or fathers, they know how deeply those holes can bore into your soul and how far people are willing to go to fill those voids. And I think that’s just the classic case for Quinn.

And I also think it was a wake up call for her. Quinn, who is very controlled and very, I guess, focused on her future—to know that she’s made such a huge mistake and ignored so many warning signs in order to fulfill this void in her life. I think that was a wake up call for her to get it together, essentially.

PTV: In happier relationships, Hawaii Five-0 fans get to see Quinn working with Adam and the two really gel together. What was it like to work more with Ian Anthony Dale in this episode?

KL: Ian is an amazing human being. And working with him on set, he was so giving and so patient with me, because it was the first time I was dealing with my backstory, so I didn’t quite know where to be emotionally or what level to hit. He just was a steady rock through this entire process. And if I ever needed help, he was there for me.

But between the characters, I think it’s such an interesting dynamic. Out of everybody, if you were to ask me who I thought Quinn would reach out to, I would’ve thought it would be Tani, because she seems to have the best relationship with her on screen and it’s a female connection. But it’s so interesting that she reached out to Adam, and I think it’s because she knew that Adam also has a little bit of a sordid past.

He knows how to keep secrets, would be there for her, would be her ride or die during this. And yeah, I think the chemistry on screen is pretty good between the two of them, and not necessarily in a romantic way.

PTV: It was announced this week that Hawaii Five-0 season 10 will also be the final season. What has that meant for you emotionally, to be here for the end but it’s also your first season on the show as well?

KL: I feel like I got the best of Hawaii Five-0 without necessarily having to put in all the work [like] everybody else on the show. I came into this iconic international hit show that is a well-oiled machine at this point, and basically riding on the coattails of Alex [O’Loughlin] and Scott [Caan] and all of the hard work that they put in through the past ten years, and to be welcomed so openly and graciously by Alex and Scott and the rest of the cast members and crew and the Five-0 fans is so humbling and was such a beautiful experience.

And then of course, when they announced on set that we weren’t getting another season, from the outside point of view you go okay, it makes sense. Ten years is a big run. This is a huge, successful show. Go out on a high note and say goodbye properly.

But that being said, you watch these crew members and these cast members, some of them who have been around for ten years and this is their life. Ian had two kids while he was working on this show. Alex got married, had his children, and I can’t tell you how many young kids I see running around on set.

These people have really built relationships and bonds, and to watch them have to say their goodbyes to each other, it was beautiful and heartbreaking and bittersweet at the same time. And just kind of being witness to that is, I think, a once in a lifetime experience.

Even me, just being here for a year, I got teary-eyed, because the impact the show has had on my life has been amazing. My daughter took her first steps while I was on the show and said her first words while we were living in Hawaii.

The crew and cast were so understanding and accommodating to me having to pump every three hours, and knowing that there were days where walking on set was a struggle because I did not sleep the night before, and very willingly handed me about 18 cups of coffee throughout the day. They were so great. So I’m very fortunate that I got to walk on and witness the show and be able to say goodbye to it with everybody else.

PTV: What did it mean for you to come back and do another CBS series?

KL: I’m so happy to be part of the CBS family. They are definitely family at this point. They welcomed me back with open arms. I did a pilot for them earlier this year that didn’t go and then they invited me to be on Hawaii Five-0. So it is definitely a family for me and the network has been so gracious to me and treated me very kindly throughout the years.

I have nothing but respect for them. To know that your work is valued within the company and that they continue to invite you back and support you and your career and your family, it’s wonderful and I appreciate them so much. If I could continue to work for CBS for years to come, I would be a happy camper.

PTV: Last but not least, you mentioned the Hawaii Five-0 fans, so is there anything you’d want to say to them?

KL: I would really love to take a second to thank the fans of Hawaii Five-0 for supporting me and for sending Quinn a lot of love. Thank you for being a part of our Ohana and supporting the show for the past ten years. They’ve been a huge part of our lives and the show, and thank you.

Hawaii Five-0 airs Fridays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.