He hated the beach. He hated the sun. Honestly, he mostly just hated being away from New Jersey.
When Hawaii Five-0 launched its massive reboot in 2010, the chemistry between Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and Danny "Danno" Williams (Scott Caan) was the engine that kept the show running. It wasn't just about the gunfights or the tropical scenery. It was the "carguments"—those long, bickering sessions in the car that made them feel like an old married couple.
But as the seasons ticked by, fans noticed something weird.
Danny started disappearing. One week he was there, the next he was "visiting family" or "off on a case" that we never saw. It wasn't just your imagination. If you look at the stats, Scott Caan appeared in about 208 of the 240 episodes. That's a lot of missing Danno.
The Truth About the Contract and the Commute
Most people think actors live on set. They don't. For Scott Caan, the reality of filming in Hawaii was actually kind of a logistical nightmare.
Caan is a Los Angeles guy through and through. While his co-star Alex O'Loughlin eventually made Hawaii his home, Caan never quite did. He had a very specific deal with CBS: he worked a reduced schedule so he could fly back to LA to be with his family and pursue other projects, like his photography and playwriting.
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He didn't "leave" the show. He just negotiated a better life-work balance than most TV stars get.
Why the "Hate Hawaii" Trop Was Real
You know how Danny constantly complained about the "pineapple-infested hell hole"? That wasn't just good writing. Caan has been pretty open about the fact that he prefers the mainland. He told the Post-Gazette years ago that he basically did five episodes less per season just to stay sane and see his daughter.
The writers leaned into this. They turned his real-life discomfort into a core character trait. Danny Williams wasn't just a cop; he was a fish out of water who refused to grow scales. He wore ties in the humidity. He wore loafers on the sand. It was his way of maintaining his identity as a Jersey detective in a land of surfboards and "Aloha" spirit.
What Really Happened With the Pay Gap Scandal?
In 2017, the show hit a massive wall. Daniel Dae Kim (Chin Ho Kelly) and Grace Park (Kono Kalakaua) walked away from the series entirely.
The internet exploded.
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The issue was pay parity. Kim and Park were reportedly being offered 10% to 15% less than Caan and O'Loughlin. From the network's perspective, McGarrett and Danno were the "leads," while Chin and Kono were "supporting." But for fans, they were a foursome. You couldn't have Five-0 without all of them.
While Kim and Park left to find roles where they were valued equally, Caan stayed. This created a bit of a rift in the fandom. Some people felt Caan’s frequent absences made it even more unfair that he was getting paid more than the actors who were there every single day.
The Evolution of Detective Sergeant Daniel Williams
If you go back to the 1968 original, James MacArthur’s "Danno" was a very different guy. He was a loyal, somewhat stoic sidekick. Scott Caan changed that. He made Danny a protagonist in his own right.
From Newark to Honolulu
Danny didn't move to Hawaii for the job. He moved for Grace.
His ex-wife, Rachel, moved to the islands with her new husband, and Danny followed so he wouldn't be a "Skype dad." That's the heart of the character. He’s a guy who will endure a place he hates for the person he loves most.
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- The Partner: He was the only one who could tell McGarrett "no."
- The Liver: Remember the Season 6 finale? Danny literally gave Steve a piece of his liver. You don't do that for a co-worker; you do that for a brother.
- The Legend: He went from the "Haole" outsider to the acting leader whenever Steve was off on a rogue SEAL mission.
Life After Five-0: Where is Scott Caan Now?
The show ended in 2020, just before the world shut down. Since then, Caan hasn't slowed down, but he is definitely staying closer to home.
He stayed in the "procedural" world with the Fox show Alert: Missing Persons Unit, where he plays Jason Grant. It’s a similar vibe—gritty, emotional, and action-packed—but it allows him to keep up that creative pace he prefers. He’s also been writing more. His 2023 film One Day as a Lion was a passion project that he wrote and starred in alongside J.K. Simmons.
Honestly, he seems much happier being a writer-actor-photographer in California than he ever did as a cop in paradise.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Re-watchers
If you’re diving back into the series on streaming, here is how to appreciate the "Danny" layers:
- Watch the Wardrobe: Notice how Danny’s clothes slowly transition from stiff Newark detective to "casual but still angry." He eventually ditches the ties, but never the attitude.
- The Carguments: Pay attention to the dialogue in the Camaro. A lot of that was improvised or tweaked by Caan and O'Loughlin to keep the energy real.
- The Missing Episodes: If you hit a stretch where Danny is gone, look at the timeline. Usually, those episodes coincide with Caan’s theater work or major family milestones in LA.
The legacy of Hawaii Five-0 is complicated, but the bond between the two leads was 100% genuine. Even if one of them really, really wanted to go home.
If you're looking for more behind-the-scenes facts, check out the episode "Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau"—it's the first time he stops wearing a tie, marking a huge shift in his character's acceptance of the island life.