New Jersey born and raised, Katrina Law had an active life participating in activities that ranged from soccer and karate to voice lessons, cheerleading, track and beauty pageants. She was also a member of the National Honors Society. By the time she graduated from high school, she knew she wanted to be an actor.
Law studied theater in college graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. She then found work in Philadelphia and New York. Law worked on the set of the CBS crime drama “Numbers” and was a guest star on the NBC crime drama “Third Watch.” More recently she starred as Mira on the STARZ series “Spartacus: War of the Damned” and “Spartacus: Vengeance,” as Nyssa al Ghul in The CW series, “Arrow” and as Karen Beach in the Sony Crackle series, “The Oath.”
In September, Law, 34, became a member of the main cast of “Hawaii Five-0.”
How did you get involved with “Five-0?”
I did a pilot for CBS drama “Alive” that didn’t get picked up and they asked me if I would like to audition for “Hawaii Five-0” instead and I said yes and here I am.
I’ve heard about that. You played the medical examiner wife of a police detective who is killed in the line of duty and then mysteriously brought back to life — apparently by the man who is your character’s ex.
Yes. I thought it was a great pilot. For various reasons it didn’t get picked up, but it led to being here, and what a great place to be. I’m here with my family — my mother and my father and my baby and my husband — so it’s fantastic.
Quinn Liu, former Army CID sergeant now part of the “Five-0” unit, is a new character in a storyline that has been defined for 10 years by the working relationship between McGarrett and Danno. Where do you see her fitting in?
Quinn Liu is definitely a go-getter. I think that this is the first time that she feels really valued and appreciated by the people she works for. She’s amongst like-minded co-workers with McGarrett and Danno and Tani and Junior and everybody. When they see an issue or a problem they go after it, and they don’t necessarily wait for the proper sanctions to come — which could be a good or bad thing. Thankfully they’re generally using their power for good. So the end result is usually one that’s a good one for every one except the bad guy — which is great. But, yes, she has definitely found a home within the Five-0 team and I think her biggest want and desire right now is to make sure that she stays in it and that her co-workers think that she is worthy. In the first episode she didn’t follow orders as well as she was supposed to but she solved the case.
Where is her arc going?
I actually am discovering her story arc about four or five episodes faster than the audience so I have no idea what they have planned for Quinn and I think that’s kind of exciting.
I’ve been hearing a lot in the past year about diversity and representation, but “Five-0” has always been diverse. The original “Five-0” had Kam Fong and Zulu, and then Al Harrington, in major roles, and you are one of several women with major roles in the current “Five-0.” Did you feel that were trying to fill a quota when you auditioned?
No. Normally when you go in for casting they usually specify what they want — “ethnically ambiguous” or black or white or Asian. This time it was like “whatever, just come in.”
If I didn’t know that your mother is Taiwanese I don’t think I’d notice.
Most people don’t (notice) but I’m 50% and I speak Mandarin. We’re also teaching my daughter, who looks very, very white. She actually understands Mandarin right now more than she understands English. I’m forcing my husband to learn Mandarin and he’s doing a great job. We speak Mandarin at home and then my father and my husband speak English to her so she’s definitely getting the best of both worlds.
When you were growing up in New Jersey did people ask about your race or ethnicity?
Yes. They knew I wasn’t (only) white but they didn’t necessarily think that I was Asian. I look like a local here, whereas growing up in Jersey my mom was one of four or five Asians that I knew.
What are you looking at in addition to “Five-0?” What would you like to be doing in 10 years?
Everybody says you should have a five- or 10-year plan and mine definitely is to work hard and keep stepping up in the industry and hopefully get into some producing and writing. But at the same time my career has gone in so many directions that I could not have predicted or even asked for that it’s hard to say definitely. In 10 years I’d love to be in my own show as a working actor. And I hope that my daughter is healthy and happy and thriving — that is my No. 1 priority.
What do you enjoy doing that isn’t career-related?
Two things. One of them is hiking. I love hiking. We just got our little Osprey backpack and (our daughter is) finally able to stand up on her own in there, so we’re going to start hiking around Oahu. There are so many, so many beautiful hiking paths here. Hopefully she’ll love it.
And the other one is?
Working with buildOn, a nonprofit that works with inner city kids and builds schools in other countries. In 2019, I built a school in Nepal. This year I’ll be helping build a school in Senegal. We raise money for our own builds, and also to help inner city kids from the United States go on their own builds as an international cultural exchange. It’s a really cool program. (Visit buildon.org.)
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‘KATRINA LAW: THE MUSICAL’
Improv Hawaii will present a special comedy show featuring Katrina Law. Troupe founder Kimee Balmilero (who costars with Law on “Hawaii Five-0” as Dr. Noelani Cunha) will interview Law onstage and then the ensemble will create and perform a musical based on her life.
>> Where: Entrepreneurs Sandbox, 643 Ilalo St.
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: $10
>> Info: improvhi.com
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