Chi McBride joins 'Hawaii Five-0' cast full-time

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Actor Chi McBride has been promoted from guest star to series regular on "Hawaii Five-0," CBS announced Thursday.

McBride's character, Captain Lou Grover, was first seen in the police procedural's Season 4 premiere this past September.

Based on a character of the same name from the original "Hawaii Five-0" series, McBride's Grover recently moved his family from Chicago to Oahu, so he could head up the SWAT unit on the island.

"Well, I know this sounds corny, but the only thing I ever wanted in my career was to be on CBS, the home of my idol Jackie Gleason," said McBride in a statement. "I finally made it to the Tiffany network on 'Golden Boy,' shooting scenes on the same stage where 'The Honeymooners' was filmed. CBS graciously invited me to be a member of the cast of 'Hawaii Five-0,' and it's been wonderful. The cast, crew and production have been so welcoming to me, and so my love affair with CBS continues."

"After his first guest spot, we knew we had something special here with Chi playing Captain Lou Grover," said Peter Lenkov, the show's executive producer.

"He just fit seamlessly into the fabric of 'Hawaii Five-0' and viewers are enjoying the spirited, if sometimes antagonistic, interaction between him and McGarrett [played by Alex O'Loughlin.] We are so thrilled to welcome Chi into our Ohana," Lenkov said, using the Hawaiian word for family.