 Hi, I'm Rusty Komori and this is Beyond the Lines. I was the head coach for the Punahou Boys Varsity Tennis Team for 22 years and we're fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championships. My book Beyond the Lines is about leadership, creating a superior culture of excellence and finding greatness, which is what this show is all about. And we are broadcasting live from the beautiful Think Tech Hawaii TV studio in the Pioneer Plaza in downtown Honolulu. My special guest today is super talented. She is a singer, dancer, producer, and you know her as the famous actor on the hit TV show Hawaii Five-O. She is Kimi Balmelero and today we are going beyond acting. Kimi! Hi! Great to meet you. Oh, nice to meet you too. Thanks so much for having me and thanks for saying my name correctly. Well, you have to practice it a couple of times. Now, I want to know, do you know any really good medical examiners? Ooh, I know two fake ones and I can call them on my fake phone if you need them. Well, I got to say, you and Masioka are the two best medical examiners that I know of. Oh, good, thank you. Fake or real. Yeah, okay, good, good. You don't want to really meet any medical examiners because it's not a good thing for you, probably. That would be bad. Yeah. Now, Kimi, I know you went to Castle High School. Mm-hmm. Tell me about your experiences at Castle. Gosh, you know, I was so lucky to go to a school like Castle, so I grew up in Kaneohe all my life. So, when I went to Castle, we had a program called Castle Performing Arts Center that was run by Ronald Wright. Great. So the theater arts program there was insane. I mean, I remember my freshman year, I think I had two periods of dance and then one period of drama. So, right from then, from my entire high school career, was all about theater arts. And then a little bit of student government because I wanted to plan events as well. But yeah, I had a great time and, you know, in Castle High School was very, I thought a pretty diverse environment with a lot of different, you know, Hawaii cultures and also a lot of different kind of students exploring different things. And I just felt very free there. So my experience was fantastic. And you did a lot of dancing in high school. I did, yeah. So part of Castle Performing Arts Center was Marcella Poc-Leb who runs and founded 24-7 Dance Force. I like them. Yeah, they're fantastic. And so with that, two of my, like I think it was fifth and sixth period, was dancing. So, I mean, I just had the best time and after school programming was there with doing shows with Mr. Bright and Marcello. So yeah, dancing was kind of like my sport. Now, what did you end up doing after high school? Well, after high school it was a very fast track into a professional career because while I was in high school there was a show on Broadway at the time called Miss Saigon. So, you know, it's set in the Vietnam War. So a lot of Hawaii kids, a lot of Mr. Bright kids actually got their career start with Miss Saigon on Broadway and on the national tours. So that casting office would come to Hawaii a lot to find Asian-American talent. So it was kind of a thing that Mr. Bright students and 24-7 dancers just kind of did. We just auditioned for Miss Saigon. So I auditioned the start of my senior year and then I got the call. I got hired or offered a role one month before I graduated high school. Wow. Yeah. And it was pretty amazing because I, you know, I didn't have an agent or anything. So they're calling my house phone. You know, so I'm just answering like, hello, like a total nerd on a Sunday, you know, not expecting it to be Vinny Lyft from a New York casting office. And so they offered me this role and they asked me if I wanted it. And I said, of course I wanted it, but I wanted to graduate from high school first. So somehow they were very, very cool about that. And they allowed me to finish high school for that last month. And then literally the day after my high school graduation, I was on a plane to San Antonio, Texas to join the national touring company. On? Yeah. So it was kind of crazy. And then I was on tour for two and a half years and that was that was like my college. What was the first job that you've ever had in your life? Oh, my first job that I ever officially got paid for. You know, that wasn't like, you know, a chore, I guess. I was a food demonstrator at Time Supermarket. Really? Yeah. And I loved it. I actually really, you know, I like customer service stuff. I like interacting with people. I don't know if you can tell. I can tell. And I like using my hands, obviously. So yeah, I think I was maybe 14, 15 when I started that. And it was one of those things where you almost felt like you had your own little business, too, because it's not like your part, you're representing a product that day. So if it's, you know, an iced tea that day, you're just stacking that and you have your own little display. Yeah. So that was my first thing. Yeah. So Kimmy, how did you meet your husband, John LeBlanc? Oh, well, my husband and I, he was actually living in San Francisco at the time. And I had just moved from New York to Los Angeles. And I used to live in San Francisco. It's a funny universe because way before we met, we actually lived on the same street before we even knew each other. So I happened to be in San Francisco for a weekend for a friend's party. And they were just raving about this guy, John. They're like, oh my God, you have to meet this guy. He's hilarious and so funny. And he plays the guitar. And I was like a bit of a New Yorker at that point. So I was like, yeah, whatever. But I met him and we've been together ever since. It's been like a hundred years now. So you mentioned. I look good for a hundred and 25. Yeah. Oh, very good. Moisturizer. Yeah, moisturizer. Yeah, humidity. It does me well. Yes. So you mentioned about getting your start on Broadway. Okay. How was your experiences performing with Miss Saigon and Mama Mia? You know, I loved. I love live theater. And I also love being part of an ensemble. So with both of those shows, I was not the lead. You know, I covered the leads and not, not really. But I just because of growing up in a dance company and also doing ensemble pieces with Mr. Bright throughout high school, even from when I was nine years old, I love being part of that group. So I love the camaraderie that comes with the musical theater or live theater community. You know, while we're on stage, we get to interact with each other. We get to share the experience of telling the story to new audiences. But then backstage and after the show, we're all hanging out. And we're all, we all have the same interests. So my favorite part about being in any show really is being part of a team. Yeah. Being part of the ensemble. It's so special to be part of a team like that. It is, you know, and I think there's when you kind of have that mindset of everybody's job is important and there's no one leader or one person that is the star of the show. And I think everything just gels together so much more because we kind of have each other's back. It's our job. We talk about this and improv a lot is that it's our job to make the other person look good, not yourself. Then you don't have to worry so much because you know, everyone else kind of is watching out for you too. I like that. Good. Let's talk about another team, your Hawaii 5-0 team. Oh, yes. How did you get your start with Hawaii 5-0? Well, actually my start with the 5-0 was back at season two. So I wasn't living at home just yet, but I was home for a little bit. You know, the show was just, it was a sophomore show. And I got a little co-star role as a villain. So I wasn't able to go on the show for a while. And I was actually surprised when Rachel Sutton, the casting director of Hawaii 5-0 called me in for this part. So it was season six, I think towards the end of season six. And they were thinking about maybe introducing a new medical examiner. And they called me in. And they called me in again and actually asked me to improvise. Which I was like, okay. That's what you do. How do you improvise as a medical examiner? But you know, with all these medical terms. But I did it. You know, I felt pretty comfortable with Rachel. She's very good at creating a very safe space for her actors. And yeah, what started off as a three episode role, or what I thought was going to be a three episode role, turned into I think 11 episodes for the first season I was on. And then turned into a series regular, which has been amazing. And the team is amazing beyond the cast. The cast is of course fantastic. And also the crew, the everybody. It's just such a wonderful, wonderful space. It's a huge team. It's a huge team. There's somebody, there's a job for every little thing. And I think that's why it's such an excellent show and why it's lasted for so long. For sure. So Kimmy, what do you like about your role on Hawaii Fible? Oh, you know, my favorite thing about Noah Loney is that she's very smart. And obviously she's the same build and voice as me, which is very small. And I kind of sound like a chipmunk sometimes. So I think that I love that these bright and intelligent words are coming out of her mouth. And that she does provide that aha moment a lot for the team. So she very much is, even though she's not there finishing off or closing the case a lot of the times, she does provide a huge piece for that. And I like that she's important that way. And I actually watch my grandma, of course, like a lot of grandmas are obsessed with crime shows. So the science behind it is fascinating to me. So whenever I watch those real life, you know, like forensic files and stuff like that, I think it's the neatest, neatest job. Like you can really like criminals beware because it is very hard to get past these people. So I like that she's a very smart piece of the puzzle. Let's talk about Alex O'Loughlin. Yes. He's super awesome. He is. Yeah, he is. How much fun do you have with him on the show? You know, Alex is a very great person, human and artist. And you know, I think a lot of people who watch the show, of course they see him as our handsome lead and he's a fantastic actor, but he is so grounded. And I think he's big reason why the show has lasted a long time too. He is very much, he has the mindset of everybody's important as well. And he's very humble that way. So he's such a great passion for what he does, not just with acting, but with creating, with storytelling. You know, recently he just wrote and directed an episode that was like a movie. I mean, it was such an artistic piece of Hawaii 5-0 like you've never seen it before. So Alex just provides such a great, strong, grounded energy for all of us, for all of us, for all of us to really just do our best because he's always giving his 100%, no matter what. And that guy works a lot, you know, and he's been working a lot for 10 years. So when you see your lead and your leader as someone like that who is always prepared and always showing up for you, you want to show up for them too. He's really great. Yeah, the episodes that he directed, I absolutely loved it. It just really showcases how great all around he is. Yeah, it showcases that. And it also just kind of reminds you that, you know, like never settle. You can think, people might say like, well, he's already such a famous rich actor. Why can't he just stop there? But no, he has wants, you know, he has a passion for storytelling and sharing. So, and he would never say that he's the best at anything, which I really, really like about him too. So, yeah, so just always looking for the next thing, you know, to keep you going. I think that's really neat. Let's talk about Magnum PI. Okay. I mean, you're a consistent guest star on Magnum PI. Yeah, so many fake dead bodies. How cool is it to have that crossover between 501 Magnum? I think it's really neat that, and I've been saying neat a lot. I think it's awesome. Let's go to my other 80s vocabulary. I think it's totally tubular that Peter Lenkoff, our executive producer and showrunner decided to make these two worlds exist in the same space. Because the Hawaii 50, Hawaii is already so established that it would make sense, of course, to have another piece. And I think it was wise also because the characters, you know, Hawaii is like really the big star of the show in both of them. For sure, yeah. So, to see both teams kind of playing in that same space is really, really cool. And I like Noa Lani's interactions with Magnum because, you know, she's an official employee and, you know, McGarrett is her boss. Oh, yeah. And he's always coming in and asking for favors and always bribing her with food, which is something I would probably also take. I would definitely take. But I think, yeah, it's really fun, you know. Everyone, both casts and both teams are really fun to work with. And I think it's fun for the fans, too, to see everybody in this space. Lucky thing, you're the state's top medical examiner. Yeah. They need you. I guess so. And I pray for more fake bodies. Kimmy, we're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we're going to continue going beyond acting. Yay! You are watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii with my special guest, Kimmy Balmellaro. We will be back in 60 seconds. Hi, guys. I'm your host, Lillian Cumick from Lillian's Vegan World. I come to you live every second Friday from 3 p.m. And this is the show where I talk about the plant-based lifestyle and veganism. So we go through recipes, some upcoming events, information about health, regarding your health, and just some ideas on how you can have a better lifestyle, eat healthier, and have fun at the same time. So do join me. I look forward to seeing you. And Aloha. Aloha. My name is Wendy Lowe. And I want you to join me as we take our health back. On my show, all we do is talk about things in everyday life in Hawaii or abroad. I have guests on board that will just talk about different aspects of health in every way, whether it's medical health, nutritional health, diabetic health. You name it, we'll talk about it. Even financial health. We'll even have some of the Miss Hawaii's on board. And all the different topics that I feel will make your health and your lifestyle a lot better. So come join me. I welcome you to take your health back. Mahalo. Welcome back to Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. My special guest today is the super talented actor on Hawaii 5-0, Kimi Balmalero. And today we are going beyond acting. Kimi, I heard that you're the head silly pinot for Improv Hawaii. Yes. Tell me about Improv. Oh, you know, Improv is something I've always loved. You know, I think I was first introduced to it as theater games. Yeah. Growing up maybe with Mr. Bright. And you know, what I love about it is that there's no real wrong or right answer because you're literally making things up right then and there. And the other cool thing is when you're doing Improv comedy because comedy is so subjective, when you do something and maybe it doesn't work, I mean, you're dealing with failing quote unquote failing all the time, which is really good for somebody, you know, to kind of accept that failure and move on, make a new choice. It's actually a game called New Choice and Improv that we just have to like get back up on our feet. So yeah, I just, I just love, I've always loved it. And when I moved home eight years ago from Los Angeles, I wanted to continue doing what I was doing in LA, which was sketch comedy to Improv. So even though Improv had already existed here for a really, really long time, I found a little space for me to kind of be part of that community. And it's been really fantastic. And for the last two years, you directed the gridiron play at the Diamondhead Theatre. How do you find time? Well, you know, I think I find time because I want to, I want to do it. Someone asked me about that. Like, gosh, you must be so tired. And I'm like, I mean, sometimes I am. Yes, especially after a big event. But my, my drive comes from really just loving everything that I do. Like even if I look at the hundreds of projects that I've done, every single one, I don't regret doing. So gridiron is very special because, you know, it's such a long tradition here in Hawaii and there's, you know, huge fans. I mean, this show sells out really quickly. So I, I really enjoy working with the material that they give me and the writers, the actors, they're not all performers. You know, we have some ringers in there, like a Kathy Foy and a Shannon Wynpenny, but a lot of them are, you know, they're, they're doing their full-time job as writers and anchors and reporters. And then they come to do the show. So I just have so much fun with everybody doing that gridiron show. So. Well, I know a bunch of the actors and they just absolutely said that they love Kimmy. Aw. Yeah. I love them. Love of love. Yeah. Kimmy, in my book, Beyond the Lines, I talk a lot about creating a superior culture of excellence, which is what you have. And I also talk about mindset and perspective. As an actor, have you heard the word know a lot? Oh, yeah. As an actor, you hear the word know more than you hear yes. I think everybody, you know, you look at my IMDB or look me up and you see all of my successes. But with all of that, I've had at least, I don't think I'm being crazy of saying like maybe a thousand no's. I mean, I've literally been into an audition where they took a picture of the back of my head and I still wasn't, it wasn't good enough. So, if with acting, what keeps me going and keeps me kind of knocking on these doors and wanting to, you know, be part of this business is because I want to. And you have to accept that those no's all the time. I mean, I feel like in anything that you do, you know, whatever career you have, you will have an obstacle, right? So, but if you know what your endpoint is and why you're doing it, you always need to know your why. Why did I even step in this door? Why did I even take this headshot? Why did I even, you know, want to become an actor-producer? As long as you go back to that, you'll keep going. So those no's are kind of like, okay, that really did suck. Some of them are harder to get over than others. But if your why is still strong, then you'll keep going. Makes sense. Yeah. Be resilient. Be tough. Yeah. Yeah, totally. Now, I want to know, Kimmy, how you define success. Oh, that's a good question. I think success to me is happiness. I think success is different for others, you know. Success could be having a really big family. Success could be running an empire, you know. It could be as simple as getting up and walking that day, you know. So I think anything that makes you feel really good is a success. Something that you feel like, I did that. You know, I did that. That was my choice. I'm a successful person at this moment. So I think when you hear that word, there's a lot of pressure that's around it, right? Yeah. Success means a lot of money. And success means a big house and a fancy car. But no, success is whatever you define it. So it's more internal. I think so, yeah. Yeah, I like hearing that. Yeah. Now, let's talk about adversity. What's an adversity or a challenge that you had in your life that you have to overcome? Well, you know, kind of going back to the acting world, we're trained almost to wait for someone else to tell us to work. So there was a point in Los Angeles where I wasn't working for a very long time. And I was literally just like waiting around for someone to tell me, OK, time for you to do what you do. And my husband was the one that said, like, why are you waiting around for someone else to tell you to work? Why don't you just create your own thing? And that was such a huge light bulb moment for me. And it kind of, like, spiraled into what is happening now is the challenge of not working, of waiting around. And really, when you can create your own thing, starting now, anything you want to do, I'm sure you're familiar with him, the guy that started CD Baby, Derek Sivers, he has a great video on YouTube talking about starting small. So even if you want to run, let's say, a shopping mall, which was also one of my dreams as a kid, but morning to run a shopping mall, you get so pressured thinking, oh, I need to raise the money and find a building and whatever, whatever. And really, you can start the shopping mall, it's your house, maybe just start with a little bit of product or start online or something. And that's how you're going to get to your end goal. So yeah, the challenge of not working and then just creating my own space and creating the things I wanted to do is how I got over it. It's being proactive and making it happen. Yep, absolutely. And little things matter because they lead to big victories. Yeah, totally. That's what you want to do at that moment. Yeah. Kimmy, what's a valuable lesson you learned in life? A valuable lesson I learned in life? Gosh, I think being yourself, and I'll always go back to acting, you can get a little twisted in the head sometimes when you're going in for these roles and, oh, I didn't get it because you're too short or you didn't get it because you're not Filipino-looking enough, like, literally have heard that before. So being yourself, though, is always something that you have. So one of the biggest pieces of advice that I got, and that's from Mr. Bright at a very young age, is believing in yourself and always being who you are because at the end of the day, no matter if there's, you know, you're in a commercial audition and there are 100 other females that look like you, they can't take you away from you. So always kind of holding on to what makes you special, you know, and believing in that. Be real. Being real, yeah. Okay. Now, I want to ask you, who is someone that inspires you? You know, I'm inspired by anybody that starts something, that creates their own thing. Like, the first person when you ask me that, that pops in my head is, like, Lin Manuel Miranda. You know, he created Hamilton in the Heights. So he, you know, he's a Latin American actor, playwright, rapper, but when he started, there was no, there were no big roles for him. So instead of saying, like, oh, well, I guess that's it. He created his own thing and look at him now. You know, he stuck to his gut. He believed in himself. He started small and he is now Lin Manuel Miranda. I don't necessarily have to explain who that is to a lot of people. Yeah, for sure. So I'm inspired by anybody, even if it's a 10-year-old who started their own, you know, Slime Instagram channel, you know, that's just doing something that they love and just really, really owning it, you know, creating that space for themselves. Who's an actor that you admire? Oh, gosh, an actor that I admire. You know, I love, the first person that pops up is, in my head is Goldie Hahn. Oh, yeah. I always kind of just loved her. I loved how feminine she was, but also still really silly and how she could still look gorgeous, super flustered. I mean, I like a lot of people. I love Tina Fey, of course. I'm a huge fan of hers. She's another person that kind of creates her own thing. Yeah, so, yeah. That's so good to hear. I like hearing insights like that. Yeah. So, Kimmy, I want to know what do you feel is most important in life? I think self-care. You know, self-care and family or, and when I say family, I don't necessarily mean you're immediate. Of course, that's great too, but I guess creating a nice grounded circle and supportive support system around yourself to me is really important because as busy as you get and as crazy as our dreams get, we still need to kind of come back to zero or come back to one and stay grounded. Again, on that why and why you started it and who you're doing it for, whether it's yourself or if it's for to support everyone around you. So I think just staying grounded and being real and tapping out when you have to. I think that's the most important. I think there's several answers to that. But self-care is very, very important like napping when you have to. Like, you know what, today is not the day or maybe this is not the week for me to accomplish anything and that's okay too. So really, really watching out for yourself that way I think is very important. Staying healthy and having balance. Yes, yes, thank you. You wrap that up really quickly. I have a lot of words. I like when you have a lot of words. Kimmy, what gives you fulfillment? Oh, wow. Tough one, huh? Yeah, that is a tough one. I think it changes. I mean, again, like I'm kind of a day-to-day person. So I, it's such a big answer, but happiness, you know? Is that a real thing to an answer for that question? That's a real thing. Yeah. And again, that happiness changes. It could be my espresso in the morning, you know? That's really lovely, you know what I mean? Or it could be, you know, ending a festival, a three-day festival. That can be really exciting for me, too. So I think I'm fulfilled when I feel accomplished. And also, oh no, here. Here's one superpower that I've realized since moving home is actually creating spaces for other artists because I have been very blessed in my career and I love being home now and being surrounded by other local talents that are just looking for that extra kind of push. So like through improv or through the Conry Festival. Mentoring. Yeah, mentoring in a way, but almost just saying like, hey, you want, you know, you want to do a musical? Here you go. Here's a stage for 15 minutes. Yeah. Do your thing. So I feel fulfilled not only doing my own thing, but also watching other people fulfill their dreams. I love hearing that. Kimmy, it was a pleasure having you on the show today. Oh, thank you so much for having me. That was a lot of fun. I loved hearing your insights about stuff. Yay. I'm very proud of what you're doing in Hawaii. Oh, thank you. And I'm sure all of Hawaii is totally proud of you as well. Oh, thank you. Well, I'm proud to be from Hawaii. Yeah. Thank you, Kimmy. Thank you. And thank you for watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. For more information, please visit RustyKamori.com and my book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I hope that Kimmy and I will inspire you to create your own superior culture of excellence and to find your greatness and help others find theirs. Aloha.