Magnum force
The much-loved crime caper gets a HIGH-OCTANE REMAKE for 2019
FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL REBOOTS of
classic US series such as Hawaii
Five-0 and Macgyver, the latest American drama to get a modernday makeover is 1980s favourite
Magnum P.I. with Jay Hernandez taking on the title role.
The much-loved original, set in Hawaii, memorably starred Tom Selleck as likeable, moustachioed private eye Thomas Magnum, who stayed in the guest house of never-seen author Robin Masters in exchange for security services.
While Magnum was a Vietnam vet last time around, the new Magnum and his buddies – Rick (Zachary Knighton) and TC (Stephen Hill) – did their tours of duty in
Afghanistan, but their friendship is just as tight as they tackle a range of crimes on the islands.
We caught up with Hernandez to get the lowdown…
HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WERE TOLD YOU WERE THE NEW MAGNUM?
I was really excited. It’s such an honour to be able to reprise a show I watched as a kid. My mother was a huge fan, so when I broke the news, she almost fell off her seat.
DID YOU FEEL ANY PRESSURE STEPPING INTO TOM SELLECK’S SHOES?
It would have been a disaster to try to replace Tom. Luckily, the producers wanted to go in a different direction but still capture the essence of what he brought to the show, which was the charm element. So, I was very flattered.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST SIMILARITIES WITH THE ORIGINAL?
Magnum still works as a security consultant to Robin Masters to supplement his PI business, and we’ve taken other things from the original like the car and the Detroit Tigers hat. We’ve also tried to capture the same spirit.
AND WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES?
The estate manager Higgins is now a woman and a former British intelligence officer (Perdita Weeks), which creates a different type of tension. The dobermans are still there, though, and they still hate Magnum.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT THE SHOW?
One of the great things is how you get to dive into the characters more than you would in a standard cop drama. There are flashbacks and a voiceover, which gets you into the mindset of Magnum, and as you delve into his past you realise there are a lot more layers to his character.
WE SEE YOU HAVEN’T TRIED TO COPY MAGNUM’S FAMOUS MOUSTACHE?
It was a big discussion – but we all agreed it wasn’t the right thing to do. That being said, we’re going to do a little nod to it in the second episode.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT MAGNUM’S FONDNESS FOR HAWAIIAN SHIRTS?
If you look in my closet, everything’s black. But when you’re in Hawaii, that doesn’t feel right so I was wearing pink for the first time in my life. That’s not my thing, but it feels right over there.
WOULD YOU MAKE A GOOD PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR?
I’m very good at detail and I like solving mysteries, so I think I’d be pretty good. I have a buddy who was in SWAT for a number of years and became one of the youngest detectives in Los Angeles.
That’s a very cool job.