Grace Park

Originally a model who turned to acting in her native Canada, Grace Park quickly rose from unknown commodity to celebrity, thanks to playing Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii on the popular remake of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi Channel, 2004-09). Prior to her success, she spent five seasons on the Canadian coming-of-age show "Edgemont" (CBC, 2001-05), which helped establish her as a star on the rise. But it was "Battlestar" that not only propelled her into the spotlight, but turned her into an unwitting sex symbol to sci-fi geeks across the world - a much-ballyhooed 2006 spread in Maxim only helped fuel her newfound status as a cyberspace pinup.

Because she was an integral part of the series - particularly in light of playing different variations of a Cylon sleeper agent - Park was allowed to convey her full range, which helped opened doors to other projects, including a leading role on the short-lived drama, "The Cleaner" (A&E, 2008-09) and a recurring part on the Canadian-based procedural "The Border" (CBC, 2008-2010). By the time she starred opposite Alex O'Loughlin in the reboot of "Hawaii Five-0" (CBS, 2010- ), Park was well-established as a fine leading actress capable of shining in just about any medium or genre. Her departure from the series in the summer of 2017 after it was revealed that she and co-star Daniel Dae Kim were paid less than co-stars Scott Caan and O'Loughlin became a major story on social media.

Born March 14, 1974 in Los Angeles, CA, Park moved with her family to Vancouver, British Columbia when she was just 22 months old. Raised in the city's large Korean community, Park graduated from Magee Secondary School in 1992 before attending the University of British Columbia, where she earned a degree in psychology. After graduation, she began modeling, but quickly segued into an acting career. She made quite an impression with a small role as a stripper in "Romeo Must Die" (2000), Jet Li's martial arts and hip-hop take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

After a guest spot on the short-lived spy thriller, "Secret Agent Man" (UPN, 1999-2000), Park landed her first regular series role, playing the shy, but opinionated Shannon Ng on the Canadian-made teen drama "Edgemont," which followed the lives of several high school students grappling with problems as they come of age. Park was a consistent presence on the show's five season run on the CBC, seeing her character go through a myriad of emotional conflicts, including the realization that she is a lesbian and the subsequent fallout with her disapproving parents.

Despite not being the main focus on "Edgemont," it was clear that Park stood apart from the rest of the cast. She made further inroads on American television with guest starring roles on science fiction series "Dark Angel" (Fox, 2000-02), "Stargate SG-1" (Showtime/Sci Fi Channel, 1997-2007) and "Jake 2.0" (UPN, 2003-04), while continuing to appear on Canadian-based shows like "The Immortal" (syndicated, 2000-01). In 2003, she took a giant leap forward in her career when she was cast as Lieutenant Sharon "Boomer" Valerii on the revamped version of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi Channel, 2003), a three-hour miniseries that launched the acclaimed sci-fi series that followed in 2004. The series focused on the last remaining humans after a catastrophic war with the man-made Cylons, who relentlessly pursue the survivors as they search desperately for Earth. Park's character became a catalyst for much of the action, especially when it was revealed that she was a Cylon sleeper agent programmed to think she's human, complete with memories of a childhood on another planet.

For four seasons, Park played Boomer - from the miniseries straight through to the final episode - and earned a legion of fans. After the show left the air in 2009, the actress pivoted quite easily into other roles, playing a wild, street-tough member of a team that tries to help recovering addicts by any means necessary on the short-lived drama "The Cleaner" (A&E, 2008-09), starring Benjamin Bratt as a former addict and leader of the ragtag team. Park moved on to a recurring role on the Canadian series "The Border" (CBC Television, 2008-2010), which focused on a team of agents in a fictional customs and immigration agency who deal with terrorists, drug smuggling and illegal immigration in The Great White North. Returning to American television, Park was one of four leads on a reboot of the famed 1970s TV series "Hawaii Five-0" (CBS, 2010- ), this time starring Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan and Daniel Dae Kim. With strong name recognition and good reviews, the show emerged as one of the few new hits of the 2010-11 season. However, Park and Kim left the series during the summer of 2017, just prior to the start of its eighth season, following a salary dispute with the network that revealed that the actors were paid considerably less than their co-stars.