Here's Why Max Left 'Hawaii Five‑0' — And What Could Have Kept Him on the Show

After six and a half seasons of playing Dr. Max Bergman on the CBS hit series Hawaii Five-0, actor and producer Masi Oka decided to step away from his role in January 2017. His final appearance came in Episode 13 of Season 7, titled "Ua ho'i ka 'ōpua I Awalua." While Dr. Max didn’t have a tragic or fateful ending, as his character doesn’t die, it was still tough for fans to see such a beloved figure leave the team.

For context, Dr. Max decides to move to Africa with his new wife, Sabrina (played by Rumer Willis), essentially marking the end of his time on the show. Even though his character arc came to an end like that, it still left room for a potential return. To this day, though, fans are still wondering why Max’s character left the series. Here’s what Masi had to say about his exit.

Masi Oka decided to have his character, Dr. Max Bergman, leave Hawaii Five‑0 because, according to him, the character arc had “reached its peak,” he revealed in a 2017 interview with TV Guide. He explained that after Max married Sabrina, his storyline would become more of a “side story,” since Rumer Willis was tied to other projects and couldn’t commit to the show full-time.

He said, “We're probably not going to see much of his married life, because Rumer has commitments elsewhere and the show has so many main characters. Max is going to be a side story.”

Masi also shared that he felt Max’s story didn’t call for any more “exploration,” adding, “So, I think in terms of a character arc, he's already reached his peak. And it was a good time for him. He went to Africa. He got married. So, it was nice to see him leave on a happy note.”

When Masi decided it was time for Max to step away, he said the producers were “very understanding” and acknowledged that he left on “amicable terms.” He mentioned that his decision to leave had been discussed about a year in advance, so the cast and production team were well aware of his wishes.

And because of the way he exited, it made it easier for him to make a surprise return as a special guest star in Season 10, in the episode titled “Don't Blame Ghosts and Spirits for One's Troubles; a Human Is Responsible.”

While Masi made it clear that his time playing Max on Hawaii Five‑0 had run its course, and it was the perfect moment to end his storyline as a main character, he was also ready to cut back on his trips to Hawaii, which is where the show was filmed. While speaking with TV Guide, Masi revealed that over the six years he filmed the series, he made more than 100 round-trip flights to Hawaii, averaging roughly 18 trips per year.

He admitted that traveling alone had taken a “physical toll” on him, not to mention his mom lived in Los Angeles, and he wanted to be there to help her and handle business-related matters. What’s interesting, though, is that he did note that had the show been filming in Los Angeles, he “would stay forever,” which suggests that the frequent travel was certainly a factor in his decision to step away from the show.