Elissa Dulce Mataele was a recurring-role actress in the original Hawaii Five-O.  Mytakeontv spoke recently with her about the many characters she had the opportunity to portray.

mytakeontv (MTOTV):  Hi, Elissa.  First of all, tell me, in what episodes of the original series did you appear? 
Elissa Dulce Mataele (EDM):  Hi.  Yes, I was in “The Banzai Pipeline” (Season Six, Episode 16), “Nightmare in Blue” (Season Six, Episode 21), “We Hang Our Own” (Season Seven, Episode 7), “Death’s Name is SAM” (Season Eight, Episode 5), “Honor is an Unmarked Grave” (Season Eight, Episode 12), “Man in a Steel Frame” (Season Nine, Episode 13), “The Ninth Step” (Season Ten, Episode 6), “A Death in the Family” (Season Ten, Episode 24), and “A Distant Thunder” (Season Eleven, Episode 6).

MTOTV:  That’s a lot of credits.  Would you share a bit about the characters you played?
EDM:  Of the nine episodes I had the honor to appear in, eight of them included guest starring, or speaking, roles.  I can hardly remember the very first part I played, in “A Distant Thunder,” to be honest, but I don’t believe I had any lines.  I could be wrong because I haven’t seen a re-run, but at my age who knows?  I played an array of characters among the shows, but those characters included a beach babe, a decoy cop, a syndicate head’s daughter, a young wife with a questionable husband, a young wife with my own questionable past, and a politician’s wife.  It was truly exciting to have been able to act in so many episodes and play different roles.  You can’t do that in today’s television series.  I would attribute that to the fact that in those days the pool of actors wasn’t as deep as it is today.

MTOTV:  Would you describe an average day of filming for you?
EDM:  In a nutshell, I remember call time was as early as 4:30 A.M. on some days.  You could go to the set and have a bite to eat first.  They really fed you well all day long.  Then it was off to makeup and hair.  Next, you’d be waiting in your own dressing room until it was your time to report to set.  The wait could be an hour or it could stretch to four hours, or maybe even longer.  If your scene was at another location other than the base camp, you were driven to it.

MTOTV:  What was the most memorable part for you of all your experiences?
EDM:  Having lunch with Jack (Lord) one day during filming, which actually isn’t a part at all.  I was just about to it down at the table where the rest of the cast (not the lead roles) and crew ate their meals when Jack popped out the door to his trailer and yelled, ‘Hey, you!’  Everyone looked to see who he was talking to, and I realized it was me.  He then beckoned me to come into his trailer with my tray of food.  We had a great time talking and eating together   Jack was so kind and caring, wanting to know how I was doing and about my life.  He was a gentleman in every sense of the word and not once did I feel uncomfortable or uneasy.  He would mention Marie with such affection in his words, and even as our friendship continued long after, I knew Jack adored this woman and certainly was not a womanizer.  I found him to be quite approachable, unlike how some perceived him to be, aloof and distant.  When I think about it, perhaps Jack had me join him that day as a pre-audition, so to speak.  Although it was quite some time away, he ended up giving me one of the leading female roles in the pilot M Station Hawaii that he produced and directed after the demise of Five-O.  Unfortunately, it never made it to the screen.  I was in the casting office the day he told me I got the part.  His confidence that the show would make it was so evident.  With excitement in his eyes and voice, he exclaimed, ‘Ms. Dulce, are you ready to be famous and even have your own action figure?’  That would have been lovely, wouldn’t it?

MTOTV:  What did you enjoy most about your acting on Five-O?  And what was the most challenging?
EDM:  Although I consider every role a gem because they were great learning and precious experiences for me as a local girl from Hawaii, I always hold dear to my heart my role as Carmen Kahela in ‘We Hang Our Own.’  This was filmed on the Big Island, and I actually got fired from my job as a Polynesian dancer here in Honolulu because I chose to fly out and do the episode.  I had approached my boss and asked for permission to take a leave of absence.  He refused, and I asked for reconsideration.  Having one of the dancers on the highly successful and famously known worldwide Hawaii Five-O would be great for our own show.  It didn’t impress him one bit, and he said if I went my job would go with me out the door.  I wanted to do the role so badly, so I left.  It was one of the ‘meatiest’ roles I ever had, and every actress wants those in her career.  While in Hilo shooting Five-O, the weather was rainy and uncooperative.  During one scene, I had to have two identical dresses made in case one got dirty from the mud.  In the scene, my husband gets into a jealous rage with my old beau.  They end up brawling in the mud, and I’m leaning down to them screaming for them to stop.  I received a letter with glowing remarks from the producer about how mesmerized he was while watching me do this wonderful scene on the big screen at the studio.  When I view it in syndication, yes, I have to admit that was some of my best work.  I have to admit, my acting was a bit raw in some of the other scenes.  I’ve had so much training, classes, and experience since then, but one thing’s for sure.  I came out ahead back then, rich in relationships.  The locals were some of the nicest people I ever met.  The crew and all those behind the camera were like family.  Gerry Waialae and Leslie Nielson became my buddies, and when filming was over we kept in contact for years to come.  My girlfriend and I stayed with Leslie at his house when I was in L.A. for a short visit.  I would go up to the nightclub called The Cock’s Roost in the old Waikiki International Market Place where Gerry performed, and he’d call me up on stage to sing with him.  What fun and what sweet memories.  Not once did I regret losing my job.

Dulce Mataele also appeared in Season Six, Episode 15, “Ke Koa Lokomaika’i (The Good Soldier) of the reboot Hawaii Five-0, playing Janet LaRue.  She worked in an assisted living facility and helped McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) convince an autistic patient to help with an investigation into the murder of the patient’s only friend.

The reboot Hawaii Five-0 series airs on Fridays at 9 P.M. on CBS.