Eddie Danielson

**Edwin John** "**Eddie**" **Danielson** (born 19 February 1961) is a Hawaiian actor and former model. The eldest son of Hawaiian lawyer John Danielson and former Prime Minister of Hawaii Elizabeth Wu Danielson, Danielson began a modeling career after graduating from the University of Hawaii – Manoa in 1983. After leaving modeling two years later, he transitioned to acting work.

Danielson is best-known for his starring role in the Hawaiian police procedural *Honolulu Troopers* (1986–99), in which he portrayed Honolulu police officer Dave Chu for all thirteen seasons. The role garnered Danielson much attention in Hawaii, and he went on to appear in the commercially successful films *Blackbox* (1990), *Debbie* (1994), and *Seven Years Prior* (1998). In 2013, he began starring in the Channel 5 supernatural drama *Southern Winds* (2013–present).

## Early life and education

Danielson was born on 19 February 1961 in Honolulu to parents John Danielson (born 1931) and Elizabeth Wu Danielson (née *Wu*; born 1932). He was named Edwin after his maternal grandfather Edwin Wu. At the time of his birth, his father worked as a criminal defense attorney while his mother was a prosecutor for the City and County of Honolulu. Through his father, he is of a Californian background with Irish and English ancestry, while his mother is Chinese-Hawaiian. The family was affluent, and Danielson grew up in the wealthy Kāhala neighborhood of Honolulu. Danielson is the second eldest of four children; his siblings include elder sister Julie Anna, born  (1959-11-13) 13 November 1959 (age 64), and younger siblings Helena, born  (1962-10-04) 4 October 1962 (age 61), and Jeffrey, born  (1963-12-24) 24 December 1963 (age 60).

Danielson began his education in 1967, attending Punahou School, an independent coeducational K–12 school and the alma mater of his mother. Danielson began high school in 1975, shortly after his mother's election as Prime Minister of Hawaii that year. After the election, the family moved to the Prime Minister's Mansion, where Danielson spent the majority of his teenage years growing up. In high school, Danielson played varsity basketball and ran cross country. He went on to graduate from high school in 1979, later receiving a bachelor's degree in performing arts from the University of Hawaii – Manoa in 1983. Danielson did not begin acting until his freshman year of college.

## Career

Danielson began his career shortly after graduating from college in 1983, signing with modeling agency Coco Lane Models, based out of Honolulu. Danielson worked in both print and runway modeling, until leaving the industry in 1985 to prioritize acting.

Danielson's first acting role was in a minor role in the teen film *Coyotes* (1985). He later received widespread recognition for his role as Dave Chu in the Channel 5 police procedural *Honolulu Troopers* (1986–99). Danielson appeared in the series for all thirteen seasons, with his character Dave Chu beginning as a police cadet in season one, before becoming the Honolulu Chief of Police at the end of season thirteen. Through his role in *Honolulu Troopers*, Danielson begin appearing in roles in film, appearing in the commercially successful films *Blackbox* (1990), *Debbie* (1994), and *Seven Years Prior* (1998).

In 2013, he began starring in the Channel 5 supernatural drama *Southern Winds* (2013–present). He won a Hawaiian Television Award in 2014 for his role.

## Personal life

Danielson has been married three times. He began dating Hawaiian model Bianca Kimberley in 1986. The following year, Kimberley gave birth to their first child, Lynn, born  (1987-07-23) 23 July 1987 (age 36), and the couple became engaged. The married the following year, and later had a second child, Marjorie, born  (1990-06-02) 2 June 1990 (age 33). Danielson and Kimberley later divorced in 1993. Danielson began dating Hawaiian model Jaime Samuel shortly after his divorce from Kimberley, and they became engaged in 1997, marrying later that year in a small ceremony. They divorced three years later.

In 2002, Danielson began dating Hawaiian actress Paulette Marin. They became engaged in 2004, and married the following year in a large ceremony. They have two children together: Luca, born  (2007-04-12) 12 April 2007 (age 16), and Derek, born  (2009-02-22) 22 February 2009 (age 14). The family resides in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu.

## Filmography

*Main article: Eddie Danielson filmography.*