Magnum P.I.'s Amy Hill Shares Her Take On Kumu As The 'Voice Of Reason' To Magnum And 'The Boys'
Magnum and Co. sometimes need a voice of reason on Magnum P.I., and actress Amy Hill shared her thoughts on Kumu filling that role!
Magnum P.I. made its triumphant return to primetime in the 2023 TV premiere schedule thanks to NBC, less than a year after the show was cancelled at the end of Season 4 by CBS. After rescuing the hit show, NBC brought the full main cast back, and they picked up where they left off. That includes Kumu serving as what actress Amy Hill describes as “the voice of reason” to the characters… especially the men.
Amy Hill – who also opened up about feeling more connected to fans after the NBC renewal – has played Kumu going back to the first season. When she spoke with CinemaBlend for the fifth season, I noted that her character has been an anchor on the show, and she commented:
I think it’s safe to say that sometimes the boys of Magnum P.I. definitely need a “house mother” of sorts! At least, I’d say that applies to Magnum (Jay Hernandez), Rick (Zachary Knighton), and T.C. (Stephen Hill) at certain points. Gordon (Tim Kang) doesn’t necessarily get distracted as easily as the other three! Even though Kumu isn’t the one most likely to find herself in a firefight or hostage situation or car chase, she’s pretty essential to those who do.
And that’s saying a lot for somebody whose job description is “cultural curator” in the opening narration! Amy Hill explained that Kumu runs tours of Robin Masters’ estate, including trying to “make sure that everything is accurate in terms of depiction.” That’s definitely not all that Kumu does on Magnum P.I., however, as the actress said:
Even if Kumu is not exactly picking up an Uzi on a weekly basis, she has a lot of skills that have come in very handy over the years. When I noted to Amy Hill that her character is a woman of many talents, the actress agreed and then shared something else that she loves about Kumu:
Magnum P.I. is rarely short on challenges for any of the main characters, and they can range from the deadly to the domestic. That has been a recipe for success for a lot of viewers, but the show was cancelled by CBS back in May 2022. It was reportedly a tough decision for the network and definitely rough news for fans. Luckily, after a couple of months, fans rallying for a rescue, and even a Times Square billboard, Magnum P.I. was saved and renewed for not one, but two seasons at NBC!
Four episodes of Season 5 have aired at the time of writing (and all so far are available streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription), with new Magnum P.I. episodes airing on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Even if the show can’t last forever (per Jay Hernandez’s funny take, anyway), there’s a lot to look forward to for the foreseeable future!
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Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).
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