CUH Student Plays Important Role in ‘Hawaii Five-O’

Seven years ago, Jordan Caputy was in a high-end fashion show at the Waikiki Edition Hotel, now known as the Modern Honolulu. After the show, the manager of the event told Caputy that a talent scout from “Hawaii Five-O” wanted him to visit headquarters.  A week later, Caputy auditioned and landed the job as Scott Caan’s photo double and stand-in.

Caputy, currently a Hogan Entreprenuer in the Chaminade MBA program, has been Caan’s stand-in double for the past 7 years. Students and professors on campus often joke with him and say that he looks like Caan’s character of Officer Danno.

“Being surrounded by individuals at the top of their game is the best part of the film industry,” said Caputy, who is a 25 years old Punahou and UH graduate. “The power plays the egos, and the action is what makes the industry like no other. The lessons I’ve learned are many but what stand out to me is punctuality, professionalism, and above all manners to everyone no matter who they may be.”

On his first day he went to set to get his hair and make up done, which is pretty standard for anyone in the entertainment industry. Shortly after, the WWII bright orange Volkswagon “Thing” pulled up to set.  The car was a old standard and Caputy was told he would be in charge of driving it. For the next two hours Caputy drove the vehicle through rush hour traffic with a helicopter hovering above him at 100 feet.

“It was an exciting first day of work,” said Caputy.

Although he had a blast while driving from Bishop Street to Tantalus in an old WWII vehicle it also taught him the importance of attention to detail.

“Any little error while driving would have cost the set and network thousands of dollars, which was added pressure to what is already the anxiety of having a new job,” Caputy added.

Currently he goes back and forth between full-time and part-time work depending on his school schedule. Full-time work is 10 to 12 hours every day while part-time is typically 2 days a week at 10 to 12 hours a day. On these workdays, Caputy often works closely with the industry’s top actors and actresses. As well as working with Caan, he has had the privilege to work closely with MMA star and actor Randy Couture and actresses Claire Forlani and Melanie Griffith.

Like any product, viewers typically only see the final cut. What they do not see is the behind the scenes work that goes into something like a TV show. An episode of “Five-O” runs roughly 40 minutes, but takes weeks of hard work to craft together and perfect.

“Everyone has to be fully focused for our product to be a success,” he said. “There is great teamwork and chemistry on set which is a reason why working with ‘Five-O’ has been such an amazing experience.”

To go along with “Five-O,” Caputy has landed a role on the season 2 premier of “Fargo,” which was shot while he was visiting his Native Canadian Indian roots taking care of his grandparents in Calgary, Canada. Next up, he is completing his MBA at Chaminade and continuing to pursue a career in entertainment and business.