Rescue: HI-Surf’s Arielle Kebbel, More Cast Break Down Their Characters

Arielle Kebbel and Adam Demos are two of the stars of Fox’s new series Rescue: HI-Surf — and even though it’s about lifeguards, it’s not a Baywatch reboot.

“This is just something different,” Demos, who plays Will Ready, exclusively told Us Weekly at Fox Fall Press Day. “It’s just more of an authentic look to the North Shore lifeguards … and how heroic these first responder lifeguards are. I think everyone’s going to be stoked.”

Alex Aiono, who portrays Kainalu, teased that there are Baywatch vibes. “If you liked Baywatch, you’ll love this show,” he said. “You have Kekoa Kekumano and Adam Demos [and they] have more muscles than you could possibly ask for.”

Aiono teased that viewers will get a “glimpse at what [it’s] really like” to work as a lifeguard. “They’re saving so many [lives], they’re keeping watch over so many things and protecting so many things at one time,” he told Us.

Rescue: HI-Surf depicts the intense lives of the lifeguards on the North Shore of O’ahu, Hawaii, as they save people’s lives and risk their own in one of the most treacherous waters in the world.

Kebbel, who plays Emily “Em” Wright, explained that her past acting jobs were a walk in the park compared to this role. “I’ve played an assassin, a firefighter, a police officer, and nothing could prepare me for the amount of work it is to be a lifeguard,” she told Us, revealing there’s “no second chances” when you’re fighting those tough waves.

Scroll down to learn more about the Rescue: HI-Surf cast, their characters and what’s to come:

Arielle Kebbel

Kebbel described Em as someone “living her dream job” as the first female lieutenant in ocean safety. “This is what she’s always wanted to do. She’s a true maverick. She’s not only a great lifeguard, but she’s also a great surfer and a paddler,” she told Us. “She is also pretty primal at times and a little rough around the edges, especially when it comes to running her mouth, but it’s also because it’s always based in a place of truth.”

The actress teased that Em’s “unique” dynamic with Captain Sonny (Robbie Magasiva) will be fun to watch. “They can kind of call each other out in a way where it’s professional, but it’s also, like, deeply rooted in love and knowing each other like family,” Kebbel continued. “They know each other better than anyone. So it makes for a really beautiful family dynamic in a professional working environment.”

Adam Demos

Demos’ Will is an Aussie like the actor himself. “He moved out to North Shore [and] now he wants to test himself out there,” Demos shared. “He’s a surfer, joined the lifeguard and loves the culture, loves the people out there and he fell in love.”

The star said fans will see a “tricky relationship” between Will and Em, hinting at a romantic liaison. “He’s a brave, dedicated lifeguard but you’ll find that he has a little conflict when it comes to his personal life,” Demos added.

Kekoa Kekumano

The Hawaii native plays Laka, who is a “local boy” and a “proud lifeguard [that] he has very strong roots in Hawaii,” according to Kekumano. “He likes helping people but at the same time too he does have a little attitude towards him as well, and you can kind of see that throughout the show.”

Kekumano said that Laka “has kind of matured in certain ways as the episodes go,” noting that it’ll be visible throughout season 1.

Robbie Magasiva

As Captain Harlan “Sonny” Jennings, Magasiva’s character has the most experience on the ocean. “[He] grew up in the water. I came through the whole system and became a captain,” Magasiva said of the lifeguard.

When it comes to why Sonny chose to be a captain, Magasiva thinks it could be to “get away from crap that happens on land, which tends to happen.” He insisted that Sonny is “very good at what he does.”

Alex Aiono

Aiono, who plays Kainalu, didn’t give much detail on his character, but he did tease what viewers will season to start off the season. “It’s real, it’s action. It’s about the lifeguards on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii,” he told Us. “It shows them in a very human, exciting, thrilling light.”

Aiono revealed that his favorite scene is when Kainalu “finally proves” to Laka that he “belongs.” He explained, “It’s actually not from doing a rescue or anything, it’s from playing a game. We play a little sport and I finally at that point earned his, like, full respect, which is really fun.”

Zoe Cipres

“I feel like my favorite scene is probably a spoiler, but it has to do with me on the back of a jet ski, doing a rescue,” Cipres told Us of playing lifeguard Hina. “Everything on the jet skis was just the most fun.”

She teased, “That particular rescue was difficult and challenging, but that’s why I loved it so much because I had to really prove myself.”

While Cipres is originally from Hawaii, she told Us that filming on the North Shore is unlike anything viewers can imagine danger wise. “The waves are just so much more aggressive, and it might not look like it, but the second that you step foot in the water, you get swept out,” she shared. “That’s why there’s a lot of drownings and a lot of people that need rescuing because they don’t understand how the water works and how quickly it can pull you out.”

Rescue: HI-Surf premieres on Fox Sunday, September 22, live immediately following Fox’s NFL doubleheader at 8 p.m. ET. The second episode will air at its usual time slot on Monday, September 23, at 8 p.m. ET.

With reporting by Sarah Jones