'Mole' gives Big Island dose of reality
By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau
HILO, Hawai'i — Five episodes of ABC's reality series "The Mole" have been taped on the Big Island, to be shown this winter.
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Big Island film commissioner Marilyn Killeri said "The Mole" will "showcase much of the Big Island," including its ranches, beaches, hotels and mountains, though most of the episodes were filmed on the Kona side.
Kathy Griffin and Stephen Baldwin will appear on "The Mole" episodes filmed on the Big Island, according to Variety magazine.
"There's no eating of rats in these episodes," however, a relieved Killeri said.
Extras were required to sign confidentiality agreements to stop early leaks about the performers and the story lines, said Killeri. However, Variety magazine has reported that the lineup includes Kathy Griffin and Stephen Baldwin.
The only on-screen personality named so far is sportscaster Ahmad Rashad — the former Oregon football player known previously as Bobby Moore.
Killeri said the show spent up to $2 million on the Big Island shoots this summer. About 75 Big Island technicians and extras got part-time jobs, and 25 vendors sold services during the month-long project.
Though the film industry is cyclical, Killeri said 2002 appears to be on an upswing. Three potential feature films — one by a Japanese producer — are in the mix. So is a TV commercial for German automaker BMW.
Though filming costs on the Big Island are higher because of lack of facilities, Killeri said, the island's diverse environment is a big plus.
