Taylor Wily, Known for ‘Hawaii Five-0’, Dies at 56
Taylor Wily, a former sumo wrestler who became an actor, passed away at 56. Wily, famous for his role as Kamekona Tupuola in “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.,” died on June 20, as confirmed by a family friend.
Producer Peter M. Lenkov, who worked with Wily, expressed his heartbreak in an Instagram post, sharing a photo of them together but not revealing the cause of death.
Wily starred in 171 episodes of “Hawaii Five-0” over ten years and appeared in seven episodes of “Magnum P.I.” He also had roles in “MacGyver,” “One West Waikiki,” “North Shore,” and the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
Before acting, Wily was a sumo wrestler known as Takamikuni and later competed in mixed martial arts (MMA) as Teila Tuli. He participated in the first-ever UFC event in 1993 but retired from MMA after losing his debut match.
Wily is survived by his wife Halona and their two children.
For more details, visit Parade.