Taylor Wily, ‘Hawaii Five-0’ and ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ actor, dies at 56

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As a devoted fan of both “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.”, I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Taylor Wily, a remarkable actor whose talent and charisma brought beloved characters like Kamekona Tupuola to life on our screens.

Taylor Wily, the well-known Samoan actor and ex-sumo wrestler, passed away at the age of 56 in Las Vegas on Thursday. This information was shared by his manager and friend, Michael J. Henderson, to The Times. The cause of his death was natural.

In the 2008 romantic comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” Hawaii-born actor delivered a memorable performance as Kemo, the hotel worker, sharing the screen with Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis.

Wily continued to grace our screens, joining the cast of CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0” revival as a regular player. Previously known for his role as Kamekona Tupuola, a reformed criminal who became an entrepreneur and valuable informant for the Hawaii Five-0 team, Wily gained more prominence in the series starting from its eighth season. Additionally, his character made appearances on “Magnum P.I.” and “MacGyver” as well.

In the beginning, Wily embarked on his journey as a sumo wrestler in Japan, known as Takamikuni. Weighing approximately 440 pounds, Wily remained unbeaten in his initial 14 bouts. He decided to retire from this noble sport in the year 1989.

After retiring, he took up training in mixed martial arts and made his debut in the UFC as Teila Tuli. Unfortunately, he was defeated in his initial bout and chose not to participate in any further competitions.

Peter M. Lenkov, the previous producer of “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.,” announced Wily’s passing through an Instagram post.

Lenkov repeatedly expressed his deep affection for you since the initial audition. That day, you entered with a towel on your head, wiping off sweat, and captured my heart. You enchanted me into making you a recurring character, not only on the show but also in my life. You became like family to me. I will deeply miss you each day, my friend. A reminder: when we conversed recently, we reminisced about how our dream job with Five-0 came true. Fortunate were we to experience that incredible journey together.

Meaghan Rath, an actress on “Hawaii Five-0,” responded with a broken heart emoticon to a post. Trey Callaway, a writer-producer, wrote, “His memory will continue to be a source of blessings for countless people.”

“Magnum P.I.” writer Andre Jackson retweeted the news on X, adding “Aloha, buddy.”

Wily is survived by his wife, Halona Wily, and their two children.

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2024-07-18 20:03