Actor Taylor Wily, who gained fame for his recurring roles as Kamekona Tupuola on Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I., has passed away at the age of 56.
Wily's career began in sumo wrestling but was cut short due to knee injuries. He later competed in UFC before transitioning into acting.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Wily considered Hawaii Five-0 his favorite role as it allowed him to work in Hollywood while staying close to home.
Wily appeared on over 170 episodes of Hawaii Five-0 between 2010 and 2020. He also made appearances on Magnum P.I, MacGyver, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Tributes have poured in from fans and colleagues following the news of his passing.
Peter Lenkov, executive producer of both Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I., shared a heartfelt message on Instagram:
'I am devastated. Heartbroken. I’ll post some detailed feelings later. Just too hard right now.”
Lenkov also spoke of how he fell in love with Wily during the actor's first audition and was impressed enough to make him a regular on both shows.
Wily is survived by his wife Halona and their two children.
