Taylor Wily dead: American-Samoan actor best known for role in Hawaii Five-0 has died aged 56

The Hawaii-born former wrestler passed away on Thursday (June 21) according to reports and a cause of death has not yet been made known.

His death was confirmed “with a heavy heart” by Hawaii’s KITV 4 Island News, which reported that he was in Hurricane, Utah at the time of his passing. The anchors remembered him as “one of the kindest, gentlest souls” they had ever come across.

Wily appeared as Kamekona Tupuola in crime dramas Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. Wily’s former co-star Peter M. Lenkov was among those paying tribute to him. He wrote: “T, as I told you many times, I fell in love with you at the first audition. You came in with a towel on your head mopping up sweat, and I was smitten.

“You charmed me into making you a regular… on the show… and in my life. You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother. PS: when we spoke last week, we laughed at how right you were from Day 1. Five-0 was our dream job. And I was so lucky we got to share that magic together.”

His niece Latoya Levaiosina also paid a tribute to her uncle in a touching post on Facebook. She wrote: “It still feels like a bad dream Unko Big Tee. WE LOVE YOU ALWAYS! Gonna miss hearing you and Pops Ais' talking almost every night”.

Born in Honolulu, Wily is of American Samoan descent and has made a name for himself in both sports and entertainment. He gained initial fame as a sumo wrestler, where he went unbeaten in his first 14 bouts, weighing nearly 440 pounds and becoming one of the largest competitors in the sport. However, he retired from sumo wrestling in 1989 due to knee issues.

Wily then went into mixed martial arts, making his debut in 1993 at UFC 1: The Beginning. Although his fight against Dutch kickboxer and MMA pro Gerard Gordeau resulted in a loss and the unfortunate loss of three teeth, it marked his entry into a new arena.

Following his MMA stint, Wily shifted to acting, appearing in several TV shows and films. His television credits include roles in MacGyver, One West Waikiki, and North Shore. He gained wider recognition for his role as Kamekona Tupuola in the hit series Hawaii Five-0.

In addition to his TV work, Wily appeared in the comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring opposite Jason Segel and Kristen Bell.