'Hawaii Five-0' and 'Magnum P.I.' Actor Taylor Wily Dead at 56

Actor and former wrestler Taylor Wily, known for his memorable role as Kamekona Tupuola in crime dramas Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I., has passed away at the age of 56.

The Hawaii-born star died on Thursday, June 20, according to a local KITV Island News reporter who also described Wily as a close family friend.

Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. producer Peter M. Lenkov paid tribute to his beloved colleague in a heart-wrenching Instagram post.

"I am devastated. Heartbroken. I’ll post some detailed feelings later. Just too hard right now," he shared alongside a sweet pic of himself with Wily.

A cause of death has not been made public.

Best known for his role as Kamekona Tupuola in the crime-drama Hawaii Five-0, which he appeared in for 171 episodes that aired over the course of a decade, and seven episodes of Magnum P.I., other notable credits of Wily's include stints on MacGyver, One West Waikiki and North Shore. He also appeared in the 2008 rom-com Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring Jason Segal, Kristen Bell and Paul Rudd.

Before showing off his acting chops in several fan-favorite TV dramas, Wily was a sumo wrestler known as Takamikuni and later went on to explore mixed martial arts (MMA), where he competed as Teila Tuli.

Wily was among the few to compete in the first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), debuting as a TV special in 1993, UFC 1: The Beginning. During the match, he opposed and was quickly overcome by Dutch kickboxer and MMA pro Gerard Gordeau, after having three of his teeth kicked out and suffering a punch that broke Gordeau's hand. After losing the match, Wily retired from MMA and transitioned to acting.

He is survived by his wife Halona and their two children.

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