The Hawaii Five-0 actor Taylor Wily dead at 56 has taken aback several of his fans. The Hawaii-born former sumo wrestler played the fan-favorite character, Kamekona, for a decade in the show.
As a sumo wrestler, the actor competed in Japan and even reached their third-highest division. His acting career began in the 80s, but he started gaining fanfare in the late 2000s.
The cause of his death has yet to be revealed, with his manager stating it was a natural cause. The actor leaves behind his wife, Halona, and two kids, who have previously attended several red-carpet ceremonies with the actor.
Taylor Wily Dead At 56: Family Reacts To The News
The Magnum PI actor Taylor Wily is dead at only 56 years of age. The actor is survived by his wife, Halona, and two kids, TulaLagalaga and YoungAsia.
Halona Wily graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii with a degree in political science/history/laie economics in 1999. Halona previously worked at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
She also worked as a teacher at Kahuku High & Intermediate School. Halona has personally not issued any statement concerning her husband’s demise, but her Facebook profile has flooded with well-wishers leaving messages for the Wily family.
Taylor’s sister, Alysa Wily Tonga, was the first one from the family to break the news of the actor’s demise. She shared Taylor’s photo and captioned it with a brown heart and a rock sign.
She later shared a video of the family celebrating Taylor’s life. Alysa captioned the recording, “Mourning and celebrating our favorite brother and uncle the way he would us to. Family, food, music, and good vibes.”
In another video shared by Alysa, Taylor’s nephews are heard singing Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds.’
There were times when Halona would accompany her husband to the premieres of his show, Hawaii Five-O. But for the most part, Halona kept herself out of the public limelight.
After quitting teaching, Halona seems to have started working as an event planner near and around the Honolulu Metropolitan Area. A few close friends and relatives of the Wily family have shared videos of Taylor enjoying family events with his wife and kids.
Halona and Taylor tied the knot on December 27, 2000. In 2017, Halona shared a couple of photos from their wedding ceremony to celebrate their 17th anniversary.
Taylor’s Daughter Shares A Tribute For Her Dad
Soon after the news of Taylor’s demise started making noise, his daughter, TulaLagalaga, shared a photo. It was a throwback picture of her and her dad attending an event.
The photo also signified that the news of Taylor’s demise was true and not a hoax. TulaLagalaga currently lives in Hurricane, Utah, and previously studied at Kahuku High & Intermediate, graduating high school in 2020.
In 2022, TulaLagalaga shared a sweet post for her dad and granddad on Father’s Day.
She shared a photo of her posing with her dad and granddad and captioned the photo, “So grateful for these two father figures in my life. Both taught me to be strong, work hard, and have incredible faith in our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Love you both so very very much. See you soon, Dad, and see you in the next life, Grandpa. Alofa iate oe.”
TulaLagalaga is available on Instagram and has previously shared several family photos. The Wily family also seems highly religious, with TulaLagalaga sharing a link to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on her Instagram bio.
She also shared a photo of her dad and uncles as a tribute. She captioned the post, “Original Laie Boys. Family Inc.”
Taylor’s son, YoungAsia Wily, has kept himself out of the spotlight. In 2016, he starred in one of the episodes of Hawaii Five-0, playing the role of Ani.
Read More: Parasite Actor Dead; Lee Sun-Kyun’s Cause of Death
Taylor Wily’s Death Cause: How Did The Actor Die?
Taylor’s representatives have not stated the actor’s death cause. Several websites have reported that the Samoan actor died from natural causes.
His manager and friend, Michael J. Henderson, told The Times that the actor died in Las Vegas on Thursday.
The reactions of his family hint that they were prepared for Taylor’s passing. The reactions make it seem as if the actor had been battling a long-term illness.
Peter Lenkov, the Hawaii Five-0 producer, wrote on his social media how the actor had charmed him during the audition. He wrote, ” 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.
You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother.” The producer also wrote that they had spoken only last week and laughed at how the actor was right from Day 1.
Taylor Wily’s Career At Glance
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Taylor Tuli Wily was introduced to sumo wrestling by his friends in 1987. Soon, Taylor decided to make the sport his career.
He started competing in tournaments, and for two years, he competed in sumo wrestling in Japan under the name Takamishu. During his time in Japan, he won several championships, eventually reaching the Makushita division, the third-highest in the league.
He also became the first wrestler born outside Japan to win a title match. After suffering from knee injuries, Taylor pivoted to mixed martial arts.
His career in mixed martial arts was short-lived. Taylor competed as Teila Tuli in his first-ever UFC game, lost in the first round, and didn’t compete again.
Wily’s acting career began in 1982 with a short role in the TV series Magnum PI. After retiring from sports in 1993, Taylor started gaining more roles in TV.
Wily starred as Primo Warrior in the series Marker in 1995, and a year later, he starred as Joesph Kalama in One West Waikiki. After taking a long break, Taylor returned to the screens in 2004.
In 2008, Taylor starred in his first movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as Kemo and stole the scene. Taylor grabbed the audience’s attention after he booked the role of Kamekona in Hawaii Five-O.
He quickly became the audience’s favorite and continued playing the role until the show ended in 2020. He played the same character in Magnum PI until 2020.
From reading celebrity blinds to keeping up with scores of all the different sports happening worldwide, Shreeyukta can’t simply have enough of the entertainment world.
