Taylor Wily, the sumo wrestler turned actor best known for his role as Kamekona on the reboot of Hawaii Five-0, has died at the age of 56. His death was reported by local Hawaii TV outlet KITV on Thursday, June 20. The cause and location of his death have not yet been disclosed.
Peter M. Lenkov, executive producer of Hawaii Five-0, confirmed Wily's passing. In an emotional Instagram post, Lenkov wrote: 'I am devastated. Heartbroken. I’ll post some detailed feelings later. Just too hard right now.' He later added a tribute to Wily, recalling their first meeting and describing him as family.
Born Teila Tuli on June 14, 1968, in Laie, Hawaii, Wily was of American Samoan descent. He began his career as a successful sumo wrestler before transitioning to mixed martial arts, competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993 under the name Teila Tuli.
Wily's acting debut came in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, where he played a hotel worker. Two years later, he was cast as Kamekona on Hawaii Five-0, a role he played for the show's entire ten-year run. He also appeared as the same character in seven episodes of Magnum P.I. from 2018 to 2020.
Fans and colleagues have paid tribute to Wily, remembering him as a warm and powerful presence on screen. 'He always brought a smile to my face when he came on screen,' one fan wrote. 'May his memory be a blessing.'
