unilad homepage
unilad homepage
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • World News
    • Crime
    • Health
    • Money
    • Sport
    • Travel
  • Music
  • Technology
  • Film and TV
    • News
    • DC Comics
    • Disney
    • Marvel
    • Netflix
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
UFC fighter and Hawaii Five-0 actor Taylor Wily dies at 56
Home>Celebrity>News
Updated 10:33 31 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 14:46 21 Jun 2024 GMT+1

UFC fighter and Hawaii Five-0 actor Taylor Wily dies at 56

Tributes have been pouring in for Taylor Wily

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: Darryl Oumi/Getty Images/ Karen Neal/CBS/Universal Television/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Topics: UFC, Film and TV, Celebrity

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Hawaii Five-0 actor and former UFC fighter Taylor Wily has died at the age of 56.

Wily's sister and his family paid tribute to him on Thursday (June 20) in a video on Facebook.

"Mourning and celebrating our favorite brother and uncle the way he would want us to," she wrote. "Family, Food, Music and Good Vibes. Aurrrrrrighhhhh (in his voice)."

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

Advert

Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. producer Peter M. Lenkov took to Instagram to pay tribute to his beloved friend and colleague.

Taylor Wily has died. (Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
Taylor Wily has died. (Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)

Captioning a picture of the two of them together, Lenkov wrote: "I am devastated. Heartbroken. I'll post some detailed feelings later. Just too hard right now."

His cause of death has not yet been made public.

Wily was, of course, best known for his role as Kamekona Tupuola in CBS' Hawaii Five-0, which he appeared in for 171 episodes that aired over the course of a decade.

Some of his other notable roles include seven episodes of Magnum P.I. and the 2008 rom-com Forgetting Sarah Marshall, alongside Jason Segel, Kristen Bell and Paul Rudd.

Wily was also a sumo wrestler and mixed martial artist, even competing in one of the first ever UFCs against Gerard Gordeau in 1993.

However, it didn't exactly go well for the actor who had his tooth knocked out when Gordeau kicked him in the jaw.

Fans have shared tributes to the late actor. (Justin Stephens/CBS via Getty Images)
Fans have shared tributes to the late actor. (Justin Stephens/CBS via Getty Images)

Wily did previously admit though that he had no regrets about taking part in a dangerous sport.

"There was a different feeling when you walked through that octagon," he told The New York Post back in 2018.

"I was scared. I ain’t lying, I was scared. Now when I look back on it, now that I’m more mature, I’m just grateful to God to just have the opportunity to risk it."

Fans have since taken to social media to pay tribute to the actor.

One wrote: "He was amazing actor he will be missed."

Another added: "I’ve never hated a character of his. RIP."

While a third commented: "This breaks my heart. He was my favorite character on Hawaii Five-0. RIP Taylor, you were loved by many."

Wily is survived by his wife, Halona, and their two kids.

Choose your content:

4 hours ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
10 hours ago
  • Variety
    4 hours ago

    Kit Harington opens up about 6-week rehab stint after Game of Thrones' final season

    The Jon Snow star revealed he 'needed to get sober' and took a break from acting

    Celebrity
  • Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios
    6 hours ago

    Dwayne Johnson fires back at influencer who called him out for selling shampoo as a bald man

    He launched the skincare and grooming brand Papatui in 2024

    Celebrity
  • Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation
    7 hours ago

    Locals outraged at Dua Lipa and Callum Turner's wedding as city turns into chaos

    One Palermo resident said she could understand the disruption 'if it was for the pope, but not for a singer'

    Celebrity
  • Instagram/@lenatheplug
    10 hours ago

    Lena The Plug reveals why someone keeps filing fake divorce papers for her and husband Adam22

    The adult content creator believes the culprit is a 'crazy psycho stalker fan'

    Celebrity