• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • 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

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.

Advert

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.

Advert

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."

Advert

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."

Advert

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

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

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
10 hours ago
11 hours ago
13 hours ago
  • Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GLAAD
    8 hours ago

    Jennifer Lawrence makes unexpected plastic surgery confession after watching herself in fully nude scene

    The actress made a candid confession about what she's got planned

    Celebrity
  • KMazur/WireImage via Getty Images
    10 hours ago

    Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz reveals shocking 22-year Hilary Duff secret

    Muniz and Duff starred in 2003's Agent Cody Banks

    Celebrity
  • The Ellen Show
    11 hours ago

    Keira Knightley banned her daughter from watching this Disney movie for controversial reason

    Some people disagreed with Keira Knightley's reasoning

    Celebrity
  • kimandnorth/TikTok
    13 hours ago

    People are all saying the same thing as North West, 12, debuts Halloween costume amid 'face tattoo' controversy

    The eldest daughter of Kim and Kanye has showed off a number of impressive outfits on the run up to Halloween

    Celebrity