LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taylor Wily, a former sumo wrestler who turned identified for his function as confidential informant Kamekona Tupuola on each “Hawaii 5-0” and “Magnum P.I,” has died, his buddy and a “Hawaii 5-0” producer each mentioned Friday. He was 56.
“Hawaii 5-0” government producer Peter M. Lenkov confirmed his dying to The Related Press and shared a number of tributes to the actor on Instagram, writing “I’m devastated. Heartbroken” in a caption of a photograph of the 2.
KITV 4, based mostly in Honolulu, was the primary to report Wily’s dying on Thursday. Extra particulars in regards to the trigger stay unknown. TV and radio persona Lina Woman Langi mentioned on the present “Island Life Reside” that she introduced the information “with a heavy coronary heart,” as Wily was a buddy.
Lenkov, Wily’s longtime buddy and collaborator, shared a second submit in a while Thursday with a video montage that includes photographs and clips with Wily. He wrote, “You charmed me into making you a daily… on the present… and in my life. You have been household. And I’ll miss you day-after-day, brother.”
In an extra assertion to the AP, Lenkov mentioned it was exhausting to explain how “particular” Wily was and lauded the actor for his expertise.
“Although a whole lot of his ‘Hawaii 5-0’ and ‘Magnum’ scenes featured his comedy expertise, he was an unbelievable dramatic actor, as effectively,” Lenvok mentioned. “I had developed a script a pair years again and wrote him a task and hoped to place him in my subsequent venture. I simply wished to maintain him shut… not simply as a buddy, however as an artist. Devastated I received’t get that chance.”
Wily performed Kamekona on “Hawaii 5-0” from 2010 by means of 2020 and have become a fan-favorite. He continued in the identical function with the reboot of “Magnum P.I.” and made a memorable look as a resort employee within the 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
Earlier than he started appearing, Wily, born Teila Tuli, was a widely known sumo wrestler and UFC 1 fighter. He turned the primary knockout sufferer in UFC historical past in 1993 when opponent Gerard Gordeau’s kick knocked a tooth filter of Wily’s mouth, ending the battle after simply 26 seconds.
Wily is survived by his spouse, Halona, and their two youngsters.