American actor and former sumo wrestler Taylor Wily has died at the age of 56. He was best known for his recurring role as Kamekona Tupuola on the TV series Hawaii Five-O. The circumstances surrounding Wily’s death remain unknown. But, his passing was confirmed by Hawaii Five-O executive producer, Peter M Lenkov.
Lenkov shared a message on Instagram expressing his devastation over the loss. He said that he will post more detailed feelings about Wily’s death, but it is too hard for him to do so at the moment. However, Lenkov added a longer tribute to Wily, revealing how he fell in love with him at the first audition.
Wily was born on June 14, 1968, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was of American Samoan descent. Before becoming an accomplished actor, Wily had a successful career as a sumo wrestler. He also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championships as a mixed martial artist. Apart from his recurring role on Hawaii Five-O, Wily also starred in the 2008 romantic comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall with Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Russell Brand.
Wily and Lenkov had spoken last week, and Lenkov recalled how they laughed at how right Wily was from day one. Five-O was their dream job, and Lenkov felt lucky that they got to share that magic together. According to Deadline, Wily is survived by his wife and their two children
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