Actor Taylor Wily, who played the beloved character Kamekona in the popular series “Hawaii Five-0,” has passed away at the age of 56. The news was confirmed by KITV 4 Island News in Hawaii. Wily, whose real name was Teila Tuli, played the character for 10 seasons, from 2010 to 2020, and reprised his role in seven episodes of the series “Magnum, P.I.”
The cause of his death has not yet been revealed. Following the news, friends and family of the actor took to social media to pay tribute to him. Peter Lenkov, executive producer of “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum, PI,” shared a heartfelt message on Instagram: “I’m devastated. Heartbroken. I’ll post some detailed feelings in a few days. It’s too hard right now.” He also called Wily his “brother” and fondly recalled Wily’s first audition: “You came in with a towel on your head drying your sweat and you captivated me. I fell in love with your charisma and energy, so much so that you became a regular on the show and in my life. You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother.”
Wily’s sister Alyssa also paid tribute on Facebook, posting a video of the family playing board games in honor of the Hawaiian star: “We cry and celebrate our favorite brother and uncle the way he would want us to. Family, Food, Music and Good Vibes. Aurrrrrighhhhh.”
Before becoming an actor, Wily had a background in sumo wrestling, and later trained in mixed martial arts and competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) under the name Teila Tuli. He lost his only fight by technical knockout to savate expert Gerard Gordeau in UFC 1 in 1993.
Wily’s filmography includes several notable roles, including the 2004 film “North Shore,” the 2008 film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and the popular TV series “Hawaii Five-0,” “Magnum, P.I.,” and “MacGyver.”