June 22 (UPI) — Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I. and MacGyver actor Taylor Wily has died at the age of 56.
Wily played the fan-favorite criminal informant character Kamekona Tupuola across the three CBS crime dramedies.
“Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.” actor Taylor Wily has died at the age of 56. File Photo courtesy of Pixnio
June 22 (UPI) — Hawaii Five-0, Magnum P.I. and MacGyver actor Taylor Wily has died at the age of 56.
Wily played the fan-favorite criminal informant character Kamekona Tupuola across the three CBS crime dramedies.
His attorney confirmed the actor and former sumo wrestler’s death to CBS News Friday, but the cause or circumstances of his death were not disclosed.
“I am devastated. Heartbroken. I’ll post some detailed feelings later. Just too hard right now,” Peter Lenkov, executive producer of Hawaii Five-0, wrote on Instagram Friday.
Lenkov shared a gallery of photos of Wily in a later post.
“T, as I told you many times, I fell in love with you at the first audition,” Lenkov wrote alongside the images.
“You came in with a towel on your head mopping up sweat, and I was smitten. You charmed me into making you a regular… on the show… and in my life,” Lenkov added. “You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother. PS: when we spoke last week, we laughed at how right you were from Day 1. Five-0 was our dream job. And I was so lucky we got to share that magic together.”
Wily also appeared in the comedy film, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and in Season 20 of the reality competition series, The Amazing Race.
Born Teila Tuli on June 14, 1968, Wily was a Hawaii native of American Samoan descent who competed in Ultimate Fighting Championships under the name Teila Tuli in the 1990s.
He is survived by his wife, Halona, and their two children.