Former sumo wrestler and actor Taylor Wily, known for his recurring role as Kamekona Tupuola in the 2010 drama series “Hawaii Five-O,” has died at age 56.
His death was confirmed Thursday evening in a social media post by “Hawaii Five-O” executive producer Peter M. Lenkov, as well as by local Hawaii news station KITV. Wily’s cause of death has not been revealed.
“I am devastated. Heartbroken. I’ll post some detailed feelings later. Just too hard right now,” Lenkov wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the two together. Multiple commenters remarked on Wily’s kindness.
In a separate post, Lenkov shared anecdotes about the first time he met Wily and a recent memory of him.
“T, as I told you many times, I fell in love with you at the first audition. 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. You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother,” Lenkov wrote, sharing a series of photos of Wily.
“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.”
CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Actor Michelle Borth, who starred alongside Wily in “Hawaii Five-O,” also sang his praises in an Instagram post.
“My heart aches. Taylor was a gentle soul with a big beautiful heart and infectious smile. I’m grateful for the memories and the time we shared. You’ll be missed, but never forgotten my friend,” she wrote, adding the hashtag #ohanaforever (“ohana” is a Hawaiian word for “family”).
Jorge Garcia, another “Hawaii Five-O” star, shared a fond memory of Wily on Instagram.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Taylor Wily. Big guy with an even bigger heart. He brought me joy from the moment I first saw him spoofing me in a local LOST themed commercial. I was always happy to see him. Will miss him greatly,” Garcia wrote.
Born in Honolulu, Wily had a successful career in sumo wrestling and mixed martial arts before retiring due to a knee injury, WDSU reported.
He transitioned to acting and first appeared in the comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” in 2008. A few years later, Wily scored a role as a recurring character in “Hawaii Five-O” and appeared in 171 episodes. He also starred in the rebooted series “MacGyver” and “Magnum P.I.”
Wily is survived by his wife and two children, Deadline reported.
A representative for Wily did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
