Taylor Wily, the American actor known for his roles in the film « Forgetting Sarah Marshall » and the TV series « Magnum » and « Hawaii 5-0 », has passed away on June 20th at the age of 56. The news of his death was confirmed by the Hawaiian channel KITV and by the producer of the series, Peter Lenkov. The cause of his death is not known.
Peter Lenkov expressed his feelings about Taylor’s passing, saying, « T, as I have told you many times, I fell in love with you from the first audition. You came in with a towel on your head to wipe off the sweat, and I was smitten. You charmed me and became a regular on the show… and in my life. You were family. And I will miss you every day, my brother. »
Taylor Wily, born as Teila Tuli in 1968, was a former sumo champion and MMA fighter of Samoan origin. After leaving the world of wrestling in 1989, he pursued an acting career. He appeared in the 1990s and 2000s in the series « Marker », « Waikiki West », and « North Shore: Hotel Pacific ».
In 2008, he starred alongside Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Paul Rudd in the film « Forgetting Sarah Marshall ». In 2017, he appeared in the reboot of the cult TV series from the 1980s, « MacGyver ».
However, he is best known for his role as Kamekona, which he played for 10 years and 171 episodes in « Hawaii 5-0 », a reboot of the 1970s series « Hawaii Five-O ». He also appeared in the TV series « Magnum P.I. » (a reboot of the famous 1980s series starring Tom Selleck) in a crossover episode between the two shows.
Taylor Wily’s presence in the entertainment industry will be greatly missed, as he brought warmth, humor, and talent to every role he played. His legacy will live on through his memorable performances and the impact he had on his colleagues and fans.