The actor and former wrestler Taylor Wily, also known as Teila Tuli, died on June 20th this year at the age of 56. He started out as a sumo wrestler and UFC fighter and grew into the actor he was. He was born on June 14, 1968, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and he is most known for his role in Hawaii Five-0, in addition to other movies and series. The actor may be gone, but his legacy will still live on to tell his story through his work, family, and loved ones.
Taylor Wily’s Wrestling Career
In 1987 before Taylor Wily started acting, he was a sumo wrestler and UFC1 fighter. He was given the sumo name of Takamishu. He maintained a winning streak in his first 14 official bouts, winning two consecutive tournament championships. He was one of the largest wrestlers in sumo as he weighed nearly 440 lb (200 kg). A year later, he got promoted to the third highest makushita division, becoming the first foreign-born wrestler to secure the championship in that division.
After leaving sumo behind due to knee problems, he competed as Teila Tuli in the first bout of UFC 1 in 1993. It was held in Denver, Colorado, and was shown on pay-per-view. Despite Tuli heavily outweighing his opponent, Gerard Gordeau, he lost to him, lasting only 26 seconds as he suffered a knockout from his head kick. The match stopped after Teila Tuli got kicked in the face which led him to lose a tooth, and this was Teila Tuli’s only MMA fight.
Taylor Wily’s Acting Career
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He started his acting career with minor roles by first appearing as an extra in Magnum P.I.’s 1982 season. He also appeared as Joseph Kalama in One West Waikiki in 1996 and as a bartender in North Shore in 2004. He is most known for his roles as Kemo in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Kamekona Tupuola in Hawaii Five-0, McGyver, and Magnum P.I. Taylor Wily was a shrimp truck owner and informant providing intel to the Five-0 Task Force, and a regular in Hawaii Five-0 from 2017 until the show’s end in 2020, making unforgettable appearances in 171 episodes.
Gone But Never Forgotten: Taylor Wily’s Death and Tributes Paid
Taylor Wily’s manager confirmed his death on Friday, just six days after his birthday, and Honolulu’s KITV4 Island News was the first to report the news of his death. He died in Hurricane, Utah, and a specific cause of death is still not known. What is certain, though, is that his memory and legacy will live on through his wife, Halona Wily, and his two children, Tula and Youngaisa, and all his loved ones.
Hawaii Five-0 executive producer Peter M. Lenkov shared multiple tributes to Wily on Instagram. In the first post, he wrote “I am devastated. Heartbroken” in a caption of a photo of them both. He later shared a second post with a video montage of photos and clips with him. He wrote, “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.”
Our deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones. He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
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