Taylor Wily (1968–2024), star of Hawaii Five-0 reboot

Taylor Wily was a former UFC fighter and sumo wrestler who became an actor best known for starring in rebooted television shows like “Hawaii Five-0,” “MacGyver,” and “Magnum P.I.”

• Died: June 20, 2024 (Who else died on June 20?)

• Details of death: Died in Hurricane, Utah of natural causes at the age of 56.

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Taylor Wily’s legacy

Born in Honolulu, Hawai’i, Taylor Wily was nicknamed “Big T” in high school due to his imposing size, something he spun into a career in competitive sports. He briefly played semi-professional football, then had a career as a sumo wrestler for several years. He was the first foreign-born wrestler to win the top prize in the Japan Sumo Association's makushita division, winning his first 14 bouts and two championships. He then had a brief career as a UFC fighter.

Wily’s career in acting began slowly, with small appearances in TV shows like “North Shore” and “One West Waikiki,” and a memorable bit part in the film, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” His most notable role was in 2010’s reboot of “Hawaii Five-0,” on which Wily played Kamekona Tupuola, who proved to be a popular enough character to return for over 170 episodes. He played the same character in two other retro reboots for CBS: “MacGyver” and “Magnum P.I.”

Wily was married and had two children, a daughter and son.

Tributes to Taylor Wily

Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter

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