"Hawaii Five-0" star Taylor Wily dies at the age of 56
Taylor Wily was born in Hawaii and was a sumo wrestler and MMA fighter before his acting career. He has now died at the age of 56.
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- Taylor Wily, former wrestler, MMA fighter and actor, passed away on June 20 in Hurricane, Utah.
- He became known for his role in "Hawaii Five-0", in which he starred in 171 episodes from 2010 to 2020.
- Colleagues and friends described him as a gentle giant with a big heart and lots of aloha, while the cause of death was not disclosed.
Hawaiian musician Lina Girl Langi, a close friend of Taylor Wily and his family, announced the actor's death.
"It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that my longtime friend Taylor Wily, a former wrestler, MMA fighter and actor passed away today (Thursday, June 20) in Hurricane, in the state of Utah."
However, Langi did not say what the cause of Wily's death was. She went into more detail about how the actor looked intimidating but was the definition of a "gentle giant" in real life: "He looked menacing until he hugged you - my heart is broken."
"A giant among men"
Taylor Wily pursued a career as a sumo wrestler early in his life under the name Takamishu, then switched to mixed martial arts and finally found his true calling in acting.
He had small roles in "Magnum P.I." or "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" until he got a permanent job in "Hawaii Five-0". Wily was in 171 episodes of the successful crime series from 2010 to 2020.
Fellow actor Dennis Chun, who also stars on "Hawaii Five-0", shared a photo of Wily and him and wrote: "He was not only a great talent, but also a giant among men. His aloha and heart made every scene together a joy. Rest in peace Taylor. I will cry tonight. Aloha, Taylor, see you soon."
