Taylor Wily, the Hawaii-born actor best known as Kamekona Tupuola on the Hawaii Five-0 reboot, died on June 20, 2024, at age 56. His death was confirmed by longtime executive producer Peter M. Lenkov and friend Lina Girl Langi. The cause was not publicly disclosed at the time.
Wily’s life reached far beyond television: he competed in Japanese sumo, appeared as Teila Tuli at UFC 1, and was remembered by family, friends, and colleagues as a gentle, generous presence.
Taylor Wily’s legacy cannot be reduced to one unusual line on a sports record. He was the Hawaii-born actor who made Kamekona Tupuola a beloved part of the Hawaii Five-0 reboot, but he was also a successful sumo wrestler, a participant in the first UFC event, and a performer whose warmth was remembered by colleagues, friends, family, and children he visited at Shriners Hospital.
What is confirmed about Taylor Wily’s death
Wily died on June 20, 2024, at the age of 56. His death was announced publicly by his friend Lina Girl Langi and confirmed by longtime Hawaii Five-0 executive producer Peter M. Lenkov. The Associated Press reported that the circumstances and cause of death were not initially disclosed.
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| Detail | What the available records say |
|---|---|
| Known professionally as | Taylor Wily and, in sumo and UFC records, Teila Tuli |
| Died | June 20, 2024 |
| Reported age | 56 |
| Birthplace | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Raised in | Laie, Hawaii |
| Signature role | Kamekona Tupuola in the Hawaii Five-0 reboot |
| Family | Wife Halona Siufanua; daughter Tula; son Young |
There is a discrepancy in public biographical records. The UFC memorial uses “Teila Tuli, 1968–2024,” while the family obituary hosted by Hughes Mortuary gives Wily’s birth date as June 14, 1969. Because those records do not agree, the most responsible wording is that he died at 56 rather than assigning him a definite birth year.
Kamekona made Taylor Wily a familiar face on television
Wily’s defining acting role was Kamekona Tupuola, the recurring character he played on the Hawaii Five-0 reboot from 2010 through 2020. Kamekona was both an entrepreneur and a confidential informant, giving the series a character who could move naturally between comic scenes, local information, and the show’s wider crime stories.
The role also gave Hawaii Five-0 a strong connection to the local world it portrayed. Wily’s physical presence, comic timing, and easy rapport with the cast made Kamekona one of the reboot’s most recognizable recurring figures. He later continued playing the character in the rebooted Magnum P.I., extending Kamekona’s place in the connected CBS television landscape.
Lenkov told the Associated Press that Wily was not merely a comic performer. He described him as an “incredible dramatic actor” and said he had hoped to write another role for him. That assessment helps explain why Wily’s work resonated beyond Kamekona’s humor: he could make a supporting character feel emotionally present even when the scene was built around a joke.
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Fans who want to revisit Wily’s Kamekona performances can look for the Hawaii Five-0 complete-series DVD. Physical-media availability, editions, and regional compatibility can change, so readers should check current retailer details before buying.
Wily also appeared in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, North Shore, MacGyver, The Amazing Race, and other productions. He was not the lead of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but the film is a useful place for viewers exploring his work outside the Hawaii television franchises. Collectors can search for a Forgetting Sarah Marshall DVD or Blu-ray if they prefer physical media.
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Before acting, he competed in Japanese sumo
Long before audiences knew him as Kamekona, Wily competed in Japanese sumo under the name Teila Tuli. According to the family obituary, he joined the Azumazeki stable after high school in 1987. The obituary credits him as the first foreign-born wrestler to win a championship in his division, an unusual achievement for an American competing in a sport with deep Japanese traditions.
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Knee problems brought that part of his career to an end. The family obituary says he retired in July 1989. Public accounts differ on some of the precise details of his sumo career, including the spelling or identification of his exact shikona and certain rank information. The well-supported account is that he was a Hawaii-born American who competed in Japan, won a division championship, and left the sport because of knee issues.
Teila Tuli was part of UFC 1 history
Wily’s other major sports connection came in mixed martial arts. He competed as Teila Tuli at UFC 1 on November 12, 1993, facing Gerard Gordeau. The UFC records the bout as ending by KO/TKO after 26 seconds, when Gordeau’s kick ended the fight.
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That made Wily part of the first fight in UFC history and one of the event’s most historically recognizable participants. It is important, however, not to turn that appearance into an exaggerated MMA career. The UFC athlete record lists him at 0–1, with no later UFC bouts. He was an inaugural-event competitor, not a fighter with a long UFC résumé.
For readers interested in that early sports chapter, UFC 1: The Beginning on DVD is a niche archival option to search for. It is best understood as a historical-record recommendation for viewers curious about UFC 1 and Wily’s appearance as Teila Tuli, not as a complete account of his career.
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The family obituary says Wily was raised in Laie, Hawaii, and described him as third-generation American Samoan and the “Original Laie Boy.” It presents family, faith, community, and aloha as central parts of his life rather than as background details attached only to his public career.
The obituary identifies his wife as Halona Siufanua and says they had two children, a daughter named Tula and a son named Young. The Associated Press likewise reported that he was survived by his wife and two children. The family’s memorial text also says that his wife and children cared for him as his health issues increased during the final years of his life. That description should not be treated as a specific medical diagnosis; it is the family’s account of his later life.
Why friends and colleagues remembered him as exceptionally gentle
The affectionate language surrounding Wily’s death was not based solely on his television persona. His family described him as a “gentle, loving soul.” Hawaii News Now quoted a friend who said he had “a heart of gold and never met a stranger.” The same reporting described him as especially loved at Shriners Hospital, where he visited children.
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Those memories add context to the public image created by Kamekona. The character was often broad, energetic, and funny; the tributes described a private person known for kindness, openness, and generosity. Lenkov said Wily became family to him and to the Hawaii Five-0 production community. The UFC’s memorial likewise remembered him not only for his place in UFC 1 history but for the acting career that followed.
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At the time of the June 2024 announcement, Wily’s cause of death had not been publicly disclosed. His family obituary referred to increasing health issues and medical support but did not establish a certified cause of death.
A later Hawaii News Now report from October 2025 described a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Wily’s wife and children. According to that report, the lawsuit alleges that a medical-transport company was responsible for injuries that eventually contributed to his death. The complaint reportedly concerns a 2023 incident in Las Vegas, when Wily allegedly fell after a wheelchair lift malfunctioned while employees were loading him into a van.
Those claims must remain clearly identified as allegations. The lawsuit is not, by itself, a verified medical finding or a final determination of responsibility. The accurate summary is: Wily’s cause of death was not publicly disclosed at the time; in 2025, his family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit alleging that injuries from a 2023 medical-transport incident contributed to his death, and the allegation had not been adjudicated in the reporting reviewed.
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Taylor Wily’s career crossed several very different worlds
Wily’s story is unusual because each stage of his career could have stood on its own. He achieved success in Japanese sumo before turning up at the first UFC event. He then moved into acting and became most widely known for a character who brought humor and local texture to a long-running Hawaii-set television franchise.
Yet the tributes after his death focused less on the novelty of those transitions than on the person connecting them. Wily was remembered as a performer who made people feel welcome, a colleague who became family to those around him, and a Hawaii-born actor whose presence reached audiences far beyond the islands. His UFC appearance made him part of sports history; Kamekona made him part of television history. The lasting affection came from the gentleness people said he carried through both.
Sources referenced in this account: Associated Press reporting; UFC athlete and memorial records; the family obituary hosted by Hughes Mortuary; and Hawaii News Now reporting, including its 2025 coverage of the wrongful-death lawsuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Taylor Wily best known for playing?
Taylor Wily was best known for playing Kamekona Tupuola in the 2010 Hawaii Five-0 reboot. He also continued the role in the rebooted Magnum P.I. and appeared in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, North Shore, MacGyver, and The Amazing Race.
Did Taylor Wily compete in UFC 1?
Wily competed as Teila Tuli at UFC 1 on November 12, 1993. He fought Gerard Gordeau and lost by KO/TKO after 26 seconds. The UFC lists his record as 0–1, so he did not have an extensive UFC career.
What was Taylor Wily’s cause of death?
His cause of death was not publicly disclosed when his death was announced in June 2024. A 2025 wrongful-death lawsuit filed by his family alleged that injuries from a 2023 medical-transport incident contributed to his death, but those claims had not been adjudicated in the reporting reviewed.
The Bottom Line
Taylor Wily died on June 20, 2024, at 56, leaving behind a distinctive legacy as a sumo competitor, UFC 1 participant, and beloved Kamekona actor. His cause of death was initially undisclosed; later lawsuit allegations should not be treated as a final finding. Friends, family, and colleagues consistently remembered the generosity and warmth behind his public roles.
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