Hawaii Five-0 Actor Dead at 56: One of the ‘Gentlest Souls’

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Wily began his professional career as an MMA fighter and sumo wrestler before deciding to pursue acting.

At the age of 56, Taylor Wily, best known for his parts in Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-0, passed away.

On Thursday, June 20, Hawaiian artist and celebrity Lina Girl Langi, who had been close friends with Wily and his family, revealed the news of his passing on her lifestyle program Island Life Live.

Langi said on the show, “It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of a Hawaii celebrity who was also a family friend.” “Taylor Wily, actor, MMA fighter, and former wrestler, passed away in Hurricane, Utah, today.”

Davey D, her co-host, called Wily one of the “kindest” and “gentlest souls.”

Langi did not reveal Willy’s cause of death. She did point out that despite having an intimidating build, the actor was not scary in real life.

She said, “He would appear physically menacing until you simply folded into an embrace, and that was that.” “My heart is shattered.”

According to his IMDb page, Wily began his career as a sumo wrestler under the name “Takamishu” after being born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1968. He won his first fourteen matches, according to TV Insider, and went on to become the first wrestler not born in the United States to win the title in the third-tier Makushita division.

He then participated in the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event in 2000, losing to fellow fighter Gerard Gordeau and making history as the first competitor to lose in a UFC brawl.

Wily eventually made the transition to acting, starting out in the 1980s and early 2000s with background parts in television series like North Shore, One West, and the original Magnum P.I.

After that, he starred in the movies Radical and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and on Hawaii Five-0, he was cast as Kamekona, a series regular. In total, 171 episodes of the 2010–2020 season of the show included him. In the Magnum P.I. reboot, he also played the same character again.

On social media, a number of Wily’s acquaintances and admirers offered their condolences to his wife Halona Wily and the rest of his family. Executive producer Peter Lenkov of Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-0 also honored the star on Instagram by posting a picture of the two of them together on set.

“I’m inconsolable. Brokenhearted. In a few days, I’ll share some in-depth feelings. Just too difficult at this time,” he wrote.

On Facebook, former Hawaii news reporter Angela Keen wrote that Wily was always “accessible and personable” and had frequently visited kids at Shriners Children’s Hawaii Hospital.

She remarked, “You were the very definition of a gentle giant.” “Taylor Wily, I can’t believe you’re gone.”

After posting a picture of the two, Dennis Chun, who portrayed Sgt. Duke Lukela in the Hawaii Five-0 revival, added, “Laura and I are heart broken to learn of Taylor Wily’s passing.” He was a giant of a man in addition to being a gifted artist.

“Being in a scene with him was always such a joy because of his aloha and heart,” he continued. It was a privilege to work with him and have him as a friend. Taylor, get some rest. Hawaii and I cry this evening. Taylor, till we cross paths again, aloha.

Simone Biles responded to critics about her hair just hours before winning her 8th Olympic medal.

Even though Simone Biles is the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast with over 35 medals and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, some people still criticize her.

One person complained, “Simone Biles’ hair never looks right. Everyone else on the team looks put together, but she looks like she just rolled out of bed.”

Before the women’s gymnastics team finals, Simone Biles, 27, shared a message for her critics on her Instagram Story.

“Don’t comment on my hair,” Simone Biles wrote in a video she posted. “It was done, but the bus had no AC and it was super hot. Plus, the ride was 45 minutes.”

In another Instagram Story, she shared a selfie and said, “Gonna hold your hand when I say this 

 Next time you want to comment on a Black girl’s hair, JUST DON’T.”\PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States reacts after finishing her routine on the uneven bars during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Many women usually wear their hair in a slicked-back ponytail or bun, but Simone Biles has been wearing a looser style.

The rules say USA gymnasts must be “well groomed” and keep their hair “secured away from the face” so it doesn’t block their view of the equipment.

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 30: Simone Biles of Team United States reacts after competing in the floor exercise during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team Final on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Despite the rules, many people on social media have criticized Simone Biles’ hairstyle.

Comments include:

“Simone Biles’s hair stylist should be fired.”
“Did Simone Biles purposely not do her hair? Every other gymnast’s hair is neatly done, but hers is messy. It almost seems on purpose… wtf?”
“I know Simone Biles talked about hair comments in her documentary, but she needs someone else to do her hair, not just her mom.”
“Simone Biles is flawless, but her hair isn’t.”
I don’t see anything wrong with Simone’s hair. She’s following the rules, so she should be able to wear it however she wants. People need to leave her alone!

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