Taylor Wily dead at 56: Hawaii Five-0 actor and beloved UFC fighter passes away

Hawaii Five-0 actor and former wrestler Taylor Wily has died aged 56.

The Hawaii-born star passed away on Thursday, according to KITV News.

Wily was best known for his role as Kamekona Tupuola in crime dramas Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I.

A cause of death has not yet been made public. He is survived by his wife Halona and their two children.

Wily's former colleague Peter M. Lenkov who hired him for the show was among those paying tribute to the 'gentle giant'.

'I am devastated. Heartbroken. I’ll post some detailed feelings later. Just too hard right now,' he wrote in a post on Instagram.

His niece Latoya Levaiosina also honored her uncle in a touching post.

'It still feels like a bad dream. Unko Big Tee, we love you always,' she wrote on Facebook.

Born in Honolulu, Wily was of American Samoan descent.

His other TV credits included MacGyver, One West Waikiki and North Shore.

In addition to his TV work, Wily also appeared in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring opposite Jason Segel and Kristen Bell.

Wily transitioned into acting after a stint as a UFC fighter, debuting as a TV special in 1993, UFC 1: The Beginning.

He lost three teeth as well as the fight against Dutch kickboxer and MMA pro Gerard Gordeau and retired from the sport shortly after.

Prior to this he was a sumo wrestler who went unbeaten in his first 14 bouts. Weighing almost 440lb he was among the heaviest in the sport.

He retired from sumo in 1989 due to knee issues.

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