(WatchDogReport.org) – Fighter, sumo wrestler, and actor Taylor Wily died on June 20 at the age of 56 at his house in Hawaii. In a statement, his manager, Michael Henderson, revealed that the actor died of natural causes and that his friends and family were in shock. Henderson added that Wily was one of the most charismatic individuals in the industry and a man who always cared for his family and loved ones.
On his Instagram account, “Hawaii Five-0” executive producer Peter Lenkov lamented Wily’s death. He said he felt “heartbroken” and “devastated” when he heard the news. Lenkov added that while he wanted to express his feelings as much as possible, it was “too hard right now.”
The 434-pound and six-foot-two actor became quite famous during the 1980s when he became one of the first sumo wrestlers in the United States. While his sumo career only lasted two seasons, sporting journalists said that his performance was more than decent. He had a record of 57-27-14, with some fights that experts consider to be “classics.”
His sporting career had a comeback in 1993, as he became one of the first fighters to compete in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event, at a moment when the discipline was still viewed with skepticism by many journalists. The event took place in November 1993, and while Wily showed his Sumo skills, he lost against Gerard Gordeau.
Back in 1982, Wily had an uncredited role in an episode of the series “Magnum, P.I.,” which was one of his first appearances on TV. While he was also part of some other series, he started to get notoriety in the late 2000s after having a breakout role in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” in 2008, playing the role of Kemo.
He eventually became a TV star in 2010 when he played Kamekona in the “Hawaii Five-0” reboot. He appeared in the series’ 171 episodes until its end in 2020.
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