HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/Gray News) – Taylor Wiley, a Hawaiian best known for his outspoken buddy characters on “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.”, has died.
The 56-year-old actor was best known for playing Kamekona in the reboot of “Hawaii Five-0.”
He was also in “Magnum P.I.” and the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
Willie was also known for his philanthropy and visiting children at Shriner’s Hospital.
“He’s probably the most memorable person from Hawaii Five-0 to be there and the most beloved because he had a very personal relationship with everybody,” Willie’s friend Angela Keane said.
“He had a heart of gold and never met a stranger.”
The actor’s family has confirmed that he passed away on Wednesday night, although the circumstances have not been revealed.
Before he began acting, Willie was a sumo wrestler and UFC 1 fighter. In 1993, he suffered the first knockout in UFC history when a kick from his opponent Gerard Gordeau knocked out a tooth in Willie’s mouth, ending the fight in just 26 seconds.
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