'Hawaii Five-0' fan favorite and UFC fighter Taylor Wily dies at 56

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/Gray News) - Known for his straight-talking buddy characters in “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I.,” Hawaii’s Taylor Wily has died.

The 56-year-old was best known for his role as Kamekona on the reboot of “Hawaii Five-0.”

He was also on “Magnum P.I.” and in the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

Wily was also known for his philanthropy and visiting children at Shriner’s hospital.

“He’s probably the most memorable person to walk in the door there from Hawaii Five-0 and the most loved just because of how personal he was with everyone,” said Angela Keen, a friend of Wily.

“He had a heart of gold and never met a stranger.”

The actor’s family confirmed that he passed away Wednesday night, though the circumstances have not been revealed.

Before he started acting, Wily was a sumo wrestler and UFC 1 fighter. He was the first knockout victim in UFC history in 1993 when a kick from opponent Gerard Gordeau knocked a tooth out of Wily’s mouth, ending the fight after just 26 seconds.

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