Mr. Wily (Photo courtesy of ESPN).
Taylor Wily, an athlete and actor, is no longer with us. He passed away at just 56 years old on June 20, 2024. He is survived by his sister Alyssa, his wife Halona, and his son and daughter. We’ll break down the much-loved father’s legacy and achievements in his sadly short life. Wily truly made the most of his life and can serve as an inspiration to many. Our hearts are with his family on this sad day.
Taylor Wily’s Life
Within a week of Wily’s 56-year-old birthday, he passed away on June 20th. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 14th, 1968. Wily was born Teila Tuli and was of American-Samoan descent.
Personal Life
Mr. Wily was not known for putting his personal business in the public eye. A big disclosure for the Wily family was when they celebrated their daughter’s graduation on social media. It’s very sweet to see parents who cultivate privacy in their children’s lives.
In addition to being a father of two, Taylor Wily was lucky enough to find the love of his life. His wife, Halona, held down the fort at home and supported her husband throughout his career. They were married for about 20 years. Halona was a school teacher for a time and remained a fantastic dancer at the local Polynesian Cultural Center, where they lived in Honolulu.
His Greatest Legacies
Emphatically, hands down, Taylor Wily’s greatest legacies are his children. He loved being a father and had a tight-knit, supportive environment for his family. Obviously from all reports, his children are incredible kids. The best of Taylor will live on through his children. You did a great job, Mr. Wily!
Wily’s Athletic Career
Wily’s athletic career began earlier in life before he hit the big screen. However, his long-term fans likely know he spent a lot of time in the combat sports world.
In 1987, Mr. Wily was recruited to be a sumo wrestler when he was just 19 years old. In the sumo wrestling world, he was known as Takamishū. Weighing in at 440 pounds and 6’2′, he was one of the largest sumo wrestlers. Surprisingly, the combat sports expert won all 14 of his first bouts and won two consecutive tournaments. Wily was the first foreign-born individual to win a championship in the third-highest makushita division. He made it to the second division in makushita before retiring two years later because of knee problems.
Afterwards, he pursued Japanese wrestling. That path led him to his only UFC MMA match ever, in 1993. He competed in UFC 1 against Gerard Gordeau. The match didn’t go well. Wily faced a kick to the head that knocked out multiple of his teeth. The former sumo wrestler also broke Gordeau’s hand with an intense punch. Gordeau won the match with a TKO, and Wiley was done with the UFC MMA vibe.
Taylor Wily’s Acting Career
We won’t go over every acting job Wily has ever had; he was a talented man, so there were many. Firstly he appeared in an acting role in 1982, although debatably his acting golden age was in the 21st century.
Some of the roles Taylor Wily is best known for roles in TV shows like Magnum, P.I. in 1982 and 2018–2020, Kamekona in MacGyver in 2017, and, of course, Kamekona in Hawaii Five-0 for a decade. Surely he is best known in the movie world as Kemo in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008).
Our hearts are with actor, athlete, husband, and father Taylor Wily and his family. Passing away at 56 years old is tragically early, no matter the circumstances. It might be too soon to catch up on Hawaii Five-0 or Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but he’ll be there when we’re ready to celebrate him, memorialized in time.
