Actor Taylor Wily’s entertainment journey began in part with the onset of the UFC, as he was a celebrated sumo wrestler at the time, but it was Forgetting Sarah Marshall and later Hawaii Five-0 that turned him into a fan-favorite. Unfortunately, Wily’s manager confirmed going into the weekend that his client passed away on Thursday, June 20, citing natural causes as the reasoning.
Understandably, the news came as a shock to Wily’s former CBS TV family (or families, if one counts his multiple appearances as Kamekona on Magnum P.I.), as well as to the fanbase that has grown over the years. Many shared their respects on social media, including some of the drama’s stars and its creator.
Creator Peter Lenkov Pays Respect
As the main creative force who was behind putting Taylor Wily in the Hawaii Five-0 universe, the reboot’s developer Peter Lenkov has clearly been taken aback by Taylor Wily’s death, and after posting his initial state of shock online, he then shared a tribute filled with fun pictures on Instagram, along with the touching message seen below:
T, as I told you many times, I fell in love with you at the first audition. You came in with a towel on your head mopping up sweat, and I was smitten. You charmed me into making you a regular… on the show… and in my life. You were family. And I will miss you every day, brother. PS: when we spoke last week, we laughed at how right you were from Day 1. Five-0 was our dream job. And I was so lucky we got to share that magic together.
It’s awesome to hear that Lenkov and Wily were still in touch as recently as a week before the actor’s passing. It’s been a little over four years since Hawaii Five-0 was canceled and its unplanned Season 10 finale aired, though Kamekona’s final TV appearance actually took place on Magnum P.I. in an episode that aired a few weeks after the former drama’s final ep. Lenkov (who was fired from the latter drama) shared another post that reflected on the hypothetical plans to open a single Kamekona Shaved-Ice stand for Wily to visit. In his words:
I’ve been hearing from thousands of people whose lives Taylor touched. Not surprised one bit. If you met him, he was immediately your friend. I keep hearing from people how “approachable” he was. So true. For 10 years we talked about opening a real Kamekona shave ice stand or shrimp truck. Not a franchise. Just one place. So he could be there when not filming to greet customers. That’s what he wanted.
Maybe that dream will still happen one day, though I don’t know if they’d ever extend those entrepreneurial goals to opening up a Kamekona Shrimp Truck and/or a helicopter tour business.
Daniel Dae Kim's Tribute
Though Daniel Dae Kim’s time on the network drama was controversially cut short when he and co-star Grace Park exited Hawaii Five-0 early over contractual disputes, the Good Doctor vet shared an Instagram Stories tribute to Taylor Wily, as seen below.
Kim vacated the role of Chin Ho Kelly during the hiatus between Seasons 7 and 8, and didn’t return at any point during the following three seasons. But it does seem like Taylor Wily left as much of a mark on the actor as he did with everyone else.
Jorge Garcia Shares Love For Taylor Wily
Lost vet Jorge Garcia is another Hawaii Five-0 vet who didn't make it through to the end of the series' network run, as his character Jerry Ortega was written out in the Season 10 premiere. But it certainly seems like he had a solid bond with Taylor Wily, as seen in the costumed post below.
As Garcia revealed in his post, it wasn’t even Wily’s Kamekona that first won him over, but rather the Hawaiian actor spoofing Garcia’s Lost character Hugo “Hurley” Reyes in a local ad. If only that could have been turned into a full-length project.
Will Yun Lee's Video Post
Though he wasn’t one of the main characters in Hawaii Five-0’s run, Will Yun Lee is one of the CBS drama’s most memorable recurring guest stars, having appeared just under a dozen times as informant Sang Min Soo, who just loves to get under the team members’ skin. Lee also took to his Instagram page to share love for his former co-star with the following post:
A Prince of a man who was a kind, gentle warrior. Loved him the second I met him. Loved hearing all his stories, especially about the UFC. But mostly I just enjoyed sitting with him in his quietness. Sending love to his family. He will be missed. 💔 #H50
We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Taylor Wily during this time of mourning. Those wishing to relive all of Kamekona’s appearances can do so by streaming all ten seasons of Hawaii Five-0 with a Paramount+ subscription.
