If you’re a fan of Hawaii Five-O, then you should be very familiar with one of the show’s most recognizable actors, Taylor Wily. Taylor Wily is definitely one of those stars that you never forget once you’ve seen them. Wily is a larger-than-life figure, and different avenues on television wouldn’t have been the same without the presence of Wily in them. Hawaii Five-O is set to close curtains for good this coming April 2020 after 10 seasons, and we’re not looking forward to it. We know, however, that we’re looking forward to see what’s next for Wily, so let’s get the ball rolling with these 10 things that you probably didn’t know about the actor.
1. He was born in Hawaii
This is an easy one to remember. Wily is clearly Hawaiian in every way. In fact, he was born Teila Tuli on June 14, 1969 in Laie, located on the island of Oahu in Honolulu. While he’s American through his Hawaiian birth, Wily is actually of American Samoan descent. He comes from a rich and traditional background, and he takes pride of his heritage no matter what he’s doing in life.
2. He was a sumo wrestler
This is another fact about Wily that’s really not hard to picture at all. Wily has always used his weight in some way to his benefit. Weighing at about 420lbs., Wily is currently 20lbs. lighter than he was when he was competing as a sumo wrestler. He was recruited on March 1987 by Takamiyama DaigorÅ to join the Azumazeki stable. He was only 18 years old at the time of his recruitment. Wily was given the sumo name of Takamishu, but his sumo career was cut short within 2 years because of knee problems.
3. He was a UFC fighter
Wily began to look for another way to compete and he ended up turning to UFC, where he competed under his birth name of Teila Tuli. He had his first competition in November of 1993, which was held in Denver, Colorado. This was MMA’s top five David and Goliath match-ups; he ended up losing to someone much smaller than he was, Gerard Gordeau. The match was stopped after Wily lost a tooth from a kick to his face. To this day, this was Wily’s only MMA fight.
4. He began acting in 1982
It’s strange to think that Wily actually acted before he started fighting. He actually had a role as an extra on 1982’s Magnum, P.I. Although he was just an extra, it might’ve planted something in Wily for him to pursue acting later on as a career. After that film, Wily wouldn’t return to mainstream acting until 22 years later when he appeared on the 2004 surfing classic, North Shore. He was credited as a bartender. Four years later, he got his big break on Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
5. His biggest role is still Kamekona Tupuola
Given that this role was closest to his heart, the role of Kamekona Tupuola is something that Wily is both proud of and grateful for. He’s been on Hawaii Five-O since the show remake started back up in 2010, and he’s in a total of 96 episodes. It’s clear, however, that Wily is not stopping there. He’s actually got an upcoming project in pre-production, Here Comes the Sun.
6. He was in Amazing Race
You might be scratching your head at this point thinking, how could Wily really compete in the Amazing Race. Stranger things have happened–especially on that show–but Wily was in the show not as a contestant. He had a cameo on Amazing Race 20, on the 12th leg of the race. You could see him, as he handed out clues to racing contestants. Catching a glimpse of Wily on TV always makes us smile because he’s always smiling himself.
7. He never went to college
Wily attended the Kahuku High and Intermediate School, but it’s unclear whether he finished or not. He also never attended college, considering that he started sumo wrestling when he turned 18. When sumo didn’t work out for him, Wily explore other avenues for income. He still continues to find success in his acting career, and it’s clear that this is probably what Wily is supposed to do for the rest of his life.
8. He is a family man
Someone as adorable as Wily could never go without love in his life. Wily is, in fact, married with children. His wife’s name is Halona Wily, and the couple has two children together, Tula their daughter and Youngaisa their son. Wily and his family continue to live in Hawaii, and they don’t foresee leaving their native land anytime soon. Wily is currently 50 years old, and he loves watching his children grow where he did.
9. His Net Worth
There’s no doubt that Wily does whatever is possible to support his family, and he has successfully done that doing something he loves. Wily has a reported net worth of $1.5 million, a hefty lump for someone with an incredibly limited acting resume and fighting resume. Wily has proven to be smart with his money, and he has maintained a humble lifestyle in order to continue a comfortable and happy life with his family in Hawaii. Hawaii may not be the cheapest place to live at, but Wily knows how to make it happen given that he’s lived there all his life.
10. He’s acted as a sumo wrestler
There was one instance when Wily was able to combine his life as a sumo wrestler and his life as an actor. In the middle of his 22-year hiatus from acting, Wily actually had a small role as a sumo wrestler in an episode of One West Waikiki. The episode was called “Battle of the Titans,” and the played the role of Joseph Kalama. That episode was aired in 1996.
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