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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the heirs of an actor famed for his “Hawaii Five-0” role claims a Las Vegas-based company is responsible for the injuries that eventually killed him.
Taylor Tuli Wily played the role of confidential informant Kamekona Tupuola on “Hawaii Five-0” and the reboot of “Magnum P.I.” from 2010 through 2020 and also played a hotel worker in the 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
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Actor Taylor Wily, also known as Teila Tuli, gestures to fans after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers in Seattle on June 14, 2014. Wily, an actor known for his roles on “Hawaii Five-0” and “Magnum P.I,” has died at 56. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
According to the lawsuit, Wily was severely injured on Oct. 3, 2023, when a wheelchair lift failed as he was being loaded into a van for non-medical transport near an office complex at 3012 S. Durango Drive.
“As a result of the lift failure, Mr. Wily fell from the platform to the ground, hitting his body and striking the back of his head on the pavement,” according to the lawsuit.
Wily, 56, died on June 20, 2024, in Hurricane, Utah, where his family now lives. He was a Clark County, Nevada, resident when he was injured.
The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 26 in Clark County District Court, names GMTCare, LLC, unnamed employees and unnamed business entities. It seeks damages on behalf of Wily’s wife, Halona, and his children. The family is represented by Richard D. Young of the Richard Harris Law Firm.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and damages in excess of $50,000 for the estate and also for the heirs for “grief, sorrow, and loss of probable support, companionship, comfort, and society.” It also seeks court costs and further relief as the court deems proper.
Nexstar’s KLAS has reached out to GMTCare for comment.
GMTCare is headquartered in Las Vegas, with offices also in Reno, Phoenix and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
According to a report from The Associated Press, Wily was also known for his place in UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) history: “Before he began acting, Wily, born Teila Tuli, was a well-known sumo wrestler and UFC 1 fighter. He became the first knockout victim in UFC history in 1993 when opponent Gerard Gordeau’s kick knocked a tooth clear out of Wily’s mouth, ending the fight after just 26 seconds.”
It was Wily’s only MMA fight.
Wily performed as an amateur sumo wrestler in Japan under the name Takamikuni in the late ’80s, according to his profile on IMDb.
