Peter Navy Tuiasosopo, a veteran actor in movies and television, passed away.
The actor, who was well-known for his roles in Fast & Furious, NCIS, Street Fighter, and other shows, passed away on Monday morning at the age of 61.
Manoah Peter Tuiasosopo, his son, shared the heartbreaking news on social media.
“My family and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s prayers and well wishes. On Monday, February 10, he posted on Facebook, “This morning at 3:16 a.m., our father Peter N. Tuiasosopo passed away.”
Manoah went on to say that his dad is “no longer” hurting.
“My dad had an incredible life, and his influence doesn’t end here,” he continued. Even though we are devastated, we will always be with him in spirit. He is unquestionably in Heaven with his parents, siblings, daughter, and Jesus, and he is no longer in suffering. His goodness, love, compassion, and strength will last forever.
He disclosed that after the family has finalized the arrangements, a celebration of life will be declared.
Manoah added Tuiasosopo’s wife, children, and grandchildren to the heartfelt message. “We thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers and ask for your continued support through this tough and emotional time,” he said.
The actor’s son later told TMZ that Tuiasosopo passed away in Phoenix, Arizona, from cardiac issues, although he did not reveal his father’s cause of death in the tweet.
Additionally, Tuiasosopo was described by Manoah as “a trailblazer for Polynesian actors in Hollywood.”
More than thirty years ago, Tuiasosopo began his acting career in Hollywood, playing Manumana “the Slender” in the 1991 football movie “Necessary Roughness” with Rob Schneider, Jason Bateman, Scott Bakula, and others.
He then starred in more than 40 other films, such as Austin Powers: Goldmember, Charlie’s Angles, The Scorpion King, BASEketball, and The Fast and the Furious.
But Tuiasosopo is arguably most known for his part in the 1994 movie “Street Fighter,” which starred a number of celebrities, including Jean Claude Van Damme, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na Wen, and Raul Julia.
He portrayed the beloved character from the video game series, E-Honda.
But the big screen wasn’t the end of his career.
One of the most well-known Polynesian performers in the business, Tuiasosopo has starred in a number of hit TV shows, including “NCIS,” “Ray Donovan,” “Black-ish,” the “Magnum PI” revival, “Mayans M.C.”, “New Girl,” and others.
Prior to entering the entertainment industry, Tuiasosopo had a difficult NFL career.
He was waived shortly after signing as a free agent in 1987 with the now-defunct St. Louis Cardinals. After a month, Tuiasosopo was released and signed with the Los Angeles Rams’ replacement squad.
In 1988 and 1989, Tuiasosopo resigned from the Rams, but he was cut both years prior to the NFL season.
