‘Fast and the Furious’ Actor Peter Navy Tuiasosopo Dies at 61

Peter Navy Tuiasosopo of "Hawaii" speaks with the press during day two of the NBC Summer TCA Press Tour in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 11, 2004. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Peter Navy Tuiasosopo, a Samoan-American actor who appeared in the 2001 action film “The Fast and the Furious” and the “Magnum, P.I.” television reboot, has died at the age of 61.

The actor’s family confirmed his death in a joint Facebook post on Monday, which was shared by his son, Manoah Peter Tuiasosopo.

“With a heavy heart, my family and I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers,” Manoah wrote, noting that his father passed away at 3:16 a.m. that morning.

“My dad lived an amazing life and in no way does his impact stop here,” he continued.

“We will continue to live with him in spirit, and as saddened as we are, he is without a doubt in Heaven with his brothers, sisters, parents, daughter, and Jesus, and no longer in pain. His strength, love, compassion, and kindness will forever be felt.”

Tuiasosopo is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Denise, and their five children: sons Lakei and Manoah and daughters Tessa, Rio, and Piper. The couple’s youngest daughter, Nisili, passed away in early 2020 at the age of 18 from an accidental fentanyl overdose.

“My family and I will discuss the decisions regarding a proper Celebration of Life and will announce the details once prepared,” Manoah wrote.

“We thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers and ask for your continued support through this tough and emotional time.”

Manoah told TMZ that his father succumbed to heart complications. He called him “a trailblazer for Polynesian actors in Hollywood.”

Remembering a Trailblazer

Born in San Pedro, California, in 1963, Tuiasosopo enjoyed a brief stint in the NFL in his mid-20s before embarking on his more than three-decades-long acting career.

The actor landed his first major role in 1991, appearing in the sports comedy film “Necessary Roughness” alongside actors Scott Bakula, Jason Bateman, Sinbad, Héctor Elizondo, and Rob Schneider.

Tuiasosopo reflected on his breakout part during a March 2021 appearance on the “4 Life: Our Raiders Story.”

“‘Necessary roughness,’ that’s special to me because that was my first motion picture film work as an actor so that’s special, and then now it’s like a football comedy classic,” he said.

“I’ve been acting for a while and I enjoy it,” he continued. “I’m a proud, proud actor—a proud artist—and I look forward to continuing on, you know, until it breaks, until the wheels fall off.”

Tuiasosopo went on to star in a variety of other films throughout the 1990s, including “On Deadly Ground” (1994), “Street Fighter” (1994), “Savage” (1996), “Batman & Robin” (1997), “Ill Gotten Gains” (1997), “BASEketball” (1998), and “Flypaper” (1999), per his IMDb page.

Tuiasosopo’s other film credits include “The Fast and the Furious” (2001), “The Scorpion Guard” (2002), “Speed Racer” (2008), “12 Rounds” (2009), and “Fun Size” (2012).

He is also known for his work on the small screen, having starred in television shows such as “Dragnet,” “Hawaii,” “Easy Money,” “The Young and the Restless,” “NCIS,” “Mob City,” “Ray Donovan,” “Black-ish,” “New Girl,” and “Mayans M.C.”

In 2021, Tuiasosopo appeared in an episode of “Magnum P.I.,” a reboot of the 1980s crime procedural drama of the same name. The show premiered in September 2018 and ran for five seasons until its conclusion in January of last year.

In addition to his acting, Tuiasosopo was also heavily involved in ministry work. In April 2020, he and his wife launched an online prayer group called the Global Family Prayer Chain.

“We’ve been doing this a long time,” the actor said during a Jan. 18 prayer session.

Tuiasosopo married his wife in July 1985. Last year, the actor posted a touching tribute to Facebook, marking the couple’s 39th wedding anniversary.

“When you’re married for nearly 40 years you humbly and clearly understand that the only reason we made it this far was because of God alone amen,” he penned on July 15, 2024.