'Lilo & Stitch' actor David Hekili Kenui Bell dies weeks after film release
David Hekili Kenui Bell, a Hawaiian actor known for his role in Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch remake, has died just weeks after the film's release.
His sister, Jalene Kanani Bell, confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Sunday. No cause of death was provided.
Bell played the role of 'Big Hawaiian Dude' in Lilo & Stitch, which premiered in May 2025. According to his sister, Bell had bought opening night tickets for his family in Kapolei just two weeks before his passing.
Bell also appeared in several Hawaii-based TV series, including Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-0. He played Manu Salani in two episodes of Magnum P.I. between 2018 and 2019 and portrayed Isaac in a 2014 episode of Hawaii Five-0, as noted on his IMDb page.
Beyond acting, Bell was known in the community for his voice work over the public address system at Kona Airport and as a brand ambassador for Kona Brewing Company.
His agent, Lashauna Downie, told TMZ she learned about his death through social media and described Bell as a "gentle giant" who embodied the spirit of aloha.
Jalene Bell highlighted his linguistic talents, noting his fluency in English, Hawaiian, and Hawaiian Pidgin. She also shared a personal memory of meeting Bell for the first time on her high school graduation day, calling him 'a diamond in the rough' and a source of unconditional love.
Bell's passing marks a tragic loss for both the Hawaiian community and fans of Disney's beloved remake.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Evolving, adapting since 1989
With more than 750 episodes, a feature film, comics, and its catchphrases embedded in the pop-culture across nearly four decades, The Simpsons continues its legacy, remaining one of the most loved shows on television. At this year's Annecy Animation Festival, The Simpsons creators joined to celebrate the long-running show, which has recently been greenlit for more episodes. The re-order will see it cross 40 seasons. "The fans are as intense as ever. In fact, more intense. When we were here last, we got a pretty great response. But this time, it's completely nuts," series creator Matt Groening told Variety during an interview at the festival. Since 1989 The buzz, achieved by the series, is perhaps due to the fact that The Simpsons has never taken a hiatus since its debut, carving a solid base with its consistency. "We've been on the air since 1989," Groening said. "The show goes year-round. The fact that we're here in France to celebrate the show means we're going to be a week behind." While the show has been a mainstay on TV, streaming has only amplified its impact. "Being on Disney+ has been somewhat rejuvenating for us," Matt Selman said. "Not that we realised we needed rejuvenation, but we appreciate it." The audience doesn't have to wait for reruns on TV or buy DVDs. It's all available with just one click. "Now instead of the kids watching it on local TV in the afternoon, they can just watch it all, all the time, all day, all forever," Selman added. "We really have that super connection to young people." While the connection with young people has always been there for the show, their access to it wasn't always easy. Many parents didn't allow their children to watch The Simpsons due to the show's mature elements and cartoon violence. But the allure of the forbidden always outweighs restrictions. And The Simpsons's relevance among the younger audience through the decades is just one proof piece of evidence for that. "One of the best things that ever happened in the course of the show was that some people forbade the show," Groening recalled. "It became this exotic, forbidden thing. Bart Simpson Underachiever T-shirts were once controversial and banned in schools. So when we did a Lisa Simpson Overachiever T-shirt, but we got in trouble for that because it said 'Damn I'm Good.'" New seasons The new four seasons will have 17 episodes each, instead of the usual 22. "Work has a way of expanding to fill the time available," Groening said. "But if you know that you have four seasons to think about, it changes how you approach storytelling." However, the show, which has seen entire distribution and marketing methods evolve through the times, has never quite stayed limited to TV. It has expanded into music, games, and even merchandise such as lunchboxes. For the creators, even the merch becomes part of the storytelling. "It is storytelling," said Groening. "Even merchandise – even a lunch box – we try to tell a little story, and include a little joke. We try to avoid what's called in the biz a 'label slap,'" he added. "We actually try to have jokes on everything." Silverman pointed out the meta humour they include via the characters, "Even comment on what we're doing, you know, like our characters being on a lunch box – it's sort of making some observation about being on a lunch box." Selman, on the other hand, brought up the satire vs commercialisation argument. "The show was always sort of able to have its cake and eat it too, in terms of selling a lot of merchandise but also satirising the phenomenon of over-merchandising. It was like, 'Look, can you believe we're doing this?'" The creators cite an example from the show when in an early episode, they showed Krusty Flakes on a kitchen table with the cereal's slogan 'Because only sugar has more sugar.' When the team later attempted to develop a healthier cereal in the real world, "there was not a single cereal company in America that would put it out," as Groening said, Editing process The makers also discussed the editing process of the show. They pointed out the struggles of getting the pacing right since otherwise, the whole episode collapses. "If a show is cut really tight and the jokes don't breathe, the scenes seem too fast-paced," Selman said. "None of it really seems as funny or as engaging." "This is the kind of thing we agonise over," Groening added. It's fantastic to see the makers, who have already seen and done it all for decades, not rest on their laurels after all the decades. They are constantly adapting and evolving with the times and learning to expand and understand and be on the same page with the real-world surroundings. Undoubtedly, this approach is the cause of the success of The Simpsons.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
'Lilo & Stitch' actor David Hekili Kenui Bell dies weeks after film release
David Hekili Kenui Bell, a Hawaiian actor known for his role in Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch remake, has died just weeks after the film's release. His sister, Jalene Kanani Bell, confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Sunday. No cause of death was provided. Bell played the role of 'Big Hawaiian Dude' in Lilo & Stitch, which premiered in May 2025. According to his sister, Bell had bought opening night tickets for his family in Kapolei just two weeks before his passing. Bell also appeared in several Hawaii-based TV series, including Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-0. He played Manu Salani in two episodes of Magnum P.I. between 2018 and 2019 and portrayed Isaac in a 2014 episode of Hawaii Five-0, as noted on his IMDb page. Beyond acting, Bell was known in the community for his voice work over the public address system at Kona Airport and as a brand ambassador for Kona Brewing Company. His agent, Lashauna Downie, told TMZ she learned about his death through social media and described Bell as a "gentle giant" who embodied the spirit of aloha. Jalene Bell highlighted his linguistic talents, noting his fluency in English, Hawaiian, and Hawaiian Pidgin. She also shared a personal memory of meeting Bell for the first time on her high school graduation day, calling him 'a diamond in the rough' and a source of unconditional love. Bell's passing marks a tragic loss for both the Hawaiian community and fans of Disney's beloved remake.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Carpenter doesn't care about criticism
By now, Sabrina Carpenter fans will be counting down the weeks until August 29, which is the date the pop star's seventh studio album, Man's Best Friend, is scheduled for release. As Carpenter's Instagram followers will be well versed, the announcement was made during an Instagram Live session last Wednesday, with Carpenter making the announcement as she flipped through vinyl records by artists such as Donna Summer, ABBA, and Dolly Parton. A sizzling cover Even more than news of the album reveal itself, however, has been the cover art photograph of the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine, with the singer's provocative pose (in which she appears to be dressed in nothing but a pair of stockings), having set tongues wagging. Carpenter is no stranger to online criticism, having already been subject to backlash for her songs with sexually explicit themes and bold stage performances. Now, in an interview with the publication, the star has addressed the criticism head on. She is unable to see any basis for any complaints about modesty (or lack thereof) on her part – certainly not given how in-demand her tracks are across streaming platforms. "It's always so funny to me when people complain," mused Carpenter. "They're like, 'All she does is sing about this.' But those are the songs that you've made popular. Clearly, you love sex." Carpenter reminded fans of own range, pointing to her shows that include not just playful tracks, but also introspective ballads. Since it is her more provocative moments that attract attention, the singer highlighted the irony of critics obsessed with the sexual nature of her performances despite driving up her sales figures regardless. Citing her hit track, Juno, as an example, the pop superstar remarked, "There's so many more moments than the Juno positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on," she remarked in the interview. " I can't control that." Difficult time for women As someone whose personal life and career is splashed across the public eye, Carpenter did not miss a beat when speculating over the difficulties faced by women living under the harsh glare of the spotlight. "I truly feel like I've never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more, and scrutinised in every capacity," she lamented. Pointing out the paradox of so-called 'girl power' juxtaposed with the constant judgement women must endure over their appearances and actions, the Disney-child-turned-pop-star stressed the importance of growing a thick skin to survive such brutal attention to detail. "We're in such a weird time where you would think it's girl power, and women supporting women, but in reality, the second you see a picture of someone wearing a dress on a carpet, you have to say everything mean about it in the first 30 seconds that you see it." she noted. "It's something that keeps coming back. We just have to grow thicker skin, but they don't have to learn how to shut their mouths." In Carpenter's view, it is impossible to survive under such unremitting attention without that armour of thick skin. "What people probably don't realise is the more eyes you have on you, the harder it is to love what you're doing, and you have to keep fighting to still love making things and to still love performing," she explained. "Because the critical sides start to taint it, and they start to make things less fun. They start to make friendships and relationships less fun and enjoyable. [But] there's still so much light and goodness in this, if you're doing it for the reason of 'you love it and can't live without it'." Carpenter's busy diary Being on the verge of releasing her seventh studio album, it is clear that Carpenter, at least, does love what she is doing, regardless of censure from critics about her mode of expression. News of Carpenter's upcoming album comes on the heels of her latest single, Manchild, released on June 5, which rocketed to the top of the Spotify US chart, having accumulated nearly 2 million streams. No stranger to churning out records in quick succession, Carpenter's latest offering follows on from last year's wildly successful album Short n' Sweet, of which the deluxe edition was released in February this year. Man's Best Friend is poised to be a major milestone in her career, following the success of Short n' Sweet, which sold over 10 million copies globally and earned her six Grammy nominations. After performing at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Carpenter will continue her summer festival circuit, with notable performances in London, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits. Later this year, she will embark on a North American tour, performing in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles, with multiple nights scheduled at Madison Square Garden and Arena. Man's Best Friend is now available for pre-order, with a special picture disc featuring artwork by Jacob Rochester, depicting Carpenter alongside a man. Carpenter herself, clad in a black dress, is kneeling on the ground, with an off-centre man holding onto a lock of her hair as he would the leash of a dog. In conclusion: for any wallflowers wanting to know how to do anything with a bang, look no further than Carpenter.
