'Lilo & Stitch' actor David Hekili Kenui Bell dies at 46: 'A beautiful spirit'

'Lilo & Stitch' actor David Hekili Kenui Bell dies at 46: 'A beautiful spirit'
Show Caption
Hide Caption
'Lilo & Stitch' trailer: Disney's furry alien goes live action
Newcomer Maia Kealoha stars as a Hawaiian girl who makes friends with a furry ball of alien mayhem in Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch."
Actor David Hekili Kenui Bell, who recently made his silver screen debut in Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch," has died. He was 46.
Bell died on June 12, his family confirmed in a press release shared by his agent Lashuana Downie on June 17. A cause of death was not disclosed, although the release notes Bell's death was a "peaceful passing."
The actor, who previously made appearances on the shows "Hawaii Five-0" and "Magnum P.I.," played the character "Big Hawaiian Dude" in the adaptation of the 2002 animated film about a young Hawaiian girl who befriends an alien fugitive. The movie premiered on May 23 and has grossed $858.6 million worldwide to date.
'Lilo & Stitch' reimagined: The biggest changes from Disney's original movie
"David was celebrated for his talent and presence in front of the camera and admired for the aloha he brought into every space he entered," Bell's family said in a statement. "Our 'ohana' is deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and respectfully asks for continued aloha and privacy during this time of remembrance and healing."
Downie, who praised Bell as an "extraordinary talent," added in a separate statement: "David brought light, kindness, and a beautiful spirit to all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be profoundly missed by everyone whose lives he touched."
10 bingeable memoirs to check out: Celebrities tell all about aging, marriage and Beyoncé
With regard to memorial services for the actor, Bell's family said additional information will be "shared in the coming days."
In his review of the film, USA TODAY's movie critic Brian Truitt described "Lilo & Stitch" as an "excessively earnest Disney Channel movie compared with the delightfully unhinged 2002 cartoon."
'Lilo & Stitch' review: Disney adaptation falls short of first film's unhinged brilliance
"The updated 'Lilo' pulls back on the sci-fi action to focus instead on the emotional story of two orphaned human siblings," Truitt wrote. "That old 'Ohana means family' riff still hits right in the feels, though what this latest outing lacks most is the first film's electric charm. ... This 'Stitch' settles on being a fine retread instead of a rabble-rousing romp."
Contributing: Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Cosmopolitan

an hour ago

• Cosmopolitan

The Ending of 'Elio' Explained

If you haven't seen Disney and Pixar's latest movie, Elio, then you need to hop in a spaceship and zip on down to the theatre because it is the cutest thing you'll see all year. It's about Elio, an orphaned kid who's obsessed with space and aliens, and more than anything, wants to be abducted and taken away from Earth where he feels like he isn't wanted. Well, his wishes come true after he messes with a satellite message at the Air Force base his aunt works at and aliens send a ship to come get him, mistakenly thinking he's the leader of Earth. He's zipped through space to the Communiverse, a place where advanced species of the universe come together. In exchange for a permanent spot in the Communiverse, Elio volunteers to deal with the scary Lord Grigon, who's threatening to destroy the Communiverse after not being admitted. That decision ends up sending Elio, and Grigon's son Glordon, on a wild adventure. So how does it all end? Let's get into it! After Elio's negotiations with Lord Grigon take a sharp turn for the worse, he gets thrown into a jail cell. But pretty quickly, he manages to climb out a broken window. On his escape, he meets Glordon, the son of Grigon. The two bond and it seems like for the first time, Elio might actually be making a friend. He tells Glordon he needs a bargaining chip against Grigon, and Glordon, who's also never had a friend before, agrees to go with Elio and pretend he's being held hostage. The two go back to the Communiverse where they video call Grigon and Elio threatens (but not really) to hurt his son if he doesn't leave the Communiverse alone. Glordon, not really wanting to go back with his dad since he has zero desire to be a weapon-wielding machine like Grigon is, has Elio create a clone of himself to send back in his place. But Grigon figures it out pretty quickly and goes ballistic, locking up all the Communiverse ambassadors as he searches for his real son. It might take the Communiverse a little longer than you'd think for what are supposed to be the smartest aliens around to figure out that a literal child is not the leader of Earth, but they eventually get there. Grigon makes Ambassador Questa read Elio's mind to find out where the real Glordon is and by doing so, she sees the whole truth, including who he really is. As Grigons soldiers take over the Communiverse, Elio gets knocked through a portal back to Earth. Elio's Aunt Olga might seem kinda excited about the clone version of Elio that's been sent to Earth so that no one gets suspicious that he's missing. This Elio is being chatty, helpful, and has stopped being so obsessed with aliens and space–all the things she's wanted him to be. But Olga is no dummy. She secretly plucks one of clone Elio's hairs and takes it to investigate under a microscope, clearly suspicious of his change in behavior. She's also surrounded by books on alien abductions, so yeah, she knows what's going on. Her suspicions are confirmed when the strand of hair comes to life and busts its way out of the microscope slide and crawls back down the hall to the rest of Elio's clone. She follows it and lifts up Elio's eyepatch to see there's no actual eye behind it, so this can't be her real nephew. Yes! But he's not in the best condition when he arrives. The real Elio, now reunited with Olga after getting kicked out of the Communiverse, sees some commotion going on at the Air Force base. The two of them take a closer look and see the spaceship Glordon was in is being hauled inside a warehouse. They break in, and seeing that Glordon is fading away (he's freezing cold now that he's out of his usual climate), start the ship back up and fly into outer space. Thankfully, also yes! With an unexpected assist, that is... After dodging dangerous debris fields and zooming through at warp speed, Elio, Olga, and Glordon make it to the Communiverse, which has been taken over by Grigon. At this point, Glordon is unresponsive and Grigon, seeing his son's state, shockingly rips off his suit of armor, sacrificing his honor, so that he can climb down and save his son. When Glordon wakes back up, he tells his dad he doesn't want to be a killing machine trapped in armor like him. Grigon says that even though he doesn't understand Glordon, he'll always love him. He apologizes to Elio and tells his cronies to release all the people of the Communiverse. Having saved the day after all, Elio is finally offered a permanent place in the Communiverse. But his initial excitement is stopped when he sees his aunt's heartbroken face at the thought of him staying in space. Elio tells the Communiverse ambassadors that he wants to give Earth another chance and that this isn't goodbye, it's not yet. Elio is all about feeling like an outsider and searching for acceptance. On that acceptance journey, Elio, who at the beginning of the movie shuts out his aunt and other kids, learns to connect with someone else thanks to Glordon. Elio feels like his aunt doesn't really want him and he sees that Glordon shares his same fears, but with his dad. By the end of the movie, Elio learns that his aunt loves him and would even jump in a dinky-looking spaceship for him, and Glordon realizes his dad will love him no matter what he wants to do with his life. Ambassador Questa sums it up nicely towards the end, telling Elio, "Unique can sometimes feel like alone, but you're not alone." And now we're crying again!

USA Today

an hour ago

• USA Today

When does Season 3 of 'The Gilded Age' come out? Date, cast, where to watch

Step back into the Gilded Age, "a period of immense economic and social change," with Season 3 of HBO's lavish period drama. The opulent series, created by "Downton Abbey's" Julian Fellowes, follows high society and the battle between "old money" and "new money" in 1800s New York. In the upcoming season, the old guard is weakened following the Opera War and the Russells "stand poised to take their place at the head of society," according to the season synopsis. "Bertha sets her sights on a prize that would elevate the family to unimaginable heights while George risks everything on a gambit that could revolutionize the railroad industry — if it doesn't ruin him first," the synopsis says, adding, "across the street, the Brook household is thrown into chaos as Agnes refuses to accept Ada's new position as lady of the house." "As all of New York hastens toward the future, their ambition may come at the cost of what they truly hold dear," it concludes. Here's what to know about Season 3 of "The Gilded Age," including the release date, cast and trailer. Watch 'The Gilded Age' with Sling + Max Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox When does 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 come out? Season 3 of "The Gilded Age" will premiere on Sunday, June 22, at 9 p.m. ET / PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max at the same time. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. How to watch 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 "The Gilded Age" Season 3 will drop weekly on Sundays on HBO and Max starting Sunday, June 22 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Seasons 1 and 2 of "The Gilded Age" are also available to stream on Max. Watch 'The Gilded Age' with Sling + Max How many episodes will 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 have? Season 3 of 'The Gilded Age' will have eight episodes. Here's what the episode schedule looks like: 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 cast Cast members for Season 3 of "The Gilded Age," among others, include: Watch the 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 trailer Max dropped the trailer for Season 3 of "The Gilded Age" on June 3. Will 'The Gilded Age' return for Season 4? HBO has not made any announcements regarding Season 4 of "The Gilded Age" as yet, a rep told USA TODAY. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

News24

2 hours ago

• News24

Sabrina Carpenter triggers backlash with racy photos ahead of her new album

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter has raised eyebrows by posting some very racy photos ahead of the release of her new album. Her seventh studio album, Man's Best Friend, will be out on 29 August. Fans of the 26-year-old singer, who just released the single, Manchild from the upcoming album, have been divided on the recently posted album art – a photograph of Sabrina, on her hands and knees, wearing a short black dress with heels, as an unseen man grabs her hair. 'Am I the only one who thinks this is dehumanising for women?' a social media user wrote. Another said she believed in women owning their sexuality and feeling powerful in their bodies, 'but a woman on all fours with a man pulling her hair isn't empowering. It mirrors the very objectification we're trying to break free from'. Sabrina responded to one X user after the person retweeted her album art and asked, 'Does she have a personality outside of sex?' saying, 'Girl yes and it is goooooood.' Sabrina has also faced backlash for her recent Rolling Stone cover where she poses nude with pair of white stockings as her long blonde hair and arms cover her. The former Disney child star has also been accused of being over-sexualised and inappropriate during her current Short n' Sweet tour which runs until November. For her concerts Sabrina wears glittery corsets, garter belts, lacy baby doll nighties and has very intimate choreography. When she performs her song Juno, she sings, 'Wanna try out some freaky positions? Have you ever tried this one?' and acts out sex positions. At the end of the song, Bed Chem, she lies on a heart-shaped bed, staging intercourse with a male dancer behind a curtain. | 'Fight's not over' – Justin Baldoni is still hitting back at Blake Lively's sex-pest claims 'It's always so funny to me when people complain. They're like, 'All she does is sing about this'. But those are the songs that you've made popular,' she told Rolling Stone. 'Clearly you love sex. You're obsessed with it. It's in my show. There's so many more moments than the Juno positions but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. I can't control that.' Sabrina says she finds irony and humour in all the criticism and that she isn't bothered by people's opinions. 'I don't want to be pessimistic but I truly feel like I've never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more and scrutinised in every capacity. I'm not just talking about me. I'm talking about every female artist that is making art right now,' she said. 'It's definitely not always great and I don't always feel like I know what's happening. I feel like I have some clarity on what I want, at least for the near future, which is rare. I'm so lucky to be in a place right now where I feel present.'