Peter 'Navy' Tuiasosopo, football star and actor in 'New Girl,' 'Fast & Furious', dies at 61

Peter 'Navy' Tuiasosopo, a TV and movie actor known for 'New Girl' and 'The Fast and the Furious', passed away on February 10 at the age of 61.

His son Manoah Peter Tuiasosopo made the announcement on the same day. "With a heavy heart, my family and I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Our father Peter N. Tuiasosopo passed away this morning at 3:16 am," he wrote in an online statement.

Photo: Peter Tuiasosopo / Instagram

"My dad lived an amazing life and in no way does his impact stop here. His strength, love, compassion, and kindness will forever be felt," Tuiasosopo's son added.

Initially, Tuiasosopo's family did not disclose the cause of his death at age 61. However, when asked by TMZ, his son explained that he had died from heart complications, as cited by 'The Independent.'

Peter 'Navy' Tuiasosopo was born and raised in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California. He grew up to become a relatively successful American Football player signed by the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams in the 1980s.

Image: 'BASEketball' / Universal Pictures

After his football career ended, he made his film debut in the sports comedy 'Necessary Roughness' (1991), where he played the university athlete Laikai 'The Slender' Manumana.

Image: Paramount Pictures

The actor is also known for his appearances in 'Street Fighter' alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme (1994), the sports comedy 'BASEketball' (1998), 'The Fast and the Furious' (2001), and 'A Perfect Getaway' (2009). One of his films is still in post-production: 'Gimme My Money'.

Image: 'The Fast and the Furious' / Universal Pictures

The actor also starred in series such as 'Hawaii' (2004), 'Women's Murder Club' (2007), 'Easy Money' (2008), 'The Young and the Restless' (2011), and 'New Girl' (2012 - 2016).

"We will continue to live with him in spirit," the actor's son wrote in his statement. "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."

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