Live-Action Lilo & Stitch Rocked by Cast Member's Death
David Hekili Kenui Bell, one of the local cast members in Disney's Lilo & Stitch remake, has died at the age of 46.
His passing was confirmed by family members, including his sister Jalene Kanani Bell, who shared the news in a Facebook post on June 15. According to Hawai‘i police, Bell died on June 12 at 2:26 PM.
Authorities have opened a standard coroner's inquest investigation, with an autopsy pending. No foul play is suspected.
In the 2025 live-action Lilo & Stitch, Bell played the "Big Hawaiian Dude" who keeps dropping his shaved ice—a small but deliberate nod to a fan-favorite moment from the 2002 animated original. Bell was Native Hawaiian and clearly proud of his role. He even posted his audition tape and behind-the-scenes photos before the film's release. Sadly, it would become one of his final screen appearances.
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He also had credits in Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I., and was wrapping up work on The Wrecking Crew, an action-comedy for Amazon MGM starring Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa as half-brothers solving a murder in Hawai‘i.
Bell's sister wrote in tribute:
"It is with a heavy heart I share that my sweet, generous, talented, funny, brilliant and handsome little brother David H. K. Bell will spend today in the company of our Heavenly Father... I've been waiting for the words and mindset to properly express the joy of a human, and Prince of a Man he was, but fate pushed my hand this morning by a pre-scheduled Father's Day newsletter honoring the men in our lives."
Before getting into acting, Bell worked at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport as an assistant superintendent. If you landed in Kona, chances are you heard his voice on the PA system—a job he loved because it made visitors feel welcomed and safe. He also worked as an ambassador for Kona Brewing Co., staying connected to his island community in more ways than one.