Tamayo Perry appeared in several well-known short films, impressing audiences with his toned physique and surfing skills. Sadly, we won’t see any of his projects from now on, as he passed away while surfing in Hawaii on June 23, 2024.
A part-time actor and a full-time surfer, Tamayo portrayed several small yet priceless roles in television shows and some world-class movies.
Here, I have made a list of Tamayo’s top 10 movies and shows that will remind us of his great acting and surfing skills.
Although Tamayo may be gone, this list shows the wonderful person he was off-screen.
10. The Arena: North Shore (2019)
The Arena: North Shore
Each winter, the professional top surfer come to North Shore to compete in the arena of surfing.
Genres
Television Series| Release Date | September 20, 2019 |
| Director | Justin Le Pera |
| Casts | Andrew Mooney Tamayo Perry Ross Clarke-Jones |
The Arena: North Shore is about the adventure of surfing in Hawaii, North Shore, a place with really big waves.
This movie shows a surfer from a different world facing challenges while surfing in the wave Pipeline.
Pipelines are several meters tall and dangerous, but the surfers prepare themselves to take on risky adventures.
Tamayo Perry plays a surfer in the film, demonstrating his amazing skill in riding these massive waves while sharing his expertise on the North Shore.
Tamayo guides others in surfing safely at the pipeline and shows them how to enjoy the thrilling waves.
The Arena: North Shore can be a huge treat for movie lovers as it shows real-life surfers’ exciting and dangerous sides.
9. Beyond the Dream: The Joey Buran Story (2009)
Beyond the Dream: Joey Buran
The inspiring real-life biopic documentary of legendary surfer Joey Buran.
Genres
Docu-Series Realistic Fiction| Release Date | January 20, 2009 |
| Directors | Matt Katsolis Nic McLean |
| Writers | Matt Katsolis Nic McLean |
| Casts | David Barr Brian Bielmann Leah Buran Bradley |
Beyond the Dream: The Joey Buran Story is a movie based on the real-life story of a surfer, Joey Buran.
This movie shows Joy winning a big surfing contest, but the victory left him feeling cold-hearted despite the success.
The movie shows how Joey deals with his victories and overcomes his difficult emotions.
However, after winning and becoming a renowned surfer, Joey feels that surfing no longer brings him real happiness.
Upon discovering his calling as a Pastor, he realizes that his joy actually comes from helping others and decides to follow his happiness by helping others.
In the movie, Tamayo Perry portrays the small role of a surfer and showcases his amazing surfing skills.
8. The Big Bounce (2004)
The Big Bounce
A surfer and a part-time thief get a chance to steal $200,000 from a real estate person.
Genres
Action Comedy Heist| Release Date | January 29, 2004 |
| Directors | George Armitage |
| Writers | Elmore Leonard Sebastian Gutierrez |
| Casts | Owen Wilson Charlie Sheen Vinnie Jones |
The Big Bounce is about a surfer named Jack Ryan who ends up in Hawaii, trying to leave his past behind, but it is not as easy as it seems.
In Hawaii, he meets Nancy, who pulls him into a plan to steal money over $200,000 from her wealthy and corrupt real estate boss, Ray Ritchie.
But, Jack soon finds out that Nancy is playing everyone against each other, waiting for them to steal and then taking all the money by herself.
Jack goes to Ray’s house, steals the money from the safe, and sees his friend Frank shoot and kill him.
The whole situation makes people believe Nancy is Ray’s killer and she tries to escape the island quickly.
However, Jack stops her and refuses to help after she asks for help to get out of the danger and island.
In the end, it’s revealed that Jack was never really part of her plan; he was just another puppet in her game.
7. Blue Crush (2002)
Blue Crush
A surfer girl wants to compete in a competition but gets distracted after falling for a football player.
Genres
Adventure Sports Romance| Release Date | August 8, 2002 |
| Directors | John Stockwell |
| Writers | Susan Orlean Lizzy Weiss John Stockwell |
| Casts | Kate Bosworth Matthew Davis Michelle Rodriguez |
Blue Crush is about surfer Anne Marie, who is getting ready for an important competition in Hawaii but lacks the skills of a surfer.
Meanwhile, Anne gets busy taking care of her sister and working at the hotel, trying to make time to overcome her fear of the ocean.
But you would be surprised after seeing the dream Anne has been following is abandoned just for someone she loves.
By the end, she found that the love she sought was only attached to surfing and continued to follow her dream again.
In the series, Tamayo Perry plays a professional surfer but doesn’t play a big part in the movie.
6. Clean Break (2012)
Clean Break
It’s an adventure of three boys coming from different backgrounds who risk everything for a lifetime experience on hardcore challenges.
Genres
Reality-TV| Release Date | June 13, 2012 |
| Casts | Kevin Kilner (Self Narrator) Chase Penny Tamayo Perry Bear Woznick James Hal Hardy Dave Kalama |
Clean Break is a reality show about three boys, Kevin Kilner, Chase Penny, and Steven Helmkamp, who go on an adventure to discover what living is truly all about.
They find out that despite their difference in background, they can form good bonds and support with anyone.
They tackle different hard challenges in front of them without any problems and form a lifelong bond with each other.
In the series, Tamayo Perry plays a surfer but doesn’t have enough screen time to contribute significantly to the show.
Although he is not part of the main cast, he shares his surfing knowledge and life experiences, which adds a cool part to the show.
5. Six Days in Paradise (2010)
Six Days in Paradise
A retired gambler who is on search for his daughter and ex-wife and take help from a martial arts fighter to find them.
Genres
Action Comedy| Release Date | 2010 |
| Directors | John Vidor |
| Writers | Kala Alexander Tito Fuego John Vidor |
| Casts | Michael Madsen David Carradine Danny Trejo |
Six Days in Paradise is about a retired gambler, Rich McShane, who is searching for his ex-wife and daughter.
Rich sends his friend, a rookie detective, Eddie Masters, to check if his ex-wife and daughter live on Oahu’s North Shore.
While on a mission, Eddie meets and becomes friends with a nursing student, Layla, who had just broken up with her boyfriend, Clarence.
The same night, Eddie is zapped, resulting in him passing out, and later finds himself abandoned in a boat.
He is then dropped off in the ocean, far away from any land, and tries to stay afloat in the dark, full of sharks.
Then, after searching for them for six days, showing his martial arts and surfing skills, he finds Rich’s family in Hawaii, a beautiful place called Paradise.
In the movie, Tamayo Perry played himself, showing his amazing surfing skills, which also highlighted the culture of Hawaii.
4. The Surfing Life: Big Wave Guardians
The Surfing Life: Big Wave Guardians
Real-life surfers risk everything to save the life of those who are in danger.
Genres
Action Comedy| Release Date | June 21, 2022 |
| Directors | Luke Stirtz |
| Writers | Jim Kempton |
| Casts | Eddie Aikau Keala Kennelly Kelly Slater |
The Surfing Life: Big Wave Guardians is about different surfers who stay together as a family and enjoy the big waves from surfing.
This movie shows the highs and lows the surfers face while enjoying the high waves and exploring their way of enjoying the ocean, giving a fresh look to the viewers.
The surfers explain that the real test they face is not just the waves but also their excitement and happiness from helping strangers.
It shows how they balance their professional and personal lives, which is usually challenging for them.
Tamayo Perry also discusses his connection with the big waves in Hawaii and the reasons behind starting a professional surfer life.
He opened up about what it means to be a true surfer and how he tackles the big waves while enjoying his life.
3. The Bridge
The Bridge
It is a 20-minute short movie about a boy who lives in a Hawaii jungle but faces dangerous consequences after finding a magical bridge.
Genres
Action Short-Movie Drama| Release Date | 2015 |
| Directors | Cindy Iodice |
| Writers | Tony Apilado Cindy Iodice Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu |
| Casts | Mia Adams Tamayo Perry Sharon Landon |
The Bridge is a short movie about a boy named Pono who lives in a five-story tree house in the Hawaiian jungle.
This movie shows the magical moment Pono started, all because of his interests.
But the story gets interesting when Pono finds a magical bridge in the forest, leading him to discover new things about himself.
Tragedy strikes Pono’s family, and his mother blames her youngest son and repeatedly pushes him away from the family.
Yet, Pono is the future keeper of vital customs that might aid his mother in finding peace between her Christian beliefs and Hawaiian spiritual ways.
The short movie ends with Pono, the heir to critical cultural practices that might help his mother negotiate her Hawaiian spirituality with her Christian religion.
In the movie, Tamayo Perry plays the role of Manoa, who is seen surfing on the beach of the wild Hawaiian outdoors.
2. Hawaii Five-0
Hawaii Five
In the series Steve McGarrett return to Hawaii to catch his dads killer and gets chance to run his own task force, Five-0.
Genres
Police Procedural| Release Date | September 20, 2010 |
| Directors | Bryan Spicer Peter Weller Jerry Levine |
| Writers | Peter M. Lenkov Alex Kurtzman Leonard Freeman |
| Casts | Alex O’Loughlin Daniel Dae Kim Scott Caan |
Hawaii Five-0 is a show about special police officers, the “Hawaii Five-0 Task Force,” who handle the most dangerous criminals and report them to the governor.
In the series, Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) returns to Hawaii to catch his dad’s killer and becomes the leader of this group.
Steve recruits Danny Williams to unfold the criminal behind it. Together, they tackle several crimes, from robbers to killers and even big dangers like terrorists.
You might be stunned to find that the criminal they were looking for is actually connected to their own family.
They uncover the truth behind the intention to commit the crime and discover the hidden truth about their friends and relatives, which shocks them.
In the series, Tamayo Perry plays the small role of Spike/Harrison Dunpohy for just one episode. His role inspired Hawaii’s culture and showed the crime happening there.
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Jack Sparrow and Barbossa goes on a quest to find the fountain of youth, but the journey is not easy as they thought.
Genres
Action Comedy SWashbuckler| Release Date | May 20, 2011 |
| Directors | Rob Marshall |
| Writers | Ted Elliott Terry Rossio Stuart Beattie Jay Wolpert |
| Casts | Johnny Depp Penélope Cruz Geoffrey Rush |
The fourth installment to the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, follows Captain Jack Sparrow as he searches for the Fountain of Youth.
Going on the journey, he teams up with Angelica but faces a fearsome pirate, Blackbear, and Barbossa, with whom Jack has already fought before.
They all want to reach the Fountain first, but their short meet turns into a huge brawl. The twist is that the Fountain only works with a mermaid’s tear and two unique cups.
In the end, Jack leaves the Fountain behind and chooses to live pirate life again.
Tamayo Perry played a small role as a buccaneer, one of the pirates; however, his role was not among the main cast but was part of the huge pirate community in the film.
| Series/Movies | Watch Time |
|---|---|
| The Arena: North Shore | 55 Minutes |
| Beyond the Dream: The Joey Buran Story | 58 Minutes |
| The Big Bounce | 1 Hour 28 Minutes |
| Blue Crush | 1 Hour 44 Minutes |
| Clean Break | 49 Minutes |
| Six Days in Paradise | UNK |
| The Surfing Life: Big Wave Guardians | 1 Hour 31 Minutes |
| The Bridge | 20 Minutes |
| Hawaii Five-0 | 42 Minutes |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | 2 Hour 21 Minutes |
