Chuck Norris, the indomitable martial artist who transformed a storied karate career into a decades-long reign as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable action stars, has passed away at the age of 86.
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” reads a statement posted to Instagram. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”
The statement continues, “To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family.”
Norris died in Hawaii on Thursday morning, March 19th, just days after his 86th birthday. Earlier this week, TMZ reported he was hospitalized for a medical emergency, but was in good spirits.
Born Carlos Ray Norris, the martial arts star picked up the nickname “Chuck” during his stint in the US Air Force from 1958 to 1962, during which he learned karate while stationed in Korea.
Following his discharge, Norris entered karate tournaments with mixed results until he ripped off a six-year run as Professional Middleweight Karate champion beginning in 1968.
Around this time, Norris also won multiple All-American Karate Championship and International Karate Championship titles. He earned Black Belt magazine’s Fighter of the Year award in 1969.
Following his acting debut in the 1968 Dean Martin spy spoof The Wrecking Crew, Norris made his Hollywood breakthrough opposite Bruce Lee (whom he had met through martial arts competitions) in 1972’s Way of the Dragon.
Norris’ first starring role was the 1977 action film Breaker! Breaker!, which he took after turning down several martial arts movies. 1978’s Good Guys Wear Black was his first significant lead role, launching his acting career into overdrive with a mix of martial arts and Clint Eastwood western influences.
In the next several years, Norris notably starred as a Texas Ranger in the 1983 film Lone Wolf McQuade, which served as inspiration for his future hit TV series Walker, Texas Ranger. 1984’s Missing in Action and 1985’s Code of Silence made Norris a bona fide star, with subsequent roles including The Delta Force, The Hitman, Sidekicks, Hellbound, and Top Dog.
The aforementioned Walker, Texas Ranger debuted on CBS in 1993 and ran for nine seasons through 2001. Centered around Norris’ Cordell Walker, the series ranked in the Top 20 of Nielsen ratings twice while it was on air.
Outside of acting, Norris was ubiquitous for his Total Gym cable TV infomercials and even made an appearance (delivering a roundhouse kick to Jeff Jarrett) during WWE’s 1994 Survivor Series PPV.
In the 2000s, Norris limited himself most memorably to a role playing himself in the cult classic Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and TV cameos. He also went viral for purported “Chuck Norris Facts,” leaning into the humor on talk show appearances. His most recent high-profile role was as Booker “The Lone Wolf” in The Expendables 2.
Norris is survived by his wife, Gena O’Kelley, and five children.
