Walker, Texas Ranger star and martial arts icon Chuck Norris dies at 86
A six-time karate champion and action film star, Norris was hospitalised in Hawaii on Thursday for unknown causes.
Chuck Norris, a former martial arts champion and 1980s action-film hero, has died at the age of 86, according to his family.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Friday, his family described Norris’s death as sudden.
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“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” the Norris family wrote.
“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”
According to the publication Variety, Norris had been hospitalised in Hawaii since Thursday, though details were not disclosed.
Norris was the six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate Champion from 1968 to 1974. But he rose to wider fame in a series of action films, including 1985’s Code of Silence, 1984’s Missing in Action and 1986’s The Delta Force.
He further cemented his status as a household name when he starred from 1993 to 2001 in the popular TV series Walker, Texas Ranger, playing a principled lawman.
Norris’s tough-guy image made him an internet meme in his later years, though he received pushback for his far-right political views and embrace of conspiracy theories.
His family expressed gratitude to fans for their prayers during his hospitalisation.
“He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved,” the post read. “Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
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