Chuck Norris dies at 86

Chuck Norris, a martial artist who starred in several blockbuster action movies, has died at the age of 86, according to a Friday announcement from his family.

“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” the family wrote in a statement posted on Instagram.

“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family added.

Norris had reportedly been hospitalized in Hawaii for a medical emergency leading up to this death.  

Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris was born in Ryan, Okla., on March 10, 1940. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1958 and deployed to Korea, where he began training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do, according to the Defense Department.

After being honorably discharged in 1962 and earning a black belt in taekwondo, Norris opened a chain of karate schools in the Los Angeles area in the 1960s, training celebrity clients such as Priscilla Presley and Bob Barker.

His film career took off soon after, and he went on to star in more than 20 action movies throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including “Missing in Action,” “The Delta Force,” and “Sidekicks.”

His most famous role, however, came playing the lead character in “Walker, Texas Ranger,” a television show that ran for nine seasons on CBS.

In 2010, the Texas Public Safety Commission voted to make Norris and his brother honorary Texas Rangers, according to The Texas Tribune.

“People may whisper about his superpowers, but the greatest power of Chuck Norris is his integrity and his commitment to training the next generation in self-reliance, hard work and honor,” said then-Gov. Rick Perry (R), who later served during President Trump’s first administration as Energy Department secretary.

Norris has also been heavily involved in politics, issuing endorsements throughout the years.

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