Action star Chuck Norris dead at 86 22%
By Jessica Schladebeck66%
3/20/2026, 2:15:25 PM
Topics: Entertainment
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Chuck Norris, an action super star and martial artist renowned for his legendary grit and toughness, has died, his family said in a statement on Friday.
He was 86 years old.
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” they wrote.
“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”
It follows news that Norris earlier this week experienced a medical emergency while training on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
He was hospitalized after the fact, but friends said he appeared to be in good spirits at the time.
“He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved,” his family said Friday.
“Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
Without sharing further details, they added: “While our hearts are broken, we are deeply grateful for the life he lived and for the unforgettable moments we were blessed to share with him.”
Chuck Norris in 1977 (left) and in 2012.
(AP; Getty)
An action hero star for the ages, he was born Carlos Ray Norris on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma.
After graduating high school, Norris joined the Air Force.
While stationed in Korea, he studied martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.
He went on to be incredibly successful in the competition circuit, eventually becoming a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion.
He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate — sometimes called Chun Kuk Do — and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide.
Norris also became a highly sought-after celebrity coach, working with many stars, among them actor Steve McQueen.
“He asked if I had ever thought about being an actor,” Norris recalled during a graduation speech he gave at Liberty University in 2008.
“I started laughing.
I had never even done a high school play.
He said, ‘There’s just something about you that I like and only the camera can tell.’
He encouraged me to pursue it.”
Norris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie “The Wrecking Crew,” during which he scuffled with Dean Martin.
He also connected during competitions with Bruce Lee, who cast him as the villain Colt in his 1972 film “The Way of the Dragon.”
The pair face off in the flick, marking one of the few times Norris would lose on-screen.
He starred in more than 20 other movies over the course of his career, including “Missing in Action,” “Code of Silence,” “The Delta Force” and “Sidekicks.”
Norris’ most well-known role, however, came by way of the television series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which debuted in April 1993 and ran for nine seasons over just more than 200 episodes.
The series — starring Norris as Marine-turned-Texas Ranger Cordell Walker — also spawn a television movie.
The action star found further fame on the internet, after he became a viral sensation with “Chuck Norris Facts,” which paired images of Norris with hyperbolic statements like “They wanted to put Chuck Norris on Mt.
Rushmore, but the granite wasn’t tough enough for his beard.”
He later leaned into the joke, going on to put together “The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book,” the profits of which went to a nonprofit he founded with President George H.W.
Bush that promoted martial arts instruction for kids.
Chuck Norris in Manhattan in 1982.
(Dick Lewis / New York Daily News)
Norris’ death comes just more than a week after he rang in his 86th birthday on March 10.
He celebrated the occasion with a post on Instagram, which included a video of him sparring with his trainer during a sunny outdoor boxing session.
“I don’t age up,” he said directly into the camera.
“I level up.”
In the caption, he added: “I’m 86 today!
Nothing like some playful action on a sunny day to make you feel young.
I’m grateful for another year, good health and the chance to keep doing what I love.
Thank you all for being the best fans in the world.
Your support through the years has meant more to me than you’ll ever know.”
He is survived by five children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris, and Dina, the result of a “one-night stand” revealed in his autobiography.
With News Wire Services
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