Chuck Norris – actor, and beloved star of action cinema – has passed away at the age of 86, his family has confirmed. They described his death as “sudden”, and have asked to keep the circumstances private, though he was recently hospitalised in Hawaii.
“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’ family said in a statement. “He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
Norris rose as an action star through the ‘70s and ‘80s, first appearing in Bruce Lee’s The Way Of The Dragon in 1972. He was synonymous with the tough-guy cinema of the period – specialising in martial arts, as a black belt in Karate, Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and judo – in films like Lone Wolf McQuade, Missing In Action, The Octagon, and The Delta Force. In the ‘90s, he became a TV icon in the series Walker, Texas Ranger, a show inspired by his own role a decade previously in Lone Wolf McQuade, starring as Sergeant Ranger Cordell Walker across nearly 200 episodes.
Through his action movies and TV fame, Norris garnered a reputation as an unstoppable force – even his name became one of the earliest memes at the dawn of the internet, extolling him as the ultimate paragon of toughness. In his later years, this notoriety saw him memorably cameo in 2004 comedy Dodgeball, and brought him into Sylvester Stallone’s Avengers-of-‘80s-action-heroes saga The Expendables, appearing in the second film in 2012 as Booker, ’The Lone Wolf’.
For decades already, Norris’ cinematic output has given him legendary status in the popular consciousness; and it will do for many more decades to come. Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and loved ones.
