Chuck Norris — the legendary martial artist and action movie icon known for films like The Delta Force and Missing in Action — has died at 86, according to reports.
“He lived life with faith”
His family confirmed he passed away Thursday morning in Hawaii, sharing an emotional statement:
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday [Thursday] morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”
They added, “He lived life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved.”
According to TMZ, the Oklahoma-born father of five had reportedly been hospitalized just a day or two earlier, and the situation appeared sudden.
According to a source who spoke with him on Wednesday, he had been working out and was in an upbeat, jovial mood.
Iconic actor
A true icon of the 1980s action era, Chuck Norris became a household name through his martial arts films and later as Cordell Walker on the hit TV series Walker, Texas Ranger.
Though he stepped back from major acting roles in recent years, he made occasional appearances, including in The Expendables 2 (2012).
Beyond Hollywood, Norris was a highly accomplished martial artist, earning black belts in multiple disciplines. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989 and was even named an honorary Texas Ranger in 2010.
He also shared a long-standing friendship with martial arts legend Bruce Lee — the two trained together in the 1960s and co-starred in the 1972 film The Way of the Dragon.
”Bruce and I met when I won the world (karate) title in New York City in 1968. He was doing that TV series The Green Hornet at the time. He was at the tournament as a special guest. We hit it off pretty well and so we started working out together in Los Angeles for a couple of years,” Chuck once explained.
In recent years, Norris endured personal loss, including the deaths of his mother in 2024 and his first wife, Dianne Holechek, in December.
Still, he remained active and connected with fans. Just days ago, in a post celebrating his 86th birthday, he joked, “I don’t age … I level up.”
Even off-screen, Norris stayed a cultural phenomenon, with viral memes cementing his reputation as an unstoppable force.
Born Carlos Ray Norris in Oklahoma in 1940, he later earned the nickname “Chuck” during his service in the U.S. Air Force, where he served from 1958 to 1962.
After serving and mastering his skills in martial arts the fighter, who is also a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu and Judo, opened a karate studio. It became a hang out place for celebrities such as Steve McQueen, Priscilla Presley, and the Osmonds.
It was his celebrity friends encouraged him to try acting and he became a movie star in the ’80s.
He is survived by his children, including actor Mike Norris and NASCAR driver Eric Norris.
A larger-than-life figure both on and off the screen, Chuck Norris leaves behind a legacy that defined an era of action entertainment.
Rest in peace, Chuck!
