Listen to this article
Estimated 2 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Martial arts phenom and Hollywood action star Chuck Norris — known for Walker, Texas Ranger, among other macho roles — died on Thursday at the age of 86, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.”
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” said the family’s message, posted Friday. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”
Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He was a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion. He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate, known sometimes as chun kuk do, and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide.
Black Belt magazine ultimately credited Norris in its hall of fame with holding a 10th degree black belt, the highest possible honour.
In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime-fighting lawman in TV’s Walker, Texas Ranger. The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.
Norris also made a surprise comedic appearance as a decisive judge in the final match of the 2004 movie Dodgeball. He only on occasion has taken acting roles in recent years, including 2012’s The Expendables 2 and the 2024 sci-fi action movie Agent Recon. He’s due to appear in Zombie Plane, an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.
More to come
