Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in Walker, Texas Ranger and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy, has died at the age of 86.
His family announced the "sudden passing" of the Hollywood action hero in a statement posted to Instagram on Friday (Saturday morning AEDT).
The news came just days after he was rushed to hospital in Hawaii, having suffered a medical emergency.
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"It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning," the statement began.
"While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.
"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.
"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.
"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. The love and support he received from fans around the world meant so much to him, and our family is truly thankful for it.
"To him, you were not just fans, you were his friends.
"We know many of you had heard about his recent hospitalisation, and we are truly grateful for the prayers and support you sent his way.
"As we grieve this loss, we kindly ask for privacy for our family during this time. Thank you for loving him with us."
A week before his death, to mark his 86th birthday on March 10, the actor shared a video of him boxing on social media, telling fans: "I don't age. I level up."
Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts.
Norris 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 3300 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.
Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, he grew up poor.
At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance, California, and joined the US Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.
"I went out for gymnastics and football at North Torrance high," he told The Associated Press in 1982.
"I played some football, but I also spent a lot of time on the bench. I was never really athletic until I was in the service in Korea."
After he was honourably discharged in 1962, he worked as a file clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to be a police officer, but was put on a waitlist.
Meanwhile, he opened a martial arts studio, which expanded to a chain, with students including such stars as Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen, whom he later credited with encouraging him to get into acting.
Norris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie The Wrecking Crew, which included a fight with Dean Martin.
He had also crossed paths with Bruce Lee in martial arts circles. Their friendship — sometimes, as sparring partners — led to an iconic faceoff in the 1972 movie Return of the Dragon, in which Lee fights and kills Norris' character in Rome's Colosseum.
He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as Missing in Action, The Delta Force and Sidekicks.
"I wanted to project a certain image on the screen of a hero. I had seen a lot of anti-hero movies in which the lead was neither good nor bad. There was no one to root for," Norris said in 1982.
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, then-Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.
"It's not violence for violence's sake, with no moral structure," Norris told the AP in 1996, speaking about the show.
"You try to portray the proper meaning of what it's about — fighting injustice with justice, good vs. bad. … It's entertaining for the whole family."
In later years, Norris made a surprise comedic appearance in 2004's Dodgeball before starring in 2012's The Expendables 2 and 2024 sci-fi action movie Agent Recon. He's due to appear in Zombie Plane, an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.
Around the time of Dodgeball his toughman image became the stuff of legend, literally: Chuck Norris Facts went viral online with such wildly hyperbolic statements as, "Chuck Norris had a staring contest with the sun — and won," and, "They wanted to put Chuck Norris on Mt. Rushmore, but the granite wasn't tough enough for his beard."
Norris ultimately embraced the absurdity of the meme craze, putting together The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book, which combined his favourites with supposedly true stories and the codes he aimed to live by.
He would also write books on martial arts instruction, a memoir, political takes, Civil War-era historical fiction and more.
With the help of then-President George H W Bush in 1990, Norris founded Kickstart Kids, an award-winning in-school character development program that uses karate to "teach life-changing values" to middle school and high school students.
"KSK has prevented more crime and freed up more prison space than any program I have seen in 35 years of law enforcement," Tarrant County, Texas Sheriff, Bill E. Waybourn, said about the program.
Norris once said that he believed if everyone knew karate, there would be less violence in the world.
"Everyone thinks of karate strictly as a physical application, but what it does is — it strengthens you mentally, psychologically, and emotionally, because most violence is stemmed from insecurity, trying to prove something to yourself," he told Letterman.
"And when a person develops this inner security, and this goal, seeking knowledge that the martial arts teaches you to do, it overcomes a lot of violent confrontations."
Tributes from around the world
Norris was outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years — he even went skydiving with Bush for the former president's 80th birthday.
As for Trump, Norris endorsed him in the 2016 general election and wrote guest columns praising him without explicitly endorsing him the in the days before the 2020 and 2024 elections.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a photo with Norris on his verified X account, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, labelling the actor "a great friend".
"Sara and I were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Chuck Norris, a great friend of Israel and a close personal friend," he wrote.
"Chuck brought martial arts and the warmth of his character to millions around the world. May his memory be a blessing."
Current Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, praised the Hollywood star, saying "he embodied the toughness, grit, and patriotism that makes Texas supreme".
"Texas has lost a legend," he wrote on X. "All of Texas mourns the passing of Chuck Norris."
US senator John Kennedy also shared his memories of the actor.
"Chuck Norris was what cool looks like, and everybody knew it," he wrote. "He was an American icon who loved our country and our Constitution. His voice will be missed."
Norris 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 an early 1960s "one-night stand" revealed in his autobiography.
– Reported with Associated Press and CNN.
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