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 moodIconic 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.
