Chuck Norris, the martial artist and actor whose on-screen toughness turned him into one of the most recognizable action stars of his era, has died at 86. His family announced that Norris died Thursday morning in Hawaii and was surrounded by family.
Born Carlos Ray Norris in 1940, he first built his name in martial arts before moving into film and television. He became a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion and later founded Chun Kuk Do and the United Fighting Arts Federation. His path to martial arts began after service in the U.S. Air Force, including time stationed in Korea.
Norris moved into acting in the late 1960s and gained wider attention after appearing opposite Bruce Lee in Way of the Dragon in 1972. He later became one of the defining action stars of the 1980s through films including Missing in Action, The Delta Force, A Force of One and The Octagon.
For many viewers, his most familiar role came on television as Cordell Walker in Walker, Texas Ranger, the long-running CBS series that helped make him a household name in the 1990s. The show cemented his image as a clean-cut action hero and extended his reach far beyond martial arts and movie audiences.
In later years, Norris took on an unexpected second life in popular culture through the viral “Chuck Norris facts” jokes that cast him as an almost superhuman figure. Rather than resist the meme, he leaned into it, helping keep his name in public conversation long after his peak years in film and television.
Reports Friday said Norris is survived by his wife, Gena, as well as his children and grandchildren. His death closes the career of a performer whose reputation crossed several generations, from martial arts circles to action cinema to internet culture.
