For decades, Chuck Norris felt less like a normal movie star and more like a permanent piece of pop culture. He was one of the defining action faces of the 1980s, a martial arts icon, and later the heart of Walker, Texas Ranger. But then, in one of the strangest and funniest second acts any celebrity has ever had, he became one of the most enduring cult heroes and legend of the internet thanks to the absurd “Chuck Norris facts” era, where the joke was basically that he could roundhouse kick reality itself into submission. Now, that larger-than-life figure is gone, as Norris has passed away at 86. According to a family statement shared Friday, Norris died Thursday morning in Hawaii.
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace. He lived life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved.”
Who Was Chuck Norris?
Born Carlos Ray Norris in Oklahoma on March 10, 1940, he served in the US Air Force before he went on to build a career that made him one of the most well recognized action stars of his time, becoming famous via hard-hitting films like Missing in Action, The Delta Force, and The Way of the Dragon, the 1972 martial arts classic that saw him face off with Bruce Lee.
Later, he became a television fixture for millions when he took on the role of Cordell Walker in Walker, Texas Ranger, a role that introduced him to a whole new audience in the 1990s and beyond via the wonders of syndication. But Norris was also more than just a fighter on screen, as he held black belts in multiple martial arts, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989, and was even made an honorary Texas Ranger in 2010. In later years, he stepped back from acting, though he still popped up now and then, including in The Expendables 2.
He is survived by his wife and children, including Mike Norris and Eric Norris. For a lot of people, he will be remembered as a martial arts champion, an action star, a TV hero, and yes, today the internet will be full of memes about how Norris didn’t go to Heaven, but Heaven came to him.
via Collider