Chuck Norris, Action Star of ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’ Dies at 86

Chuck Norris, the martial artist and action movie icon who became a symbol of rugged American masculinity as the star of the CBS series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” died Thursday, his family announced. He was 86 years old.

“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” Norris’ family said in a post on Instagram on Friday. NBC News reported. “Even as we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”

From Martial Arts to Hollywood Stardom

Norris rose to prominence as a martial arts champion and trainer before transitioning to a successful acting career. He is best known for his nine-season run as Texas Ranger Sgt. Cordell Walker, a role that cemented his status as an action hero. The series, “Walker, Texas Ranger,” remains popular in syndication.

Before “Walker, Texas Ranger,” Norris appeared in a string of films, including “The Way of the Dragon” (1972) alongside Bruce Lee, as well as 1980s action thrillers like “Lone Wolf McQuade,” “Missing in Action,” “Code of Silence,” and “The Delta Force.”

Air Force Veteran and Martial Arts Pioneer

Born Carlos Ray Norris in 1940 in Ryan, Oklahoma, Norris served in the U.S. Air Force after high school, stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea as a military policeman. Military.com reported that it was during this time he began studying martial arts. He later developed his own fighting system, Chun Kuk Do.

Norris became a world karate champion, winning multiple titles before retiring in 1974. He opened a series of karate schools in California, with students including celebrities like Priscilla Presley, Bob Barker, and Steve McQueen.

A Cultural Icon and Internet Phenomenon

Beyond his film and television function, Norris became a cultural icon through the “Chuck Norris Facts,” satirical and humorous phrases that exaggerated his abilities to the impossible and became popular on the internet in the mid-2000s. USA TODAY

Political Views and Legacy

Norris was a vocal advocate for conservative political causes and publicly supported Republican figures, including Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.

He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989 and was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2007, he was named an honorary United States Marine.

Norris returned to film in 2024 with “Agent Recon.”