Chuck Norris, the martial arts legend and action star who was raised in Torrance and rose to international fame through films, television and later through internet lore, has died at 86, his family announced Friday.
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” the Norris family posted on social media Friday. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”
Norris suffered an undisclosed medical emergency in Hawaii on Thursday, according to reports, and his family expressed gratitude for fans’ prayers during his hospitalization.
“He lived his life with faith, purpose and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved,” the post read. “Through his work, discipline and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
Known for his trademark hard-edged persona, Norris built a decadeslong career as a leading action star in film and television, later appearing in cameo roles that often played on his larger-than-life image. One of his final major film appearances came in 2012’s “The Expendables 2,” alongside fellow action stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li.
“I had a great time working with Chuck. He was All American in every way. Great man and my condolences to his wonderful family,” Stallone wrote on Instagram.
Jean-Claude Van Damme also paid tribute on social media.
“Deepest condolences on the passing of my friend, Chuck Norris. We knew each other from my early days, and I always respected the man he was. My heart and prayers are with his family. He will never be forgotten,” Van Damme wrote.
Norris first gained widespread attention as Bruce Lee’s formidable opponent in the 1972 film “The Way of the Dragon,” before landing his first leading role five years later as a truck driver searching for his missing brother in “Breaker! Breaker!”
Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, Norris made a name for himself as a rugged action hero in movies like “Missing in Action” and “Delta Force,” marking his place in pop culture with an always-stoic countenance and lines like, “My kind of trouble doesn’t take vacations,” in 1983’s “Lone Wolf McQuade.”
As his film career slowed in the 1990s, Norris transitioned to television, gaining a new generation of fans with the long-running series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which aired from 1993 to 2001.
In the series, Norris starred as Cordell Walker, a veteran Texas Ranger fighting crime in Dallas and across the state. He was nominated for a TV Guide Award for favorite actor in a drama in 1999.
Born Carlos Ray Norris on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, he grew up in modest circumstances. At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance and, after graduating high school, joined the U.S. Air Force in 1958. During a deployment to South Korea, he began training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.
After his honorable discharge in 1962, Norris worked as a file clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to become a police officer, but was placed on a waiting list. He instead opened a martial arts studio that grew into a chain, counting Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny and Marie Osmond and Steve McQueen among its students. Norris later credited McQueen with encouraging him to pursue acting.
As his martial arts career advanced, he also found success in competition, winning the International Karate Championship in 1967 after falling short in prior years.
Norris’ tough-guy persona also inspired an early social media trend often referred to as “Chuck Norris facts,” an ever-growing list of hyperbolic “factoids” about Norris, highlighting his rugged reputation.
His most recent screen appearances were 2019’s “Chuck Norris’ Epic Guide to Military Vehicles” on the History Channel and the 2020 series finale of “Hawaii Five-O.”
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.