Chuck Norris, action icon and martial arts legend, dies at 86

Chuck Norris, the martial artist turned action star, has died at the age of 86, his family confirmed.

In a statement posted on Instagram, relatives said his death was sudden.

“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” they wrote, adding that he was surrounded by loved ones and “was at peace”.

Norris first built his reputation far from Hollywood, becoming a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate Champion between 1968 and 1974. His transition into film turned him into one of the defining faces of 1980s action cinema, with roles in films like Missing in Action, Code of Silence and The Delta Force.

His breakthrough came earlier, in 1973, when he appeared alongside Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon — a fight scene in the Colosseum that became one of the most recognisable moments in martial arts cinema.

By the 1990s, Norris starred on television with Walker, Texas Ranger, where he played a principled lawman across nearly a decade. The role helped extend his appeal beyond action film audiences and into mainstream American households.

Later in life, Norris took on an unexpected second act as an internet phenomenon. The viral spread of “Chuck Norris Facts” in the mid-2000s turned his tough-guy persona into a form of exaggerated mythology, blending humour with his long-established image.

Off-screen, he remained a more polarising figure, particularly for his outspoken political views, which drew both support and criticism.

Born Carlos Ray Norris in Oklahoma in 1940, he described his early years as marked by poverty and shyness. His path into martial arts began during his service in the US Air Force, where he trained in South Korea — a discipline that would ultimately shape the trajectory of his life.

Tributes following his death reflected both his cultural impact and his larger-than-life persona. His family emphasised the personal dimension behind the public image, saying he lived with “faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved”.