Action icon ‘Walker Texas Ranger’ turned 86

Chuck Norris, the martial arts champion who became an iconic action star and helmed the hit series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died. That was him 86.

Norris was hospitalized in Hawaii on Thursday and his family posted a statement on Friday saying he died that morning. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and at peace,” his family wrote.

“To the world, he was a martial artist, actor and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother and the heart of our family,” the statement continued. “He lived his life with faith, purpose and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”

As an action star, Norris had a level of credibility that most others couldn’t match. Not only did he appear opposite the legendary Bruce Lee in the 1972 film “The Way of the Dragon” (also known as “Return of the Dragon”), but he was a true martial arts champion who held a black belt in Judo, 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 5th degree black belt in Karate, 8th degree black belt in Taekwondo, 9th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and 10th degree black belt in Chun Kuk Thu.

Norris was extremely prolific in the late 1970s and 1980s, appearing in the films “The Delta Force” and “Missing in Action,” “Good Guys Wear Black” (1978), “The Octagon” (1980), “Lone Wolf McQuade” (1983), “Code of Silence” (1985) and “Firewalker” (1986).

Norris joined a bevy of other action stars in the Sylvester Stallone-directed “The Expendables 2” in 2012 after a seven-year absence from the screen.

Although he scored high on credibility, Norris did not imbue his work with humor the way Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jackie Chan did. Nevertheless, he was the action star of choice for those looking for an all-American icon.

In 1984, Norris starred in “Missing in Action,” the first in a series of films centering on the rescue of American POWs who were reportedly still being held after being captured during the Vietnam War. (Norris’ younger brother Wieland had been killed while serving in Vietnam, and the actor dedicated his “Missing in Action” films to his brother’s memory, but critics of Norris and producer Cannon Films insisted the films borrowed too much from the central conceit of Stallone’s highly successful “Rambo” films.)

When Norris’s film career began to decline, he made a timely transition to television, starring in the CBS series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” inspired by his film “Lone Wolf McQuade.” The show ran from 1993-2001 and the actor reprized the role of Cordell Walker in the TV movies “Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion” (1994) and “Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire” (2005). (Also in 2005, Norris made the last film he starred in, the straight-to-DVD “The Cutter.”)

In his later years, Norris was portrayed in memes that documented fictional, often absurd feats associated with him, such as “Chuck Norris kills 100% of germs” and “Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper, but Chuck Norris beats all three at once.” In his later years, Norris appeared in infomercials for exercise equipment and became increasingly outspoken as a political conservative.

Carlos Ray Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma; his father served as a soldier in World War II. In 1958 he joined the Air Force as an Air Police Officer (AP, analogous to the Army’s MPs). While serving at Osan Air Base in South Korea, Norris first acquired the nickname “Chuck” and began his training in Tang Soo Do (also known as tangsudo), which led to his achievements in other martial arts and to his development of the hybrid style Chun Kuk Do (“The Universal Way”). He returned to the US and served as an AP at March Air Force Base in California.

After his discharge in 1962, Norris worked for aerospace company Northrop and opened a chain of karate schools; Famous clients at the schools included Steve McQueen, Chad McQueen, Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond.

Norris made his acting debut in an uncredited role in the 1969 Matt Helm cult film “The Wrecking Crew,” starring Dean Martin. Norris met Bruce Lee at a martial arts demonstration in Long Beach, California, and played the nemesis of Lee’s character in the 1972 film ‘The Way of the Dragon’ (retitled ‘Return of the Dragon’ for US distribution). In 1974, McQueen urged Norris to take acting classes at MGM.

Norris first starred in the action film ‘Breaker! Breaker!’ from 1977, in which he played a truck driver looking for his brother, who has disappeared in a city with a corrupt judge.

The actor proved his talent at the box office with his next films, “Good Guys Wear Black” (1978), “The Octagon” (1980), “An Eye for an Eye” (1981) and “Lone Wolf McQuade.”

Norris began starring in films for Cannon Films in 1984. Over the next four years, he became Cannon’s most prominent star, appearing in eight films, including the three ‘Missing in Action’ films; ‘Code of Silence’ – qualitatively one of his best films – the two ‘Delta Force’ films and ‘Firewalker’. Norris’ brother Aaron Norris produced several of these films and also became a producer on ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’.

He was a longtime supporter of conservative politicians and wrote several books with Christian and patriotic themes.

Norris was married twice, the first to Dianne Holechek from 1958 until their divorce in 1988.

He is survived by second wife Gena O’Kelley, whom he married in 1998; two sons, Eric and Mike, daughters Dakota, Danilee and Dina; and several grandchildren.