Chuck Norris Dead At 86

KAUAI, Hawaii (THECOUNT) — Chuck Norris, the legendary martial artist and actor best known for his roles in “The Delta Force,” “Missing in Action,” and the long-running CBS television series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing.

Norris was 86 years of age.

Norris died Thursday morning in Kauai, Hawaii. His family released a statement saying, “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.”

The family added, “He lived life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved.”

TMZ reports Norris was hospitalized in Kauai either Wednesday or Thursday, and the development appeared sudden. A source who had spoken with Norris on Wednesday said he had been working out and was in an upbeat, jovial mood.

Born Carlos Ray Norris on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, Norris served in the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1962, including a posting at Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he began training in Tang Soo Do. That foundation launched one of Hollywood’s most iconic action careers, with Norris ultimately earning black belts in multiple martial arts disciplines.

Norris rose to international fame in the 1980s through a string of box office hits, most notably the “Missing in Action” franchise and “The Delta Force.” He became a household name portraying Texas Ranger Cordell Walker in “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which aired on CBS throughout the 1990s. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989 and was made an honorary Texas Ranger in 2010.

His friendship and professional relationship with Bruce Lee remains one of the most celebrated partnerships in martial arts film history. The two trained together in the mid-1960s and co-starred in the 1972 film “The Way of the Dragon,” in which their on-screen fight sequence became iconic in the genre.

Though largely stepping back from acting in recent decades — with a notable appearance in “The Expendables 2” in 2012 — Norris remained a towering cultural figure, buoyed by an enduring wave of internet memes celebrating his legendary toughness. Just days before his death, on March 10, his 86th birthday, he posted a video on social media showing him sparring in Kauai with the caption, “I don’t age … I level up.”

In recent years, Norris endured the loss of several loved ones, including his mother in 2024, and his first wife, Dianne Holechek, who died on December 21, 2025, at the age of 84, after battling dementia.

Norris is survived by his wife, Gena O’Kelley, whom he married in 1998, and five children: sons Mike Norris and Eric Norris — from his first marriage to Holechek — and daughters Dina, Danilee, and Dakota, from his marriage to O’Kelley.

No funeral arrangements have been announced at this time.

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