On Thursday, March 19th, action film movie star and martial artist Chuck Norris sadly passed away at the age of 86. His cause of death was a sudden medical emergency that is unknown, but his family said that he died peacefully and surrounded by love.
Norris is known for his many action films that he starred in, including The Way of the Dragon, An Eye for an Eye, and The Delta Force, just to name a few. He is also notable for having the lead role in the CBS television show Walker, Texas Ranger. After his acting career, he became popular on, the internet, as “Chuck Norris facts”, which were hyperbolic and satirical statements about his tough-guy persona.
Carlos “Chuck” Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, in 1940. Norris’s father was a WWII veteran and mechanic who had an alcohol problem. Norris described his childhood as downbeat, as he was shy and unathletic. Norris would join the Air Force in 1958, where he was stationed in South Korea. In South Korea, he acquired the nickname Chuck and learned Tang Soo Do, a karate type martial art in Korea. When he returned to the States, he opened a martial arts studio and started competing in tournaments. He was the undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate Champion for six consecutive years from 1968 to 1974. He retired with a record of 183-10-2 and won the triple crown for most tournament wins in 1969 and was named fighter of the year.
In 1972, Norris made his acting debut where he was the villain in Bruce Lee’s Way of the Dragon. The film became the highest-grossing film of 1972 in Hong Kong. This helped launch Norris to stardom. Norris had been training popular celebrities in Karate such as Bob Barker and Steve McQueen. McQueen told Norris after his film with Lee that he should take acting classes and transition to an actor.
After starring in movies such as Breaker! Breaker! and Good Guys Wear Black in the late 70s, Norris was on his way to superstardom in the action movie world. His big break came in the form of the 1983 movie Lone Wolf McQuade, where he plays a reckless but brave Texas Ranger who defeats an arms dealer. The movie was a worldwide hit and positive success, and was the inspiration behind Norris’s TV show that he starred in, Walker, Texas Ranger. Norris had success in many other films, such as Missing in Action in 1984, Code of Silence in 1985, and The Delta Force in 1986.
By 1990, Norris had a ton of fame. His films had grossed over $500 million worldwide, and he was considered the “blonde Bruce Lee.” In 1993, he started filming the CBS TV show Walker, Texas Ranger. Norris was the lead role, where the show is centered on Sergeant Cordell Walker, who is a member of the Texas Rangers, and his adventures fighting criminals. The show was very successful, ranking in the top 30 programs from 1995-1999, and was in the top 20 from 1995-1996 and 1998-1999.
At the beginning of 2005, Chuck Norris started to become a popular meme around the internet, with the “Chuck Norris Facts”, which were hyperbolic statements about Norris about his toughness and masculinity. Some of these include: “Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.” “Chuck Norris has to sleep with the lights on because the dark is afraid of him.” “Ghosts tell Chuck Norris stories at the campfire.” And finally, “When Chuck Norris makes a mistake, the mistake apologizes,” just to name a few.
After some appearances in other movies and shows during the 2000s and 2010s, Norris has sadly passed away. He was known as an icon and inspiration to many around the world and had an incredibly successful career. He will be missed by us all, and condolences go out to the Norris family. In honor of Norris, here’s one last Chuck Norris fact. Chuck Norris didn’t die; death finally dared to meet him. Rest in peace, legend.
