Back in the days of ‘80s action flicks, Cannon Films was known to sort out scripts for who they called “The Two Chucks.” One was Charles Bronson, the star of the Death Wish franchise. The other was a star the studio would help put on the map – Chuck Norris. Over 40 years later, after television and internet meme-dom helped the man pivot into several new generations of fans. Mr. Norris has sadly been reported as having died at the age of 86. 

There’s no specific details on the cause of death for the Walker Texas Ranger stalwart. But a full statement was issued on Norris’ official Instagram confirming his passing. That announcement, made by his surviving family, opened with these sentiments: 

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. 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.

This confirmation comes after reports over the past couple of hours stating that Chuck Norris was hospitalized for a “medical emergency” in Hawaii.

Norris’ legacy as a leading practitioner of rampaging action cinema cannot be ignored. Pictures like The Delta Force, Invasion U.S.A., and the Missing in Action series helped define movie brawls for Norris and his contemporaries. The smash success of his television show Walker Texas Ranger only helped fuel his profile. All of which eventually led to those early internet days where we were all refreshing the same page to learn “random Chuck Norris facts.”

Ever active in his career, Chuck was last seen as the lead in the 2024 action film Agent Recon, and has one final appearance on the books set to debut this year. We here at That Hashtag Show send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Chuck Norris, as they navigate this time of mourning and remembrance.