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Martial arts champ turned iconic 1980s action star Chuck Norris has died.
The 86-year-old passed away on Thursday following reports that he’d been hospitalised in Hawaii earlier this week after an unspecified medical emergency.
No cause of death has been given, but his family confirmed his death on Instagram this morning and say they “would like to keep the circumstances private”. They add he was “surrounded by his family and was at peace” when he passed.
Boasting black belts in Karate, Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and judo, the former US Air Force officer and winner of multiple martial arts championships helped train celebrities in martial arts before moving on screen himself in the 1970s at the urging of the likes of Bruce Lee and Steve McQueen.
Early roles in films like “The Way of the Dragon,” “Breaker! Breaker!” and “Good Guys Wear Black” led to the birth of his action stardom with films like “A Force of One,” “An Eye for an Eye,” “Lone Wolf McQuade” and “Code of Silence”.
His work with Cannon Films resulted in the “Missing in Action” franchise along with titles like “Invasion USA” and “The Delta Force”. In the 1990s, he made the move to television with long-running CBS television series “Walker, Texas Ranger”. His last major film appearance was in 2012’s “The Expendables 2”.
He was also a known philanthropist and authored books on martial arts, exercise, philosophy, conservative politics, Christian western fiction and self-help. He was also an informercial star, most famously for Total Gym.
He also became the subject of early memes online which painted him as an action star tougher than any human alive. Norris embraced the hyperbole and satire, appearing on late night talk shows to take part in sketches based on them.
Source: Rolling Stone
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