Martial artist and actor Chuck Norris died March 19 at a hospital in Hawaii, his family announced. He was 86 years old. 

“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” his family said March 20 in an Instagram post. 

“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 longtime actor is known for his roles in action films  “The Way of the Dragon,” “Missing in Action” and “The Delta Force,” and his role as Sergeant Cordell Walker in the nine-season series “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

He is also known for his mythic tough demeanor, which lent itself to many jokes like “When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn’t push himself up, he pushes the Earth down” and “Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep. He waits.”

While not known for his literary adaptations, the actor has starred in a couple book-to-screen projects.

His film debut was in 1969’s “The Wrecking Crew,” based on Donald Hamilton’s 1960 spy novel of the same name. The film, part of the Matt Helm series starring Dean Martin, featured Norris in a supporting role as one of the villains.

In 1988, Norris starred in “Hero and the Terror,” based on the 1982 novel by Michael Blodgett. The action-thriller/horror film follows Los Angeles detective Danny O’Brien as he tracks a serial killer known as “The Terror.”

Norris was also a best-selling author, writing books on martial arts, fitness, philosophy and faith. His titles include “Against All Odds: My Story” and “The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems.”

​​Across film, television and publishing, Norris leaves behind a legacy that extended well beyond the action genre that made him famous.

About the writer

S. Lynn Bonanno didn’t grow up watching Chuck Norris, but she is very familiar with the jokes that turned him into a pop culture legend.