Chuck Norris, the legendary martial arts champion-turned actor who became a household name through the long-running TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger” and his many action movies, has died, his family announced on Friday. He was 86.
He gained fame for his fighting and acting, but in his last decades Norris had become widely known for his outspokenness about his Christian faith and his love of country.
In a Facebook post, Franklin Graham noted how he looked up to Norris while growing up.
“Chuck Norris was an incredible athlete and a great American—and growing up, he was one of my heroes. Part of his Christian testimony was that he rededicated his life to Christ as a young adult at one of my father Billy Graham's Crusades. He will be greatly missed. Join me in praying for his family.”
Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, said Norris and his wife, Gena, were members at Prestonwood for about 10 years while the couple lived in Dallas.
“Chuck Norris was a great friend and brother in Christ,” Graham told Decision. “It was a privilege to be his pastor during his days in Dallas, while filming ‘Walker, Texas Ranger.’ Chuck was obviously a man’s man, but he was also God’s man. I also appreciate the fact that he loved his country and was an American patriot and served our country well. He was truly an icon in so many areas, and he leaves behind a lasting legacy as a faithful believer and an indelible mark as a cultural legend.”
In an Instagram post, his family announced his death.
“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.”
Born Carlos Ray Norris in 1940 in Ryan, Oklahoma, he faced a tumultuous upbringing. His early years were marked by an alcoholic father who eventually left the family. Norris said he moved residences 15 times by age 16. He graduated high school in Torrance, California, before joining the Air Force. In basic training, a Hispanic buddy started calling him “Chuck,” and the name stuck.
He was introduced to martial arts while serving in Korea. Painfully shy as a young man and low in self-confidence, he credited the success he had in the sport with helping him learn to perform and speak in front of people.
In an interview with CBN News, Norris said his single mother loved Jesus and had always told him, “God has plans for you.”
He made a profession of faith in Christ as a young child, he said, but his path to worldly success led him away from reliance on God.
By the late 1980s, “I had pretty much drifted away from God,” Norris told CBN. He later met his wife, Gena, who was a committed Christian, on the set of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
The couple married in 1998. Gena encouraged him to start attending church, growing in his faith and reading the Bible regularly. Norris even updated his autobiography to reflect his faith in Jesus.
“Once I reestablished my faith with God, all the thanks go to my wife. She said, ‘You really need to redo your book because that was 16 or 17 years ago and a lot has happened in your life since then. You really need to go back and write it the way that it should be written.’ I thought about it extensively before I decided to make that plunge because I remember how hard it was the first time. But finally we prayed about it and decided to do the book again and let people know where I am at in my life at this stage.”
The revised autobiography “Against All Odds” was published by B&H Books in 2006.
Norris was one of the few actors in Hollywood who publicly promoted the movie “The Passion of the Christ” when it premiered in 2006.
He said at the time that he believed Hollywood viewed his boldness positively.
“I think they admire me that I don’t cave in,” he said. “They know where I come from, and I think they appreciate the fact that I don’t waver on my principles.”
Norris is survived by his wife, Gena; sons Eric, Mike and Dakota, daughters Danilee and Dina; and several grandchildren.