Chuck Norris, Walker, Texas Ranger Star, Dead at 86

"The love and support he received from fans around the world meant so much to him, and our family is truly thankful for it," his family wrote. "To him, you were not just fans, you were his friends."

The statement also referenced reports that said Chuck had experienced a medical emergency in Hawaii on March 19 and had been hospitalized. Without sharing additional insight, his family noted, "We are truly grateful for the prayers and support you sent his way."

Chuck's family concluded their statement with a request for privacy as they grieve their loss. 

The death of the martial artist comes just over a week after he rang in his 86th birthday, at which time he told fans of growing older, "I don’t age. I level up."

Accompanying the March 10 post was a video of Chuck—who was dad to five children from various relationships—sparring with a friend, the palm trees and oceans of Hawaii in the background. 

"I’m 86 today," he celebrated in the caption. "Nothing like some playful action on a sunny day to make you feel young. I’m grateful for another year, good health and the chance to keep doing what I love."

He thanked his fans for being the best "in the world," adding, "Your support through the years has meant more to me than you’ll ever know."

While Chuck's acting work brought him almost as much fame as his martial arts prowess, acting wasn't a career he'd initially envisioned for himself. In fact, it was only by tutoring a certain actor by the name of Steve McQueen in martial arts that the suggestion ever arose. 

"He asked if I had ever thought about being an actor," Chuck recalled during a graduation speech he gave at Liberty University in 2008. "I started laughing. I had never even done a high school play. He said, 'There’s just something about you that I like and only the camera can tell.' He encouraged me to pursue it."

The rest, as they say, is history, as Chuck would go on to star in a number of movies and series throughout his career—most notably Walker, Texas Ranger which aired between 1993 and 2001. 

Inspired by the Western movies he adored throughout his youth, Chuck had a specific vision for his career when he did enter the acting world.

"When I got into the film business, my aim was to adopt a positive persona, of a guy who fights against injustice," he told Empire in 2007, before quipping, "And it saved me, because my acting was atrocious to say the least!”

After all, one of his favorite parts of playing the titular Cordell Walked was "bringing bad guys to justice.”

And while Chuck was outspoken about his conservative political beliefs throughout his life, unlike his acting peer turned governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, he never envisioned himself transitioning into politics.

"I think I can achieve more outside the political arena," he told Empire. "People have approached me and I’ve said, ‘Let me think about this—I’m debating my opponent on TV and they start attacking my character, I leap over the desk and shake them unconscious. Is that gonna help my campaign?’” 

Laughing, he added, “They go, ‘I don’t think so...’”