The family of American actor Chuck Norris reported this Friday (20) that the martial arts and action film icon died at the age of 86.
According to information from Variety magazine, Norris had been hospitalized in Hawaii on Thursday (19), for undisclosed reasons, and his family reported that he passed away yesterday morning (local time).
“It is with deep sadness that our family announces the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. Although we wish to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was accompanied by his family and at peace,” Norris’ family wrote in a statement on the actor’s social media.
“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 statement added.
Carlos Ray Norris was born on March 10, 1940 in Ryan, in the US state of Oklahoma.
He served in the United States Air Force between 1958 and 1962, mastered several martial arts and was a world karate champion before becoming one of the most important names in action films, in a career initially boosted by fellow fighter and actor Bruce Lee, who invited him to play a role in the 1972 film “The Flight of the Dragon”.
Norris acted in almost 50 films and TV series throughout his career and became especially popular in Brazil as the protagonist of the “Braddock” trilogy (with the three films released in 1984, 85 and 88).
One of his most recent roles was in the second film in Sylvester Stallone’s franchise “The Expendables”, from 2012.
Christian, conservative and affiliated with the Republican Party, Norris was a great supporter of party presidents, such as the current president, Donald Trump, and Ronald Reagan (1981-1989).
“I want a strong leader and he [Reagan] is a strong leader. And since he took office, there has been a more positive and patriotic feeling in this country,” he said in an interview in 1984. Married twice, Norris had five children and 13 grandchildren.
