Chuck Norris' Final Message For Fans Was Also His Life Motto: I Don’t Age, I Level Up

Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in Walker, Texas Ranger and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy, has died at 86. Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing”. The cause of his death was not shared immediately. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family said in a statement posted to social media.

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Norris has five surviving children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris and Dina, the result of an early 1960s “one-night stand”, as revealed in his autobiography. TMZ reported yesterday that Norris was hospitalised in an emergency situation. Hours into treatment, he died. Norris celebrated his birthday just over a week before his death, posting a sparring video on Instagram.

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The life he lived and the rules he lived by became his parting words to his fans. "I don’t age. I level up," a part of Norris' final Instagram post read. "I’m 86 today! 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. Thank you all for being the best fans in the world. Your support through the years has meant more to me than you’ll ever know," it read further.

Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He joined the US Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do, which would also shape his career in Hollywood.

Norris' popular movies include Return Of The Dragon, Missing in Action, The Delta Force, The Expendables 2 and Sidekicks. He’s due to appear in Zombie Plane, an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.