https://variety.com/2026/film/news/chuck-norris-dead-walker-texas-ranger-dies-1236694953/

2026 is off to an awful start

RIP Ranger

Time comes for us all. He seemed like a good man and a real positive to the martial arts world. I've always found it strange that people associate him most with Walker Texas Ranger. It was a pretty bad show and was not even where he made his mark - he was so famous even prior to that. It always seemed to me that WTR was his final hurrah rather than his career defining role.

Sidekicks may be the best worst movie ever made.

What an absolute icon and overall good person from all accounts.

Going to be slinging Chuck Norris jokes all weekend now with a sad grin.

Vaya con Dios, Chuck. You were one of the good ones.

one of the best movies ever made



so many patriotic movies back in the 1980s unlike the hellscape of the past 20 years

Lone Wolf McQuade was one of my favorite movies as a kid. We also had several kids from our school as extras in Sidekicks. RIP Chuck.

Oh Man. I'm sorry. One time while flying out of Salt Lake, I got to the departure gate pretty early, the gate agent asked if a VIP passenger could board early to avoid the crowd. I said sure and it was Chuck. As we walked down the ramp together He asked if he could sit in the jumpseat while I ran the preflight. Sure, no problem, Chuck Norris!!

We wound up talking and drinking coffee for about half an hour just like normal dudes.

About two month later, back in Southlake, I was out running by the Solana Mariott and I heard a voice call out my name. It was Chuck. Turns out the Marriott is the hotel where they filmed Walker Texas Ranger. We exchanged pleasantries and I finished my run.

A month later, as I was running on the Solana running trail, I ran into him again!

Kinda strange to run into the same Star 3 times in 3 months. Such a nice guy. RIP my Friend.

My favorite Chuck Norris meme. Very sad to lose him.

What a great story. Thanks for sharing with us.

Queso1 said:

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I heard a story about when he started training BJJ with some Brazilian brothers - I cannot recall their names. But, he took them to a new studio he had built and told them "this is yours". A true gentleman that never seemed to allow fame to get to him.

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It was the Gracie family.

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In 1980, Chuck Norris had a vacation in Rio de Janeiro. Everywhere he was, he heard about Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and our family's achievements. He contacted Helio Gracie, my father, and arranged for private lessons. After fighting me, Norris heard my father's request to mount him. When they were in position, Helio then said:

"OK, Chuck, now punch me."

The American hesitated. My father was in his 70s, but Helio insisted. Finally, Chuck put his arm back to punch, but before he could, the old man had him in a choke. He left Brazil impressed with our family and invited us to give seminars to his students in the United States.

So in 1988, I went to Las Vegas to lead a seminar with Chuck Norris, Rorion Gracie, and nine other brothers and cousins in the family. Norris rolled out the red carpet for us, with an extremely respectful reception. After Rorion read a letter from Helio congratulating Norris on his wisdom in inviting us, my brother and I demonstrated some self-defense moves. Then I had a friendly match with Chuck. I let him come over and try to kick me, but I trapped him in the clinch and knocked him down. In about a minute, I was choking him.

The seminar was a great success among the students under Norris, who never stopped practicing ground fighting.

Rickson Gracie

RIP indeed. I didn't even think this was POSSIBLE!

I'm as big of a Chuck Norris fan as the next guy, but I don't get sad hearing about a celebrity who died at 86. I'm really more happy and impressed that someone with money and access to anything he wants lived so long and healthy. I know someone who worked personally with Chuck for several years, and at that time when Chuck was enjoying a lot of fame and money, the person said he was a very nice, generous, and genuine person.

RIP

Very early SNL digital short featuring Samberg and Sudekis.

Chuck's not dead. He just went home.

zap said:

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Queso1 said:

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I heard a story about when he started training BJJ with some Brazilian brothers - I cannot recall their names. But, he took them to a new studio he had built and told them "this is yours". A true gentleman that never seemed to allow fame to get to him.

---

It was the Gracie family.

*********

In 1980, Chuck Norris had a vacation in Rio de Janeiro. Everywhere he was, he heard about Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and our family's achievements. He contacted Helio Gracie, my father, and arranged for private lessons. After fighting me, Norris heard my father's request to mount him. When they were in position, Helio then said:

"OK, Chuck, now punch me."

The American hesitated. My father was in his 70s, but Helio insisted. Finally, Chuck put his arm back to punch, but before he could, the old man had him in a choke. He left Brazil impressed with our family and invited us to give seminars to his students in the United States.

So in 1988, I went to Las Vegas to lead a seminar with Chuck Norris, Rorion Gracie, and nine other brothers and cousins in the family. Norris rolled out the red carpet for us, with an extremely respectful reception. After Rorion read a letter from Helio congratulating Norris on his wisdom in inviting us, my brother and I demonstrated some self-defense moves. Then I had a friendly match with Chuck. I let him come over and try to kick me, but I trapped him in the clinch and knocked him down. In about a minute, I was choking him.

The seminar was a great success among the students under Norris, who never stopped practicing ground fighting.

Rickson Gracie

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I believe he did the same thing for Jean Jacques Machado in LA. JJM told a story on Rogan's podcast about how he was having issues paying the bills at his studio in LA and was getting close to having to close up so Norris bought the building and told him the studio was his. Norris trained there and it was by his house so he wanted to be able to come by and not worry about it closing up. JJM is a nephew of the Gracie family and has taught people like Rogan, Eddie Bravo, and others.

Side note, JJM was sued by the Gracie family for using the Gracie name on his studio, even though he's in the extended family. This was another situation where he was in danger of losing his studio, I believe before Norris bought the building. Come to find out he trained the son of a prominent attorney in CA who was able to kick his drug habit and credited JJM for that. The attorney represented JJM free of charge so he wouldn't lose his studio.

YouBet said:

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Cinco Ranch Aggie said:

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This sucks.

He made so many great classics - The Octagon, A Force of One, Invasion USA, Silent Rage, his Walker Texas Ranger series, even his appearance in one of the Expendables movies.

Another of his contributions to popular culture is Chuck Norris-isms.

RIP

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The Octagon is how I remember him and is his greatest all-time film.

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That film was my first exposure to the greatness that was and is Chuck Norris.

Dad wanted to see this movie, but it was showing only in a dilapidated theater in downtown Houston. It was sketchy as hell walking in there, for a showing at night. Dirty theater, much like I imagine a porn theater might be. But we got to see a truly great movie that night. I think it was a double feature, actually, with maybe Good Guys Wear Black.

Curiously, I never watched Enter the Dragon until some time in the last decade. So there I am watching when I see that familiar face of Chuck Norris. Was that his first movie appearance? Scratch that, it was Way of the Dragon, not Enter the Dragon.