HAWAII — Chuck Norris died at age 86 after being admitted to a hospital in Hawaii. His family announced his death on Instagram yesterday morning.

"It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning," Norris' family said on Instagram. "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. He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved."

Norris starred for nine seasons as Texas Ranger Sergeant Cordell Walker in a television series, which remains in syndication. He rose to prominence as a martial arts champion and trainer before his film career, appearing in the Bruce Lee film The Way of the Dragon and later in films including Lone Wolf McQuade, Missing in Action, Code of Silence, and The Delta Force.

"He is a tough cookie," President Donald Trump said. "We didn't want to fight him."

"Ever since I was a young martial artist and later getting into movies, I always looked up to him as a role model," actor and martial artist Dolph Lundgren wrote. Norris appeared with Lundgren in The Expendables 2.

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris was born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma. He joined the United States Air Force and was stationed in South Korea, where he embraced the nickname "Chuck" and started studying tang soo do. After returning to the United States, he competed in martial arts competitions and won karate championships in the 1960s.

He earned a reputation as a karate trainer to the stars and struck up a friendship with Bruce Lee, which led to his first on-screen role as the opponent in The Way of the Dragon. In the film, his character faced Bruce Lee's character in a climactic scene set inside the Colosseum in Rome. Steve McQueen urged him to take acting classes and change focus to leading roles.

He appeared in 1970s action films Breaker! Breaker!, Good Guys Wear Black, and A Force of One. In the 1980s, he signed a three-picture deal with MGM and worked with the Cannon Group on films including Invasion U.S.A., Missing in Action, and Firewalker.

Norris was a vocal advocate for conservative political causes, Republican candidates, and his Christian beliefs. He became an honorary member of the United States Marine Corps in 2007 and endorsed and campaigned for Republican presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz. He earned black belts in karate, taekwondo, tang soo do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo, and founded his own discipline called chun kuk do.