American actor Chuck Norris has died at the age of 86, his family announced.

“Our family is deeply saddened to announce that our beloved Chuck Norris passed away suddenly on the morning of March 19,” the family said in an Instagram post, as reported by RIA Novosti.

Earlier, TMZ reported that Norris had been hospitalized in Hawaii. He had been speaking on the phone with a friend in good spirits and even joking, but soon required urgent medical assistance.

Chuck Norris was born on March 10, 1940, in Oklahoma. He gained wide recognition for his roles in action films, especially in the television series “Walker, Texas Ranger.”