LOS ANGELWS  –  Chuck Norris, veteran, martial arts world champion, action hero and early 2000s Internet meme inspiration, whose rug­ged demeanor was immortal­ized on hit show “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died. He was 86. “It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden pass­ing of our beloved Chuck Nor­ris yesterday morning,” read a message credited to the Nor­ris family posted to Instagram and Facebook Friday morning. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was sur­rounded by his family and was at peace.” Norris had an un­identified medical emergency in Hawaii on Thursday, accord­ing to news reports. The family thanked fans for their prayers during his hos­pitalization. “He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwaver­ing commitment to the people he loved,” the post read. “Through his work, disci­pline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.” CNN has reached out to representatives for the ac­tor for comment. The ultimate tough guy, Norris’ first memo­rable acting role was as Bruce Lee’s formidable opponent in the 1972 film “The Way of the Dragon,” before he landed his first leading role five years later as a truck driver search­ing for his missing brother in “Breaker! Breaker!” Through­out the 1970s and ’80s, Norris made a name for himself as a rugged action hero in movies like “Missing in Action” and “Delta Force,” marking his place in pop culture with an always-stoic countenance and lines like, “My kind of trouble doesn’t take vacations” (from 1983’s “Lone Wolf McQuade”). With his film career cooling off in the ’90s, Norris made the switch to television. He won new fans with his long-running series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which ran from 1993 to 2001. In the show, Norris played Cordell Walker, a veteran Texas Ranger who fights crime in Dallas and throughout the Lone Star State. Norris was nominated for a TV Guide Award as favorite ac­tor in a drama in 1999. Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, to Irish American and Cherokee Native American parents.