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Chuck Norris, the martial arts champion and actor best known for his role as Cordell Walker in the television series Walker, Texas Ranger, has died at the age of 86, his family announced Friday.

“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” the family said in a statement posted on Instagram. While the family requested privacy regarding the circumstances of his death, they confirmed he was surrounded by loved ones and “at peace.”

Norris rose to international fame following his 1972 film The Way of the Dragon, in which he famously fought Bruce Lee. He continued to star in a series of action films throughout the 1980s and 90s, before achieving further recognition as Walker, a Texas Ranger who employs unconventional methods to enforce the law. The series ran from 1993 to 2001.

Tributes have begun to pour in from fellow actors and public figures. Dolph Lundgren, who appeared alongside Norris in The Expendables, described Norris as a role model. Sylvester Stallone, also a co-star in The Expendables, called Norris “All American in every way” and a “great man,” recalling a positive experience working with him.

Former US President Donald Trump stated he had “the highest respect” for Norris, describing him as “a great guy” and “a really tough cookie.” Actor Lorenzo Lamas, who trained at Norris’s martial arts studio, shared his prayers for the family.

Norris’s daughter, Danilee Norris, remembered him as having “a warrior exterior, but his heart was so full of love.” The family statement emphasized that to them, he was not only a martial artist and actor, but a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and the “heart of our family.”

News of Norris’s death comes after reports earlier this week that he had been hospitalized following a medical emergency in Hawaii, where he owns a home on Kauai’s North Shore. The family expressed gratitude for the prayers and support received during this time.

Norris’s legacy extends beyond his film and television work, having inspired a widespread internet phenomenon known as “Chuck Norris facts” – a series of hyperbolic and often humorous statements attributing superhuman abilities to the actor.