Chuck Norris’ Expendables 2 Costars Remember Actor and Martial Artist After His Death: ‘I Always Looked Up to Him’
Chuck Norris’ last major movie appearance came alongside Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in 2012’s ‘The Expendables 2’
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NEED TO KNOW
- Action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme paid tribute to Chuck Norris in the hours after Norris’ family announced his death at 86
- Norris’ family shared that he died on Thursday, March 19, just over a week after he celebrated his birthday
- Norris’ last major movie appearance came opposite each of those three actors in 2012’s The Expendables 2
Some of the movie industry’s biggest action stars are mourning Chuck Norris after the actor’s family announced his death at 86 on Friday, March 20.
Norris, the martial artist and iconic actor known best for his television series Walker, Texas Ranger and dozens of movie roles, died on Thursday, March 19, as his family shared to his Instagram page. In the hours after news of Norris’ death broke, action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme each paid tribute to the actor on social media. Norris’ last major movie appearance came in 2012’s The Expendables 2, which Stallone, 79, Lundgren, 68, and Van Damme, 65, also starred in.
Stallone shared a photo of himself and Norris on the set of The Expendables 2 to Instagram. “I had a great time working with Chuck. He was All American in every way,” he wrote in a caption to his post. “Great man and my condolences to his wonderful family.”
Van Damme separately shared three photos of himself with Norris over the years to Instagram, including one photo of the two men posing with John Travolta, and added, “Deepest condolences on the passing of my friend, Chuck Norris. We knew each other from my early days, and I always respected the man he was.”
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Lundgren simply described Norris as “the champ” when he shared a photo of himself posing with Norris in recent years to Instagram. “Ever since I was a young martial artist and later getting into movies, I always looked up to him as a role model,” he wrote. “Someone who had the respect, humility and strength it takes to be a man. We will miss you, my friend. ✨”
Norris’ family announced Norris’ “sudden passing” on Thursday, March 19 in a statement they issued on Friday, March 20. “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.” his family wrote. “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. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives.”
Norris first shot to fame in 1980s karate movies like A Force of One and An Eye for an Eye and established himself as one of Hollywood’s major action stars by the 1990s. He starred in the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger, which premiered in 1993, and found a new level of fame in the 21st century when the internet meme “Chuck Norris facts,” where people would spread hyperbolic facts about the actor, spread and grew popular.
Following his last major movie appearance in The Expendables 2, Norris made appearances in a 2015 episode of The Goldbergs, a 2020 episode of Hawaii Five-0 and the 2024 movie Agent Recon.
