{"id":2338882,"date":"2026-03-20T17:12:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T17:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2338882"},"modified":"2026-03-20T17:12:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T17:12:30","slug":"i-always-looked-up-to-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/i-always-looked-up-to-him\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I Always Looked Up to Him&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme paid tribute to Chuck Norris in the hours after Norris&#8217; family announced his death at 86<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Norris&#8217; family shared that he died on Thursday, March 19, just over a week after he celebrated his birthday<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Norris&#8217; last major movie appearance came opposite each of those three actors in 2012&#8217;s The Expendables 2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Some of the movie industry&#8217;s biggest action stars are mourning <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/chuck-norris\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Chuck Norris;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Chuck Norris&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Chuck Norris<\/a> after the actor&#8217;s family\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/chuck-norris-dead-walker-texas-ranger-8691783\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:announced his death at 86;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;announced his death at 86&quot;}\" class=\"link \">announced his death at 86<\/a>\u00a0on Friday, March 20.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Norris, the martial artist and iconic actor known best for his television series\u00a0Walker, Texas Ranger\u00a0and dozens of movie roles, died on Thursday, March 19, as his family\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWG8c5BAKPd\/?hl=en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:shared to his Instagram page;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;shared to his Instagram page&quot;}\" class=\"link \">shared to his Instagram page<\/a>. In the hours after news of Norris&#8217; death broke, action stars like <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/sylvester-stallone\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Sylvester Stallone;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Sylvester Stallone&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Sylvester Stallone<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/dolph-lundgren-recalls-breaking-sylvester-stallones-ribs-rocky-iv-11858669\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Dolph Lundgren;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Dolph Lundgren&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Dolph Lundgren<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/jean-claude-van-damme-responds-to-sex-trafficking-accusations-11708156\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jean-Claude Van Damme;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Jean-Claude Van Damme&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Jean-Claude Van Damme<\/a> each paid tribute to the actor on social media. Norris&#8217; last major movie appearance came in 2012&#8217;s The Expendables 2, which Stallone, 79, Lundgren, 68, and Van Damme, 65, also starred in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Stallone shared a photo of himself and Norris on the set of The Expendables 2 to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWHC4odDeNt\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Instagram;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Instagram&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Instagram<\/a>. &#8220;I had a great time working with Chuck. He was All American in every way,&#8221; he wrote in a caption to his post. &#8220;Great man and my condolences to his wonderful family.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Van Damme separately shared three photos of himself with Norris over the years to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWHEhR8k0Gj\/?img_index=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Instagram;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Instagram&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Instagram<\/a>, including one photo of the two men posing with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/john-travolta\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:John Travolta;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;John Travolta&quot;}\" class=\"link \">John Travolta<\/a>, and added, &#8220;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.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Chuck Norris The Expendables 2Credit: Millennium Films\/Kobal\/Shutterstock\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/obc0XzO8yMEr6p4jp_1quw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/dc99bc1276b78aa3cce842a7f0306786\"\/><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><\/span><\/div>\n<p><i>Chuck Norris The Expendables 2<br \/>Credit: Millennium Films\/Kobal\/Shutterstock<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Lundgren simply described Norris as &#8220;the champ&#8221; when he shared a photo of himself posing with Norris in recent years to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWHAf9_AvQv\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Instagram;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Instagram&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Instagram<\/a>. &#8220;Ever since I was a young martial artist and later getting into movies, I always looked up to him as a role model,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Someone who had the respect, humility and strength it takes to be a man. We will miss you, my friend. \u2728&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Norris&#8217; family announced Norris&#8217; &#8220;sudden passing&#8221; on Thursday, March 19 in a statement they issued on Friday, March 20. &#8220;While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.&#8221; his family wrote. &#8220;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.&#8221;<br \/><strong><br \/>Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:PEOPLE's free daily newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;PEOPLE'&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><strong>PEOPLE&#8217;s free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a><strong> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Norris first shot to fame in 1980s karate movies like\u00a0A Force of One\u00a0and\u00a0An Eye for an Eye and established himself as one of Hollywood&#8217;s major action stars by the 1990s. He starred in the TV series\u00a0Walker, Texas Ranger, which premiered in 1993, and found a new level of fame in the 21st century when the internet meme \u201cChuck Norris facts,\u201d where people would spread hyperbolic facts about the actor, spread and grew popular.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/chuck-norris-fellow-action-stars-remember-actor-after-his-death-11930785\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:People;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;People&quot;}\" class=\"link \">People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8217; family announced his death at 86 Norris&#8217; family shared that he died on Thursday, March 19, just over a week after he celebrated his birthday Norris&#8217; last major movie appearance came [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2338883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[391867,437618,310043,411069,453056,23943,452810,347489],"class_list":["post-2338882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-action-stars","tag-chuck-norris","tag-dolph-lundgren","tag-jean-claude-van-damme","tag-martial-artist","tag-sylvester-stallone","tag-texas-ranger","tag-walker"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/I-Always-Looked-Up-to-Him.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2338882"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2338884,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338882\/revisions\/2338884"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2338883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2338882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2338882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2338882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}