Chuck Norris (1940 - 2026) RIP

Before Seagal, before Van Damme, before Statham, before Bruce, Arnold, and Sly, there was Chuck Norris. I won't go so far as to say he was the OG action star. But he was doing it well before a lot of these guys. Yeah, a lot of those movies and TV shows were pretty vanilla (and I absolutely DON'T mean that in any sort of racial way). But they always gave the audience what it wanted. Say what you want about Chuck, but he was the only guy on that list to go toe to toe with Bruce Lee.

For me, there's a strong personal connection. He was my Dad's favorite action star. At Dad's funeral, before they closed the casket and the family was allowed to put in some personal things for him to be buried with, I put in a stack of Chuck Norris DVD's. These days, when Mom and I are in the mood for an action movie, I always have that list of go-to Norris titles. Good Guys Wear Black, Lone Wolf McQuade, Delta Force, Invasion USA, Code of Silence. The Octagon, A Force of One, Missing In Action, Silent Rage, Firewalker, An Eye for an Eye, Breaker Breaker, Forced Vengeance, and so many more. Rest in peace Mr. Norris. And thank for you all the great memories of watching your films with my Dad (and now my Mom). Thoughts and prayer with deepest condolences to the Norris family and all his fans around the world.