India, March 22 -- C huck Norris, the American martial artist who rose to become a Hollywood action star and pop culture phenomenon, died at 86 on Thursday. Confirming the news in a statement on his Instagram account, his family said, "While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family." Born Carlos Ray Norris in Oklahoma in 1940, Norris built a formidable martial arts reputation after joining the US Air Force as a teenager, long before becoming a familiar face on screen. His big break came when actor-martial artist Bruce Lee cast him as the villain in The Way of the Dragon (1972), with their Colosseum fight going becoming an iconic moments in martial arts cinema. Norris later headlined action hits like the Missing in Action franchise, cementing his image as a tough, no-nonsense hero. For many, he became synonymous with Walker, Texas Ranger, the hit 1990s TV series that made him a household name....