Chuck Norris has died following an undisclosed medical emergency.

His heartbroken family confirmed his sad passing in an Instagram post shared on Friday (March 20) alongside a black and white photograph of the actor.

Since the news of his passing, fans have been remembering Norris' cameo appearance in 2004 comedy film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story where he played himself as a member of the American Dodgeball Association of America (ADAA) judiciary board.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan penned: "I'll always remember Chuck Norris as the man who changed the course of dodgeball history by casting the deciding vote that allowed Average Joes to play in the championship of the Las Vegas International Dodgeball Open where they upset the heavily favored Globo Gym Purple Cobras. RIP."

Another added: "Chuck Norris had one of the greatest, most out of nowhere cameos ever that always makes me laugh so hard every time I see it. We lost an absolute legend today. May he rest in peace."

A third person said: "Never forget when Chuck Norris changed the dodgeball world forever when he was the deciding vote that allowed Average Joe's to remain in the tournament. Average Joe's would go on to win the tournament, beating the favored Purple Cobras. RIP."

He appears during the final championship match between Average Joe's and the Globo Gym Purple Cobras and casts the deciding vote to reinstate Peter LaFleur’s, played by Hollywood star Vince Vaughn. team after they forfeit, allowing them to stay in the game.

The cameo plays on his "tough guy" meme reputation. When he is revealed, the crowd and other characters are intimidated.

In the final scene of the movie, Ben Stiller's character, White Goodman, curses Chuck Norris' name.

According to reports, Norris was not fully aware of the ending joke but he found it amusing and expressed interest in returning for a potential sequel.

He admitted in interviews that he first rejected the role because he had to drive three hours to Long Beach but co-star Ben personally convinced him to take the role by flying in a helicopter to bring him.

Watching the completed film Norris realised the final line was unexpected and found it so funny he laughed even harder.

The cameo showed exceptional memorability within the film despite its short duration and developed into a meme-worthy cultural icon.