New Delhi | "Grateful for the inspiration that shaped a part of me", said Bollywood star Akshay Kumar as he paid tribute to late American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris.

Known for his role as Cordell Walker in the "Walker, Texas Ranger" series, Norris died on Thursday, aged 86.

Kumar, who started his career as a martial arts teacher before entering films, shared a note on his X handle on Friday, which featured the picture of the late actor and said watching him on the screen wasn't just entertainment but an education.

"Growing up as a martial artist, watching Chuck Norris in 'Way of the Dragon', 'Missing in Action' and many more wasn't just entertainment…it was education. The discipline, strength, and that effortless command he brought on screen stayed with me. Grateful for the inspiration that shaped a part of me," he wrote.

Norris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie "The Wrecking Crew," which included a fight with Dean Martin. He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as "Missing in Action," "The Delta Force", and "Sidekicks".

In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime-fighting lawman in TV's "Walker, Texas Ranger." The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, then-Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honourary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.