For decades, martial artist and actor Chuck Norris (Carlos Ray Norris Jr.) has fought his way into the hearts of action film fans. Alongside his competitive karate career, Norris has appeared in a series of successful films as well as the long-running CBS drama Walker, Texas Ranger. Having reached the milestone age of 80 in March 2020, here are some of the most interesting facts about his life and career.
1. Chuck Norris is a military veteran.
Born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, Norris was the eldest of three boys and described himself as a “shy” child. After moving to California, he attended North Torrance High School. Upon graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a military policeman with ambitions of entering law enforcement. While stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea, he discovered martial arts after struggling to control a disorderly individual during patrol duty. He studied Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do before returning to California. Following his discharge in 1962, Norris began teaching these disciplines.
2. Steve McQueen encouraged Chuck Norris to pursue acting.
Norris became a world champion in karate competitions, enhancing his reputation as a martial arts instructor. He trained several celebrities in self-defence, including the Osmonds, Priscilla Presley, and Steve McQueen. He also coached The Price Is Right host Bob Barker. However, not all his schools thrived, and after retiring from competition in 1974, he sought new opportunities. McQueen advised him to try acting—a suggestion that eventually paid off. After several years and nine films, Norris achieved his breakthrough with the 1982 film Lone Wolf McQuade.
3. Chuck Norris had to meet a producer’s condition to face Bruce Lee.
Although Norris did not become widely known until the 1980s, his role as a villain in the 1972 film Return of the Dragon (also known as Way of the Dragon) alongside Bruce Lee became a defining moment in martial arts cinema. When Lee sought an opponent for the climactic fight, he contacted Norris, whom he knew personally. However, the film’s producer required Norris to gain 20 pounds so he would appear significantly larger on screen. “That’s why I don’t do jump kicks [in the movie],” Norris told Empire in 2007. “I couldn’t get off the ground!”
4. Chuck Norris created his own martial arts system.
Drawing from years of training in Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do, Norris developed his own martial arts system and philosophy, later named Chun Kuk Do. Beyond combat techniques, the system promotes personal growth and encourages students to seek the good in others. It was rebranded as the Chuck Norris System in 2015.
5. Chuck Norris once promoted Action Jeans.
Owing to his prominence in martial arts, Norris was approached to endorse athletic products. In 1982, martial arts equipment company Century enlisted him as a spokesperson for their Karate Jeans, which featured flexible fabric designed to allow high kicks while maintaining a fashionable appearance. These were later renamed Action Jeans, which Norris promoted for several years.
6. Chuck Norris had his own animated series.
At the height of his popularity in the 1980s, Norris collaborated with animation company Ruby-Spears on an animated series titled Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos. The show followed Norris and a team of martial artists battling villains such as Superninja and The Claw. Although 65 episodes were planned, only a few were produced. “We only did six of them, and then a woman at CBS said, ‘Those are too violent,’” Norris told MTV News in 2009.
7. Chuck Norris is an honorary Texas Ranger.
For eight seasons, Norris portrayed a crime-fighting lawman in the 1990s CBS series Walker, Texas Ranger, which became the first primetime show filmed on location in Texas, at his insistence. In 2010, he was named an honorary Texas Ranger by then-governor Rick Perry in recognition of his efforts to promote the elite unit and his work supporting disadvantaged youths through martial arts programmes. His brother, Aaron Norris, who served as an executive producer on the series, also received the honour.
8. Chuck Norris was surprised by his role in Dodgeball.
Norris is known for his sense of humour and willingness to parody his public image. When invited to make a cameo in the 2004 comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, he initially declined due to the distance to the filming location in Long Beach, California. However, after a personal request from star Ben Stiller, he agreed, despite not reading the script. He filmed a brief scene in which he gives a thumbs-up to the dodgeball players.
Upon watching the film in cinemas, Norris was taken aback by the context. “But in the end, when Ben’s a big fatty and watching TV, the last line of the whole movie is, ‘F***in’ Chuck Norris!,’” Norris told Empire in 2007. “My mouth fell open to here… I said, ‘Holy mackerel!’ That was a shock, Ben didn’t tell me about that!”