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Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in
Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, Hanja: 唐手道 ) refers to a Korean martial art based on Karate and may include fighting principles from subak (as described in the Kwon Bup Chong Do), as well as northern Chinese martial arts. Before the ...
,
Brazilian jiu jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
and
judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
. After serving in the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
, Norris won many martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline Chun Kuk Do. Shortly after, in Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts. Norris went on to appear in a minor role in the
spy film The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond films) ...
''The Wrecking Crew'' (1969). Friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main villains in ''
Way of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee ...
'' (1972). While Norris continued acting, friend and student Steve McQueen suggested him to take it seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film ''
Breaker! Breaker! ''Breaker! Breaker!'' is a 1977 American action film directed by Don Hulette and starring Chuck Norris. Plot J.D. (Chuck Norris), a trucker from California, returns from the road to learn that an old friend was assaulted and paralyzed by Sergea ...
'' (1977), which turned a profit. His second lead ''
Good Guys Wear Black ''Good Guys Wear Black'' is a 1978 American martial arts action film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Ted Post. This was the second film to feature Norris as the star, following ''Breaker! Breaker!'' (1977). However, this is the one that No ...
'' (1978) became a hit, and he soon became a popular action film star. Norris went on to star in a streak of bankable independently-made action and
martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...
s, with ''
A Force of One ''A Force of One'' is a 1979 American action martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E. Johnson and Ernest Tidyman and released b ...
'' (1979), ''
The Octagon The Octagon may refer to: *The Octagon, Christchurch, a former church in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand *The Octagon, Dunedin, the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand *The Octagon (Egypt), the headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of ...
'' (1980), and ''An Eye for an Eye'' (1981). This made Norris an international celebrity. He went on to make studio films like ''
Silent Rage ''Silent Rage'' is a 1982 American action crime science fiction film directed by Michael Miller. It stars Chuck Norris as a sheriff who must stop a mentally ill man (Brian Libby) who goes on a rampage after being granted near-indestructibility i ...
'' (1982) with Columbia, ''
Forced Vengeance ''Forced Vengeance'' is a 1982 American action film, starring Chuck Norris, Mary Louise Weller and Camila Griggs. The film was directed by James Fargo, written by Franklin Thompson and James Fargo and filmed in the Crown Colony of Hong Kong ...
'' (1982) with
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
, and ''
Lone Wolf McQuade ''Lone Wolf McQuade'' is a 1983 American Western film directed by Steve Carver and starring Chuck Norris, David Carradine, Barbara Carrera, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Leon Isaac Kennedy and Robert Beltran. Plot J.J. McQuade (Norris) is a f ...
'' (1983) with Orion. This led
Cannon Films The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested ...
to sign Norris into a multiple film deal, starting with ''
Missing in Action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...
'' (1984), which proved to be very successful and launched a trilogy. Norris started to work almost exclusively on high-profile action films with Cannon, becoming their leading star during the 1980s. Films with Cannon included ''Invasion U.S.A'' (1985), ''
The Delta Force ''The Delta Force'' is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin (in his final film appearance) as leaders of an elite group of Special Operations Forces personnel based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. Directe ...
'' (1986), ''Firewalker'' (1986), etc. Apart from the Cannon films, Norris made ''
Code of Silence A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily. The code of silence is usually followed because of threat of force or danger to onesel ...
'' (1985), which was received as one of his best films. In the 1990s, he played the title role in the long running
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
television series ''
Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...
'' from 1993 until 2001. Until 2006, Norris continued taking lead roles in action movies, including ''
Delta Force 2 ''Delta Force 2'' is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by NovaLogic and released in 1999. It is the second game in the ''Delta Force'' series and was followed by '' Delta Force: Land Warrior'' one year later. The game was ...
'' (1990), ''
The Hitman ''The Hitman'' is a 1991 Canadian-American action film starring Chuck Norris. It was directed by Aaron Norris and written by Don Carmody, Robert Geoffrion and Galen Thompson. Plot Seattle cop Cliff Garret (Chuck Norris) is severely wounded in ...
'' (1991), ''Sidekicks'' (1992), ''
Forest Warrior ''Forest Warrior'' is a 1996 American adventure film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Norris's brother Aaron Norris. The film was released on direct-to-video in the United States on November 5, 1996. The film is perhaps best known since late ...
'' (1996), ''
The President's Man ''The President's Man'' is a 2000 American television film, made-for-television action film starring Chuck Norris and Dylan Neal. A sequel, ''The President's Man: A Line in the Sand'' was made in 2002. It was first shown on CBS on April 2, 2000. ...
'' (2000) and its
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
(2002). Norris made his last film appearance to date in Sylvester Stallone's ''
The Expendables 2 ''The Expendables 2'' is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel to ...
'' (2012). Throughout his film and TV career Norris diversified from his regular endeavors. He is a noted writer, having penned books on martial arts, exercise,
philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
,
politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
,
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
,
western fiction Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 20th century and ...
, and
biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...
. He was twice a New York Times bestselling author, first with his book on his personal philosophy of positive force and the psychology of self-improvement based on personal anecdotes called ''The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story'' (1988). His second New York Times Best Seller, '' Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America'' (2008), was about his critique on current issues in the USA. Norris also appeared in several commercials endorsing several products most notably being one of the main spokespersons for the
Total Gym Total Gym is the brand name for a line of fitness training equipment, created by Total Gym Global Corp, marketed and sold by Total Gym Commercial LLC and Total Gym Fitness, LLC. Total Gym equipment is used by physical therapy clinics, hospitals, ...
infomercials. In 2005, Norris found new fame on the Internet when
Chuck Norris facts Chuck Norris facts are satirical factoids about American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris that have become an Internet phenomenon widespread in popular culture. These 'facts' are absurd hyperbolic claims about Norris's toughness, attitude, ...
became an Internet meme documenting humorous, fictional and often absurd feats of strength and endurance. Although Norris himself did not produce the "facts", he was hired to endorse many products that incorporated Chuck Norris facts in advertising. The phenomenon resulted in six books (two of them ''New York Times'' best sellers), two video games, and several appearances on talk shows, such as ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' where he read the facts or participated in sketches.


Early life

Norris was born in
Ryan, Oklahoma Ryan is a town in Jefferson County, Oklahoma, United States, located north of the Texas state line. The population was 816 at the 2010 census, a decline of over 8.7 percent from the figure of 894 in 2000. Geography Ryan is located at (34.02167 ...
, on March 10, 1940, to Wilma ( née Scarberry) and Ray Dee Norris, who was a
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Army soldier, a mechanic, bus driver, and truck driver. Norris has stated that he has
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and
Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
roots. Norris was named after Carlos Berry, his father's minister. He was the oldest of three brothers, the younger two being Wieland and Aaron. When Norris was sixteen, his parents divorced, and he later relocated to
Prairie Village, Kansas Prairie Village is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,957. History After the successful development of the Country Cl ...
and then to
Torrance, California Torrance is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay region of the metropolitan area. Torrance has of beachfront on the Pacific O ...
with his mother and brothers. Norris has described his childhood as downbeat. He was nonathletic, shy, and scholastically mediocre. His father, Ray, worked intermittently as an automobile mechanic, and went on alcohol drinking binges that lasted for months at a time. Embarrassed by his father's behavior and the family's financial plight, Norris developed a debilitating introversion that lasted for his entire childhood.


Career


1958 to 1968: United States Air Force and martial arts breakthrough

He joined the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
as an Air Policeman (AP) in 1958 and was sent to
Osan Air Base Hanja:) , partof = , location = , nearest_town = Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province , country = South Korea , image = Osan Air Base 51 FW F-16 A-10 Flyby.jpg , alt = US Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon and A ...
, South Korea. It was there that Norris acquired the nickname "Chuck" and began his training in
Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, Hanja: 唐手道 ) refers to a Korean martial art based on Karate and may include fighting principles from subak (as described in the Kwon Bup Chong Do), as well as northern Chinese martial arts. Before the ...
(tangsudo), an interest that led to black belts in that art and the founding of the
Chun Kuk Do Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...
("Universal Way") form. When he returned to the United States, he continued to serve as an AP at
March Air Force Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's ...
in California. Norris was discharged from the U.S. Air Force in August 1962. Following his military service, Norris applied to be a police officer in
Torrance, California Torrance is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay region of the metropolitan area. Torrance has of beachfront on the Pacific O ...
. While on the waiting list, Norris opened a martial arts studio. Norris started to participate in martial arts competitions. He was defeated in his first two tournaments, dropping decisions to Joe Lewis and
Allen Steen Allen R. Steen is an American martial arts practitioner, teacher, and promoter (entertainment), promoter. He was taught by Jhoon Rhee, the "Father of American Taekwondo", and was the first of Rhee's American students to reach black belt (marti ...
. He lost three matches at the International Karate Championships to Tony Tulleners. By 1967, Norris had improved enough that he scored victories over the likes of
Vic Moore Victor Moore (born August 23, 1943) holds a 10th Degree Black Belt in Karate and was one of the late Robert Trias' Chief instructors of the Shuri-ryū Karate system. Moore was one of the first ten original members of the Trias International ...
. On June 3, Norris won the 1967 tournament of karate, Norris defeated seven opponents, until his final fight with
Skipper Mullins Lewis Ray "Skipper" Mullins (born April 25, 1946) is an American martial arts fighter who has been described as ''"the greatest kicker in the history of the U.S. karate scene"''. Biography Mullins was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He bega ...
. On June 24, Norris was declared champion at the S. Henry Cho's All-American Karate Championship at the Madison Square Garden, taking the title from Julio LaSalle and defeating Joe Lewis. During this time, Norris also worked for the
Northrop Corporation Northrop Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its 1994 merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, most successfully the B-2 Sp ...
and opened a chain of karate schools, including a storefront school in his then-hometown of Torrance, CA on Hawthorne Boulevard. Norris's official website lists celebrity clients at the schools; among them Steve McQueen,
Chad McQueen Chadwick Steven McQueen (born December 28, 1960) is an American actor, film producer, martial artist, and race-car driver. As an actor and producer, he was known for playing Dutch in ''The Karate Kid'' and ''The Karate Kid Part II''. He is the ...
, Bob Barker,
Priscilla Presley Priscilla Ann Presley ( Wagner, changed by adoption to Beaulieu; born May 24, 1945) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the former wife of American singer Elvis Presley, as well as co-founder and former chairwoman of Elvis Presley ...
, Donny Osmond and
Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, television host, and a member of the show business family the Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a country and pop ...
. In early 1968, Norris suffered the tenth and final loss of his career, losing an upset decision to Louis Delgado. On November 24, 1968, he avenged his defeat to Delgado and by doing so won the Professional Middleweight Karate champion title, which he then held for six consecutive years. On April 1, Norris successfully defended his All-American Karate Championship title, in a round robin tournament, at the Karate tournament of champions of North America Sunday. Again that year, Norris won for the second time the All-American Karate Championship. It was the last time Norris participated and retired undefeated. While competing, Norris met Bruce Lee, who at the time was known for the TV series ''
The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of med ...
''. They developed a friendship, as well as a training and working relationship. In 1969, during the first weekend of August, Norris defended his title as world champion at the International Karate Championship. The competition included champions from most of the fifty states as well as a half dozen from abroad who joined for the preliminaries. Norris retained his title. Norris won Karate's triple crown for the most tournament wins of the year, and the Fighter of the Year award by '' Black Belt'' magazine. That year, Norris made his acting debut in the Dean Martin film '' The Wrecking Crew''.


1970 to 1978: Early roles and breakthrough

In 1972, he acted as Bruce Lee's nemesis in the widely acclaimed martial arts movie ''
Way of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee ...
'' (titled ''Return of the Dragon'' in its U.S. distribution). The film grossed 5,307,350.50 at the Hong Kong box office, beating previous records set by Lee's own films, ''
The Big Boss ''The Big Boss'' (, lit. "The Big Brother from Tangshan"; originally titled ''Fists of Fury'' in America) is a 1971 Hong Kong action martial arts film produced by Raymond Chow and starring Bruce Lee in his first major film in a lead role. Th ...
'' and ''
Fist of Fury ''Fist of Fury'' is a 1972 Hong Kong action martial arts film written and directed by Lo Wei, produced by Raymond Chow, and starring Bruce Lee in his second major role after ''The Big Boss'' (1971). Lee, who was also the film's action choreogra ...
'', making it the highest-grossing film of 1972 in Hong Kong. ''The Way of the Dragon'' went on to gross an estimated worldwide. The film is credited with launching him toward stardom. In 1973, Norris played a role in
Jonathan Kaplan Jonathan Kaplan (born November 25, 1947) is an American film producer and director. His film ''The Accused'' (1988) earned actress Jodie Foster an Oscar for Best Actress and was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 39th Berlin International ...
's ''
The Student Teachers ''The Student Teachers'' is a 1973 film directed by Jonathan Kaplan. It was inspired by the "nurse" cycle of pictures starting with ''The Student Nurses'' (1970). Roger Corman says it was one of the best of the cycle. Plot Three new high school t ...
''. In 1974, actor Steve McQueen, who was his martial art student and friend at the time, saw his potential and encouraged him to begin acting classes at
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
. That same year, he played the supporting role of the main antagonist in
Lo Wei Lo Wei ( 12 December 1918 – 20 January 1996) was a Hong Kong film director and film actor best known for launching the martial arts film careers of both Bruce Lee, in '' The Big Boss'' and '' Fist of Fury'', and Jackie Chan, in '' New Fist of ...
's ''
Yellow Faced Tiger ''Yellow Faced Tiger'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Slaughter in San Francisco'') is a 1974 Hong Kong-American martial arts action film directed by Lo Wei, and starring Wong Tao, Sylvia Chang and Chuck Norris. Summary In ...
''. Norris plays a powerful drug king in San Francisco, where he dominates the criminal world including the police department. He is eventually challenged by a young police officer who stands up to corruption. The film played theatrically in the US in 1981 as ''Slaughter in San Francisco''. It was noticed that it was an older low-budget film announcing Norris as the lead. The film played as a double-bill to other action and genre film. It was described as a low budget martial arts actioner taking advantage of Norris's fame. In 1975, he wrote his first book ''Winning Tournament Karate'' on the practical study of competition training for any rank. It covers all phases of executing speedy attacks, conditioning, fighting form drills, and one-step sparring techniques. Norris's first starring role was 1977's ''
Breaker! Breaker! ''Breaker! Breaker!'' is a 1977 American action film directed by Don Hulette and starring Chuck Norris. Plot J.D. (Chuck Norris), a trucker from California, returns from the road to learn that an old friend was assaulted and paralyzed by Sergea ...
.'' He chose it after turning down offers to do many martial art films, Norris decided that he wanted to do films that had story and where the action would take place when it is emotionally right. The low budget film turned out to be very successful. In 1978, Norris starred ''
Good Guys Wear Black ''Good Guys Wear Black'' is a 1978 American martial arts action film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Ted Post. This was the second film to feature Norris as the star, following ''Breaker! Breaker!'' (1977). However, this is the one that No ...
.'' He considers it to be his first significant lead role. No studio wanted to release it, so Norris and his producers four-walled it, renting the theaters and taking whatever money came in. The film did very well; shot on a $1 million budget, it made over $18 million at the box office. Following years of
kung fu film Kung fu film () is a subgenre of martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema set in the contemporary period and featuring realistic martial arts. It lacks the fantasy elements seen in ''wuxia'', a related martial arts genre that uses historical ...
imports from Hong Kong action cinema during the 1970s, most notably Bruce Lee films followed by
Bruceploitation Bruceploitation (a portmanteau of "Bruce Lee" and "exploitation") is an exploitation film subgenre that emerged after the death of martial arts film star Bruce Lee in 1973, where filmmakers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea cast Bruce Lee l ...
flicks, ''Good Guys Wear Black'' launched Norris as the first successful homegrown American martial arts star, having previously been best known as a villain in Lee's ''Way of the Dragon''. ''Good Guys Wear Black'' distinguished itself from earlier martial arts films with its distinctly American setting, characters, themes, and politics, a formula which Norris continued to develop with his later films.


1979 to 1983: Action film star

In 1979, Norris starred in ''
A Force of One ''A Force of One'' is a 1979 American action martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E. Johnson and Ernest Tidyman and released b ...
'', where he played Matt Logan, a world karate champion who assists the police in their investigation. The film was developed while touring for ''Good Guys Wear Black''. Again no studio wanted to pick it up, but it out-grossed the previous film by making $20 million at the box office. In 1980, he released ''
The Octagon The Octagon may refer to: *The Octagon, Christchurch, a former church in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand *The Octagon, Dunedin, the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand *The Octagon (Egypt), the headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of ...
'', where his character must stop a group of terrorists trained in the ninja style. Unlike his previous films this time the studios were interested. American Cinema Releasing distributed it and it made almost $19 million at the box office. In 1981, he starred in Steve Carver's ''
An Eye for an Eye "An eye for an eye" ( hbo, עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן, ) is a commandment found in the Book of Exodus 21:23–27 expressing the principle of reciprocal justice measure for measure. The principle exists also in Babylonian law. In Roman c ...
''. In 1982, he had the lead in the action horror film ''
Silent Rage ''Silent Rage'' is a 1982 American action crime science fiction film directed by Michael Miller. It stars Chuck Norris as a sheriff who must stop a mentally ill man (Brian Libby) who goes on a rampage after being granted near-indestructibility i ...
.'' It was his first film released by a major studio
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
. Norris plays a sheriff who must stop a psychopath on a rampage. Shortly afterward
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
gave him a three-movie deal and that same year, they released ''
Forced Vengeance ''Forced Vengeance'' is a 1982 American action film, starring Chuck Norris, Mary Louise Weller and Camila Griggs. The film was directed by James Fargo, written by Franklin Thompson and James Fargo and filmed in the Crown Colony of Hong Kong ...
'' (1982). Norris was unhappy with the direction they wanted to take with him, hence the contract was canceled. In 1983, Norris made ''
Lone Wolf McQuade ''Lone Wolf McQuade'' is a 1983 American Western film directed by Steve Carver and starring Chuck Norris, David Carradine, Barbara Carrera, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Leon Isaac Kennedy and Robert Beltran. Plot J.J. McQuade (Norris) is a f ...
'' with Orion Pictures and Carver directing. He plays a reckless but brave Texas Ranger who defeats an arms dealer played by
David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series '' Kung Fu'', playi ...
. The film was a worldwide hit and had a positive reception from movie critics, often being compared to Sergio Leone's stylish
Spaghetti Westerns The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most of ...
. The film became the inspiration for Norris's future hit TV show ''
Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...
''. Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5 star rating, calling the character of J.J. McQuade worthy of a film series and predicting the character would be a future classic. The same year, he also published a book on exercises called ''Toughen Up! the Chuck Norris Fitness System''. Also in 1983,
Xonox Xonox, a division of K-tel Software, was an American third-party manufacturer of cartridges for the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, and VIC-20 in the early 1980s. Xonox was one of many small video game companies to fold during the Video Ga ...
produced the video game '' Chuck Norris Superkicks'' for the Commodore 64,
VIC-20 The VIC-20 (known as the VC-20 in Germany and the VIC-1001 in Japan) is an 8-bit home computer that was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the ...
,
Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocesso ...
, and
Colecovision ColecoVision is a second-generation home video-game console developed by Coleco and launched in North America in August 1982. It was released a year later in Europe by CBS Electronics as the CBS ColecoVision. The console offered a closer exp ...
. The game combines two types of gameplay: moving through a map, and fighting against enemies. The player takes control of Norris who has to liberate a hostage. It was later sold as ''Kung Fu Superkicks'' when the license for the use of the name Chuck Norris expired.


1984 to 1988: Mainstream success

In 1984, Norris starred in
Joseph Zito Joseph Zito (born May 14, 1946) is an American film director and producer, best known for directing several cult and genre films throughout the 1980s, such as ''Missing in Action'', '' Invasion U.S.A.'', ''Red Scorpion'', '' The Prowler'', and ...
's ''
Missing in Action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...
.'' It's the first of a series of POW rescue fantasies, where he play Colonel James Braddock. Produced by Menahem Golan and
Yoram Globus Yoram Globus ( he, יורם גלובוס; born 7 September 1943) is an Israeli–American film producer, cinema owner, and distributor. He has been involved in over 300 full-length motion pictures and he is most known for his association with T ...
and released under their
Cannon Films The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested ...
banner, with which he had signed a multiple movie deal. Norris later dedicated these films to his younger brother Wieland, who was a private in the 101st Airborne Division, and had been killed in June 1970 in Vietnam while on patrol in the defense of Firebase Ripcord. The film was a huge success and Norris became Cannon's most prominent star of the 1980s. '' Missing in Action 2: The Beginning'' premiered on March 1, 1985. It is a prequel to the first installment, about the time Colonel James Braddock was held in a North
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
ese POW camp.Andrew Yule, ''Hollywood a Go-Go: The True Story of the Cannon Film Empire'', Sphere Books, 1987 p111 Orion Pictures released ''
Code of Silence A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily. The code of silence is usually followed because of threat of force or danger to onesel ...
'' on May 3. It received positive reviews and was also a box office success. ''
Code of Silence A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily. The code of silence is usually followed because of threat of force or danger to onesel ...
'' is a crime drama, and features Norris as a streetwise plainclothes officer who takes down a crime czar. '' Invasion U.S.A.'' premiered on September 27, with Zito directing. On February 14, 1986, Menahem Golan's ''
The Delta Force ''The Delta Force'' is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin (in his final film appearance) as leaders of an elite group of Special Operations Forces personnel based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. Directe ...
'' premiered. Norris co-stars with
Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Alt ...
. They play leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops who face a group of terrorists. ''The Delta Force'' was a box office success. In October,
Ruby-Spears Ruby-Spears Productions (also known as Ruby-Spears Enterprises) was a Burbank, California–based American entertainment production company that specialized in animation with another branch in Rome, Italy. This company was founded in 1977 by vete ...
' cartoon ''
Karate Kommandos ''Karate Kommandos'' (also known as ''Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos'') is an American animated television series that originally aired in 1986 as a syndicated five episode mini-series. It was created by and starred Chuck Norris as himself, and ...
'' first aired. The animated show lasted 6 episodes. In it, Norris voices a cartoon version of himself who leads a United States government team of operatives known as the Karate Kommandos.
Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics * ...
made a comic book adaptation. On November 21,
J. Lee Thompson John Lee Thompson (1 August 1914 – 30 August 2002) was a British film director, active in London and Hollywood, best known for award-winning films such as ''Woman in a Dressing Gown'', ''Ice Cold in Alex'' and '' The Guns of Navarone'' along w ...
's '' Firewalker'' was released. In it, Norris and
Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, He had his stage debut at the age of 17, in a school production of '' You Can't Take It with You.'' Shortly after he successfully ...
play adventurers. In 1987, he published the New York Times Best Seller ''The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story''. It is about his self-improvement philosophy. On January 2, 1988, '' Braddock: Missing in Action III'' premiered, Norris returned to the title role and his brother
Aaron Norris Aaron Norris (born November 23, 1951) is an American stunt performer, director, occasional actor, and film and television producer. He is the younger brother of action film star Chuck Norris. Career 1974 to 1988: Stunt work to directing W ...
directed. On August 28, Norris starred in ''
Hero and the Terror ''Hero and the Terror'' is a 1988 American action film starring martial arts star Chuck Norris, directed by William Tannen. Produced by Menahem Golan, written by Michael Blodgett, and was distributed by Cannon Films. The film stars Norris as Dan ...
'' directed by William Tannen. In it Norris stars as a cop investigating a serial killer.


1989 to 1999: Subsequent success

By 1990, his films had collectively grossed over worldwide . By this time, he had drawn comparisons to both Bruce Lee and Clint Eastwood, sometimes called the "blonde Bruce Lee" for his martial arts film roles while his "loner" persona was compared to the Eastwood character
Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir action thriller film produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the ''Dirty Harry'' series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department (SFP ...
. That same year,
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
acquired the
Cannon Films The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested ...
library. Norris continued making films with Aaron, who directed him in ''
Delta Force 2 ''Delta Force 2'' is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by NovaLogic and released in 1999. It is the second game in the ''Delta Force'' series and was followed by '' Delta Force: Land Warrior'' one year later. The game was ...
'', ''
The Hitman ''The Hitman'' is a 1991 Canadian-American action film starring Chuck Norris. It was directed by Aaron Norris and written by Don Carmody, Robert Geoffrion and Galen Thompson. Plot Seattle cop Cliff Garret (Chuck Norris) is severely wounded in ...
,'' '' Sidekicks'' (1993)., '' Hellbound'' (1994), '' Top Dog'' (1995), and ''
Forest Warrior ''Forest Warrior'' is a 1996 American adventure film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Norris's brother Aaron Norris. The film was released on direct-to-video in the United States on November 5, 1996. The film is perhaps best known since late ...
'' (1996). In 1993, he began shooting the action series ''
Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...
''. The show is centered on Sergeant Cordell Walker (Norris), a Dallas–Fort Worth–based member of the Texas Rangers, a state-level bureau of investigation, and is about his adventures fighting criminals with his partner James Trivette. It lasted eight seasons on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
and continued in syndication on other channels, notably the
Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies a ...
. The show was very successful in the ratings throughout its run, ranking among the Top 30 programs from 1995 until 1999, and ranking in the Top 20 in both the 1995–1996 and 1998–1999 seasons. In 1999, Norris produced and played
Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People * Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) * Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California ...
in a supporting role in the ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' spin-off '' Sons of Thunder''. The same year, also playing the role of Walker, Norris acted in a crossover episode of the
Sammo Hung Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreographer for ...
's TV show ''
Martial Law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...
''. For another crossover, Hung also appeared as his character in ''Walker, Texas Ranger''. Separately from ''Walker, Texas Ranger,'' on August 25, 1993, the Randy Travis
television special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...
''
Wind in the Wire ''Wind in the Wire'' is the eighth studio album released by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released on August 17, 1993, by Warner Records. The album was made to accompany a television series also entitled ''Wind in the Wire''. ...
'' first aired. Norris was among the guests. At the 1994 edition of the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
(WWF)'s
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
event, Norris was the special outside enforcer for the
casket match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
between
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
and
Yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...
. During the match, Norris delivered a roundhouse kick to an interfering
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...
. In 1996, Norris wrote the book ''The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems''. Since 1997, Norris has appeared with
Christie Brinkley Christie Lee Brinkley (née Hudson; born February 2, 1954) is an American model, actress, and entrepreneur. Brinkley gained worldwide fame with her appearances in ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues'', ultimately appearing on an unprecedented ...
in a long-running series of cable TV infomercials promoting
Total Gym Total Gym is the brand name for a line of fitness training equipment, created by Total Gym Global Corp, marketed and sold by Total Gym Commercial LLC and Total Gym Fitness, LLC. Total Gym equipment is used by physical therapy clinics, hospitals, ...
home fitness equipment. On November 1, 1998,
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
premiered
Michael Preece Michael Preece (born September 15, 1936) is an American film and television director, script supervisor, producer, and actor best known for directing television series ''Dallas (1978 TV series), Dallas'' and ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' and films ''Th ...
's television film '' Logan's War: Bound by Honor,'' starring Norris and
Eddie Cibrian Edward Carl Cibrian ( ; born June 16, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Cole Deschanel on the television series '' Sunset Beach'' and Jimmy Doherty on ''Third Watch''. His other notable television roles include Matt ...
The television film was ranked third among the thirteen most viewed shows of that week.


2000 to 2005: Subsequents films and internet fame

In the early 2000s, Norris starred as a secret agent in the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
's television films ''
The President's Man ''The President's Man'' is a 2000 American television film, made-for-television action film starring Chuck Norris and Dylan Neal. A sequel, ''The President's Man: A Line in the Sand'' was made in 2002. It was first shown on CBS on April 2, 2000. ...
'' (2000) and '' The President's Man: A Line in the Sand''.(2002). In 2003, Norris played a role in the supernatural
Christian film The Christian film industry is an aspect of Christian media for films containing a Christian-themed message or moral. They are often interdenominational films, but can also be films targeting a specific denomination of Christianity. Criteria P ...
'' Bells of Innocence.'' That same year, he acted in one episode of the TV show ''
Yes, Dear ''Yes, Dear'' is an American television sitcom created by Alan Kirschenbaum and Gregory Garcia, that aired on CBS from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, with the total of six seasons and 122 episodes. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Lou ...
''. In 2004,
Rawson Marshall Thurber Rawson Marshall Thurber (born February 9, 1975) is an American filmmaker and actor. Early life Thurber was born in San Francisco, California. He is the son of attorney Marshall Thurber. He is a 1997 graduate of Union College (Schenectady, New ...
's
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
'' DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story'' was released. Norris plays himself as a judge during a dodgeball game. Described by critics as raunchy comedy that delivers for many, it grossed $167.7 million. That same year, he published his autobiography ''Against All Odds: My Story''. In 2005, Norris founded the
World Combat League The World Combat League (WCL) was a full contact, team-based kickboxing promotion. It was founded by movie star and martial artist Chuck Norris. Rules The rules are typical of other full contact striking competitions, with some minor variati ...
(WCL), a full-contact, team-based martial arts competition, of which part of the proceeds are given to his Kickstart Kids program. On October 17, 2005, CBS premiered the Sunday Night Movie of the Week '' Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire''. The production was a continuation of the series, and not scripted to be a reunion movie. Norris reprised his role as Cordell Walker for the movie. He has stated that future ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' Movie of the Week projects are expected; however, this was severely impaired by CBS's 2006–2007 season decision to no longer regularly schedule Movies of the Week on Sunday night.
Chuck Norris facts Chuck Norris facts are satirical factoids about American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris that have become an Internet phenomenon widespread in popular culture. These 'facts' are absurd hyperbolic claims about Norris's toughness, attitude, ...
originally started appearing on the Internet in early 2005. Created by Ian Spector, they are satirical factoids about Norris. Since then, they have become widespread in popular culture. The "facts" are normally absurd hyperbolic claims about Norris's toughness, attitude, virility, sophistication, and masculinity. Norris has written his own response to the parody on his website, stating that he does not feel offended by them and finds some of them funny, claiming that his personal favorite is that they wanted to add his face to
Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (Lakota: ''Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe'', or Six Grandfathers) in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dakot ...
, but the granite is not hard enough for his beard. At first it was mostly college students exchanging them, but they later became extremely widespread. From that point on, Norris started to tour with the Chuck Norris facts appearing on major talk shows, and even visiting the troops in Iraq, for morale boosting appearances.


2006 to present day: current works

In 2006, he starred in the film ''
The Cutter ''The Cutter'' is a 2005 American direct-to-video action film directed by William Tannen, and starring Chuck Norris, Joanna Pacuła, Daniel Bernhardt, Bernie Kopell and Marshall R. Teague. After a deadly kidnapping rescue gone wrong, a guilt ridd ...
,'' where he plays a detective on a rescue mission. That year time he published the novel ''The Justice Riders'', co-written with Ken Abraham, Aaron Norris, and Tim Grayem. On November 29, 2007,
Gotham Books Avery Publishing is a book publishing imprint of the Penguin Group Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created ...
, the adult division of
Penguin USA Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adap ...
, released a book penned by Ian Spector entitled ''The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 facts about the World's Greatest Human''. Norris subsequently filed suit in December against Penguin USA claiming "trademark infringement,
unjust enrichment In laws of equity, unjust enrichment occurs when one person is enriched at the expense of another in circumstances that the law sees as unjust. Where an individual is unjustly enriched, the law imposes an obligation upon the recipient to make re ...
and privacy rights". Norris dropped the lawsuit in 2008. The book is a ''New York Times'' Best Seller. Since then, Spector has published four more books based on
Chuck Norris facts Chuck Norris facts are satirical factoids about American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris that have become an Internet phenomenon widespread in popular culture. These 'facts' are absurd hyperbolic claims about Norris's toughness, attitude, ...
, these are ''Chuck Norris Cannot Be Stopped: 400 All-New Facts About the Man Who Knows Neither Fear Nor Mercy'', ''Chuck Norris: Longer and Harder: The Complete Chronicle of the World's Deadliest, Sexiest, and Beardiest Man'', ''The Last Stand of Chuck Norris: 400 All New Facts About the Most Terrifying Man in the Universe'', and ''Chuck Norris Vs. Mr. T: 400 Facts About the Baddest Dudes in the History of Ever'' (also a ''New York Times'' Best Seller). That year Norris with the same team published a sequel to ''The Justice Riders'' called ''A Threat to Justice''. In 2008, he published the political non-fiction book '' Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America'', which reached number 14 on ''The New York Times'' best seller list in September 2008. In 2008,
Gameloft Gameloft SE is a French video game publisher based in Paris, founded in December 1999 by Ubisoft co-founder Michel Guillemot. The company operates 18 development studios worldwide, and publishes games with a special focus on the mobile games ma ...
produced the video game '' Chuck Norris: Bring On the Pain'' for mobile devices, based on the popularity Norris had developed on the internet with the Chuck Norris facts. The player takes control of Norris in a side-scrolling
beat 'em up The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...
. The game was well reviewed. On October 7, 2009,
Tyndale House Publishers Tyndale House is a Christian publisher in Carol Stream, Illinois. History Tyndale was founded in 1962 by Kenneth N. Taylor in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles, which he had composed while commuting to work at Moody Press in C ...
issued ''The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book: 101 of Chuck's Favorite Facts and Stories'', which was co-written and officially endorsed by Norris. Since 2010, Norris has been a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate writing on both personal health issues and broader issues of health care in America. In 2010, Norris appeared in advertisements for communications company
T-Mobile T-Mobile is the brand name used by some of the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG in the Czech Republic ( T-Mobile Czech Republic), Poland ( T-Mobile Polska), the United States (T-Mobil ...
in the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. In 2011, Norris appeared in advertisements for the ''
World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...
'' video game. In 2012, Norris appeared in a series of commercials for the Polish bank BZ WBK. In 2012, Norris played a mercenary in ''
The Expendables 2 ''The Expendables 2'' is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel to ...
.'' The film was a success and grossed over $310 million worldwide. In 2015, he appeared in two commercials for the French TV show ''Pieds dans le plat''. That same year, Norris and his wife Gena founded CForce Bottling Co. after an aquifer was discovered on his ranch. In 2016, he starred in the commercial for the beer
Hoegaarden Hoegaarden () is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Hoegaarden proper, Meldert and Outgaarden. On January 1, 2006, Hoegaarden had a tota ...
. In 2017, he appeared in the advertisement for United Healthcare. In 2017, Flaregames produced ''Non Stop Chuck Norris'', an isometric action-RPG game for
mobile device A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physica ...
and is the second game to be based on his popularity developed by the Chuck Norris facts. The game was well reviewed In 2017, Norris became Fiat's ambassador, a "tough face" for its commercial vehicles. Fiat says Norris embodies four pillars of its business: determination, reliability, dynamism, and competence. In 2018, Norris appeared in an ad for
Hesburger Hesburger (colloquially known in Finland as ''Hese'' and in Estonia as ''Hess'') is a fast food chain based in Turku, Finland. Today, it is the largest hamburger restaurant chain in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a market share ...
, a Finnish hamburger chain. That year he also did a commercial for Cerveza Poker. His third commercial that year was for
Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
. In early January 2020, Norris starred in a
QuikTrip The QuikTrip Corporation, more commonly known as QuikTrip (QT), is an American chain of convenience stores based in Tulsa, Oklahoma that primarily operates in the Midwestern, Southern, and Southeastern United States as well as in Arizona. QuikT ...
commercial for their Snackle line of food. In it Norris descends in parachute where he shoots hot-dogs out of a cannon at a crowd of people. On April 3, Norris appeared in the series finale of ''Hawaii Five-0''. In 2021, Norris was obtainable as a tank-commander in ''
World of Tanks ''World of Tanks'' (''WoT'') is a massively multiplayer online game developed by Belarusian company Wargaming, featuring 20th century (1910s–1970s) era combat vehicles. It is built upon a freemium business model where the game is free-to ...
'' during the Holiday Ops event. He gave players extra missions and featured a unique voice-over.


Martial arts knowledge

Norris has founded two major martial arts systems:
American Tang Soo Do American Tang Soo Do is a hybrid martial art formed in 1966 by Chuck Norris who combined the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do (Moo Duk Kwan) with Japanese styles of Judo, Shito-ryu Karate and Shotokan Karate. Over the years it has been furth ...
and Chuck Norris System (formerly known as Chun Kuk Do).


American Tang Soo Do

American Tang Soo Do was formed in 1966 by Norris, which is combination of Moo Duk Kwan-style
Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, Hanja: 唐手道 ) refers to a Korean martial art based on Karate and may include fighting principles from subak (as described in the Kwon Bup Chong Do), as well as northern Chinese martial arts. Before the ...
,
Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
and Karate ( Shito-Ryu and
Shotokan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" throug ...
). Over the years it has been further developed by former black belts of his and their students.


Chuck Norris System

Norris's present martial art system is the Chuck Norris System, formerly known as Chun Kuk Do. The style was formally founded in 1990 as Chun Kuk Do by Norris, and was originally based on Norris's Tang Soo Do training in Korea while he was in the military. During his competitive fighting career, Norris began to evolve the style to make it more effective and well-rounded by studying other systems such as
Shōtōkan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" throug ...
,
Gōjū-ryū , Japanese for "hard-soft style", is one of the main traditional Okinawan styles of karate, featuring a combination of hard and soft techniques. Both principles, hard and soft, come from the famous martial arts book used by Okinawan masters du ...
,
Shitō-ryū is a form of karate that was founded in 1934 by . Shitō-ryū is synthesis of the Okinawan Shuri-te and Naha-te schools of karate and today is considered one of the four main styles of the art. History Kenwa Mabuni (Mabuni Kenwa 摩文 ...
, American Kenpo,
Enshin kaikan is a style of " full contact karate", or Knockdown karate, founded in 1988 with dojo and students in various countries around the world. Overview The core emphasis in Enshin is use of the Sabaki Method, a system of techniques employed with ...
,
Kyokushin is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organization founded in 1964 by Korean-Jap ...
,
Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
Arnis Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima, is the national martial art of the Philippines. The three are roughly interchangeable umbrella terms for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines (" Filipino Martial Arts", or FMA), which ...
,
Tae Kwon Do ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
,
Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, Hanja: 唐手道 ) refers to a Korean martial art based on Karate and may include fighting principles from subak (as described in the Kwon Bup Chong Do), as well as northern Chinese martial arts. Before the ...
and
Hapkido Hapkido ( , , also spelled ''hap ki do'' or ''hapki-do''; from Korean 합기도 ''hapgido'' ) is a hybrid Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other s ...
. Chun Kuk Do now emphasizes self defense, competition, weapons, grappling, and fitness, among other things. Each summer the
United Fighting Arts Federation The United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF) is a martial arts organization founded by Chuck Norris in 1979.Norris, Chuck. Against All Odds. Broadman & Holman Publishers Nashville, Tennessee. 2004. p. 144. UFAF is the governing and sanctioning ...
(UFAF) holds a training conference and the Chun Kuk Do world championship tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. The art includes a code of honor and rules to live by. These rules are from Norris's personal code. They are: # I will develop myself to the maximum of my potential in all ways. # I will forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements. # I will continually work at developing love, happiness and loyalty in my family. # I will look for the good in all people and make them feel worthwhile. # If I have nothing good to say about a person, I will say nothing. # I will always be as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own. # I will maintain an attitude of open-mindedness. # I will maintain respect for those in authority and demonstrate this respect at all times. # I will always remain loyal to my God, my country, family and my friends. # I will remain highly goal-oriented throughout my life because that positive attitude helps my family, my country and myself. Like most traditional martial arts, Chuck Norris System includes the practice of forms (Korean ''
hyung The Korean terms hyeong, pumsae, poomsae and teul (meaning "form" or "pattern") are all used to refer to martial arts forms that are typically used in Korean martial arts such as Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do. * Hyeong is often romanized as ''hyu ...
'' and Japanese '' kata''). The majority of the system's forms are adapted from Korean Tang Soo Do, and Taekwondo, Japanese
Shitō-ryū is a form of karate that was founded in 1934 by . Shitō-ryū is synthesis of the Okinawan Shuri-te and Naha-te schools of karate and today is considered one of the four main styles of the art. History Kenwa Mabuni (Mabuni Kenwa 摩文 ...
,
Shotokan Karate is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" throug ...
, Goju-ryu Karate,
Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, American Kenpo and Kyokushinkai. It includes two organization-specific introductory forms, two organization-specific empty-hand forms, and one organization-specific weapon form (UFAF
Nunchuk is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks (traditionally made of wood), connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately 30 cm (sticks) and 1 inch (rope). A person w ...
form, UFAF Bo form, UFAF Sai forms). The United Fighting Arts Federation has graduated over 3,000 black belts in its history, and currently has nearly 4,000 active members world-wide. There are about 90 member schools in the US,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, and
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
.


Distinctions, awards, and honors

*While in the military, Norris's rank units were Airman First Class, 15th Air Force, 22d Bombardment Group, and 452d Troop Carrier Wing. *Norris has received many black belts. These include a 10th degree black belt in
Chun Kuk Do Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...
, a 9th degree black belt in
Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, Hanja: 唐手道 ) refers to a Korean martial art based on Karate and may include fighting principles from subak (as described in the Kwon Bup Chong Do), as well as northern Chinese martial arts. Before the ...
, an 8th degree black belt in
Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
, a 5th degree black belt in Karate, a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from the
Machado Machado is a surname of Portuguese origin meaning the word "axe" or "hatchet" dating back to approximately 2nd century Europe. It is commonly found in Portugal, Spain, Brazil and Latin America, and India (Southern Tamil Nadu and Southern Kerala) ...
family, and a black belt in
Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
. *In 1967, he won the ''Sparring Grand Champions'' at the S. Henry Cho's All American Championship, and won it again the following year. *In 1968, he won the Professional Middleweight Karate champion title, which he held for six consecutive years. *In 1969, he won Karate's triple crown for the most tournament wins of the year. *In 1969, he won the ''Fighter of the Year award'' by '' Black Belt'' magazine. *In 1982, he won ''Action Star of the Year'' at the
ShoWest Convention The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is an American trade organization whose members are the owners of movie theaters. Most of the worldwide major theater chains' operators are members, as are hundreds of independent theater opera ...
. *In 1989, he received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. *In 1992, he won ''International Box Office Star of the Year'' at the ShoWest Convention. *In 1997, he won the Special Award of being a Texas legend at the ''Lone Star Film & Television Awards''. *From 1997 to 1998, he won for three consecutive years the ''BMI TV Music Award'' at the ''
BMI Awards The BMI Film & TV Awards are accolades presented annually by Broadcast Music, Inc., honoring songwriters, composers, and music publishers in various genres. Based in the United States, the awards include the BMI Christian Awards, BMI Country Award ...
''. *In 1999, Norris was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum's Hall of Fame. *In 1999, he was nominated for ''Favorite Actor in a Drama'' by the ''
TV Guide Award The ''TV Guide'' Award was an annual award created by the editors of ''TV Guide'' magazine, as a readers poll to honor outstanding programs and performers in the American television industry. The awards were presented until 1964. The ''TV Guide'' A ...
''. *In 1999, he won the ''Inspirational Acting in Television Award'' at the ''Grace Prize Award''. *On July 1, 2000, Norris was presented the ''Golden Lifetime Achievement Award'' by the World Karate Union Hall of Fame. *In 2001, he received the ''Veteran of the Year'' at the ''American Veteran Awards''. *In 2001, he won the ''Golden Boot'' at the ''
Golden Boot Awards The Golden Boot Awards were an American acknowledgement of achievement honoring actors, actresses, and crew members who made significant contributions to the genre of Westerns in television and film. The award was sponsored and presented by the ...
''. *On March 28, 2007, Commandant Gen.
James T. Conway James Terry Conway (born December 26, 1947) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Among his previous postings were Director of Operations (J-3) on the Joint Chiefs of S ...
made Norris an honorary
United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
during a dinner at the commandant's residence in Washington, D.C. *On December 2, 2010, he (along with brother Aaron) was given the title honorary Texas Ranger by
Texas Governor The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
Rick Perry. *In 2010, he won the ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' at the ''ActionFest''. *In 2017, he was honored as an "Honorary Texan" because for many years he has lived at his Texas ranch near Navasota and he starred as Texas Ranger in his movie ''Lone Wolf McQuade'' and starred as ranger Cordell Walker in the TV series ''Walker, Texas Ranger''. *In 2020, two editions of a book honoring Norris were published titled ''Martial Arts Masters & Pioneers Biography: Chuck Norris - Giving Back For A Lifetime'' by Jessie Bowen of the American Martial Arts Alliance.


Personal life


Family

Norris married his classmate Dianne Kay Holechek (born 1941) in December 1958 when he was 18 and Dianne was 17 years of age. They met in 1956 at high school in Torrance, California. In 1962, their first child,
Mike Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...
, was born. He also had a daughter Dina who was born in 1963 of an extramarital affair. Later, he had a second son,
Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
, with his wife in 1964. After 30 years of marriage, Norris and Holechek divorced in 1989, after separating in 1988, during the filming of ''The Delta Force 2''. On November 28, 1998, he married former model Gena O'Kelley, 23 years Norris's junior. O'Kelley had two children from a previous marriage. She delivered twins on August 30, 2001. On September 22, 2004, Norris told ''
Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
s
Mary Hart Mary Hart (born Mary Johanna Harum; November 8, 1950) is an American television personality and actress. She was the long-running host (1982–2011) of the syndicated gossip and entertainment round-up television program '' Entertainment Tonight' ...
that he did not meet his illegitimate daughter from a past relationship until she was 26, although she learned that he was her father when she was 16. He met her after she sent a letter informing him of their relationship in 1990, one year after Norris's divorce with his first wife Dianne Holechek. Norris has thirteen grandchildren .


Christianity

An outspoken Christian, Norris is the author of several Christian-themed books. On April 22, 2008, Norris expressed his support for the
intelligent design movement The intelligent design movement is a neo-creationist religious campaign for broad social, academic and political change to promote and support the pseudoscientific Article available froUniversiteit Gent/ref> idea of intelligent design (ID), which ...
when he reviewed Ben Stein's '' Expelled'' for
Townhall.com Townhall is an American politically conservative website, print magazine and radio news service. Previously published by The Heritage Foundation, it is now owned and operated by Salem Communications. The website features more than 80 columns (b ...
.


Political views

Norris is a
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and outspoken
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
. Norris is a columnist for the far-right
WorldNetDaily ''WND'' (formerly ''WorldNetDaily'') is an American far-right fake news website. It is known for promoting falsehoods and conspiracy theories, including the false claim that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Th ...
. In 2007, Norris took a trip to
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
to visit U.S. troops. On November 18, 2008, Norris became one of the first members of show business to express support for the
California Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in co ...
ban on same-sex marriage, and he chided activists for "interfering" with the
democratic process Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choose gover ...
and the double standard he perceived in criticizing
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
without criticizing African Americans, who had voted for the measure by a wide margin. On June 26, 2012, Norris published an article on Ammoland.com, in which he accused the Obama administration of paying
Jim Turley James S. Turley is an American business executive. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Ernst & Young from 2001 to 2013. He was the National President of the Boy Scouts of America from 2018 to 2019. Early life and education Turley r ...
, one of the national board members of the
Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...
at the time, to reverse the organization's policy that excluded gay youths from joining. During the 2012 presidential election, Norris first recommended Ron Paul, and then later formally endorsed Newt Gingrich as the Republican presidential candidate. After Gingrich suspended his campaign in May 2012, Norris endorsed Republican
presumptive nominee In United States politics and government, the term presidential nominee has two different meanings: # A candidate for president of the United States who has been selected by the delegates of a political party at the party's national convention ( ...
Mitt Romney, despite Norris having previously accused Romney of
flip-flopping A "flip-flop" (used mostly in the United States), U-turn (used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Pakistan, Malaysia, etc.), or backflip (used in Australia and New Zealand) is a derogatory term for a sudden real or apparent change of policy or opin ...
and of trying to buy the nomination for the Republican Party candidacy for 2012. On the eve of the election, he and his wife Gena made a video warning that if evangelicals did not show up at the polls and vote out President Obama, "...our country as we know it may be lost forever...". Norris has visited
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, and he voiced support for former Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
in the 2013 and
2015 elections The following elections were scheduled to occur in the year 2015. Africa * 2015 Beninese parliamentary election 26 April 2015 * 2015 Burkinabé general election 29 November 2015 * 2015 Burundian legislative election 29 June 2015 * 2015 Burun ...
. Norris endorsed Huckabee again in the 2016 Republican primaries before he dropped out. In March 2016, it was reported that Norris endorsed Republican
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
Senator
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
and that he would be attending a Cruz rally, but two days later, Norris stated he would only endorse the GOP nominee once that nominee has been nominated by the party. Norris endorsed former
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
Chief Justice
Roy Moore Roy Stewart Moore (born February 11, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer, and jurist who served as the 27th and 31st chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2013 to 2017, each time being removed fr ...
in the 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama. In 2019, Norris signed an endorsement deal with gun manufacturer
Glock Glock is a brand of polymer-Receiver (firearms), framed, Recoil operation#Short recoil operation, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H., Glock Ges.m.b.H. The ...
. The deal was met with criticism from some members of the public and some of his fans, who felt it was in bad timing due to the increase in
school shootings in the United States A school shooting is an attack at an educational institution, such as a primary school, secondary school, high school or university, involving the use of firearms. Many school shootings are also categorized as mass shootings due to multiple c ...
. In 2021, Norris announced his support of the 2021 gubernatorial election to
recall Recall may refer to: * Recall (bugle call), a signal to stop * Recall (information retrieval), a statistical measure * ''ReCALL'' (journal), an academic journal about computer-assisted language learning * Recall (memory) * ''Recall'' (Overwatch ...
incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California f ...
and endorsed
radio talk show host Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
Larry Elder Laurence Allen Elder (born April 27, 1952) is an American right-wing political commentator and conservative talk radio host. Elder hosts ''The Larry Elder Show'', based in California. The show began as a local program on Los Angeles radio stat ...
to replace him.


Philanthropy

In 1990, Norris established the
United Fighting Arts Federation The United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF) is a martial arts organization founded by Chuck Norris in 1979.Norris, Chuck. Against All Odds. Broadman & Holman Publishers Nashville, Tennessee. 2004. p. 144. UFAF is the governing and sanctioning ...
and Kickstart Kids. As a significant part of his philanthropic contributions, the organization was formed to develop self-esteem and focus in at-risk children as a tactic to keep them away from drug-related pressure by training them in martial arts. Norris hopes that by shifting middle school and high school children's focus towards this positive and strengthening endeavor, these children will have the opportunity to build a better future for themselves. Norris has a ranch in Navasota, Texas, where they bottle water; a portion of the sales support environmental funds and Kickstart Kids. He is known for his contributions towards organizations such as Funds for Kids, Veteran's Administration National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans, the
United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...
, and the
Make-A-Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old. Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headqu ...
in the form of donations as well as fund-raising activities.
/ref> His time with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Veterans Administration as a spokesperson was inspired by his experience serving the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
in Korea. His objective has been to popularize the issues that concern hospitalized war veterans such as pensions and health care. Due to his significant contributions, and continued support, he received the ''Veteran of the Year'' award in 2001 at the ''American Veteran Awards''. In India, Norris supports the Vijay Amritraj Foundation, which aims at bringing hope, help and healing to the defenseless and innocent victims of disease, tragedy and circumstance. Through his donations, he has helped the foundation support Paediatric HIV/AIDS homes in
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
, a blind school in
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, and a mission that cares for
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
infected adults, as well as mentally ill patients in
Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
.


Filmography


Bibliography

* ''Winning Tournament Karate'' (1975) * ''Toughen Up! The Chuck Norris Fitness System'' (1983) * ''The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story'' (1987) * ''The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems'' (1996) * ''Against All Odds: My Story'' (2004) * ''The Justice Riders'' (2006) * ''A Threat to Justice'' (2007) * '' Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America'' (2008). Regnery Publishing. . * ''The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book: 101 of Chuck's Favorite Facts and Stories'' (2009)


Notes


References


Further reading

* ''The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems'', Zen Buddhism and martial arts. Little, Brown and Company (1996). . * ''Against All Odds: My Story'', an autobiography. Broadman & Holman Publishers (2004). . * ''The Justice Riders'', Wild West novels. Broadman & Holman Publishers (2006). . * Spector, Ian (2007). ''The Truth About Chuck Norris''. New York:Gotham Books. .


External links

* * *
Chuck Norris
a
martialinfo.com

Official Chun Kuk Do Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Chuck 1940 births 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century Christians 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century Christians Activists from California Activists from Oklahoma Activists from Texas Actors from Torrance, California American Christian creationists American Christian writers American Christians American chun kuk do practitioners American evangelicals American film producers American gun rights activists American male film actors American male karateka American male non-fiction writers American male screenwriters American male taekwondo practitioners American male television actors American martial arts writers American motivational writers American people of English descent American people of Irish descent American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent American philanthropists American political commentators American political writers American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American tang soo do practitioners California Republicans Christians from California Christians from Oklahoma Christians from Texas Film and television memes Film producers from California Film producers from Oklahoma Film producers from Texas Intelligent design advocates Internet memes Living people Male actors from California Male actors from Oklahoma Male actors from Texas Martial arts school founders People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Jefferson County, Oklahoma People from Navasota, Texas People from Prairie Village, Kansas People from Ryan, Oklahoma People from Tarzana, Los Angeles Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from Oklahoma Screenwriters from Texas Texas Republicans United States Air Force airmen Writers from Los Angeles Writers from Oklahoma Writers from Texas