Chuck Norris is an actor,
producer and screenwriter, master of martial arts, author
of several best-selling books, creator of television programs, and
successful businessman. In this video, you will learn why he left his film career and
how he became one of the top memes of the 2000s.
Chuck Norris: how the Texas Ranger
lives and where he spends his millions.
Carlos Ray Norris was born March 10, 1940, in
Ryan, Oklahoma, and grew up with two younger brothers. According to our hero, his ancestors
include Irish and Cherokee Indians. His father had a serious drinking problem, so the family
lived in poverty for a long time without even a proper home as they had to huddle in a trailer.
Eventually his father abandoned the family, and his mother got married to the widower George
Knight. It was his stepfather who instilled a love of sports in the young man, and also showed
him what a loving husband and father should be.
In his school days, the future master of martial
arts didn’t stand out either in sports or academic achievements. Because of this, he was often
attacked by his peers and became more and more withdrawn. At the same time, remembering hunger
and poverty, young Carlos began working early. In high school, he got a job as a loader and gave
part of the money to his mother and grandmother to take care of his younger brothers.
His first big purchase was a second hand car. And his first passenger was classmate Dianne
Holechek. At that moment, the modest young man was in love with the girl and didn’t yet know that she
would become the mother of his future children.
As soon as Carlos turned 18, he enlisted
in the U.S. Army and while he was training, he proposed to Diane. They got married on one
of his tours of duty. By the way, it was in boot camp that Norris got his name Chuck. A fellow
Hispanic soldier thought the name "Carlos" was inappropriate for a white guy, so he changed it
to Charles, and then shortened it to Chuck. Among his family, however, our man remains Carlos.
Soon Norris was sent to a military base in South Korea, where he broke his shoulder in the first
few days. It was this unpleasant incident that turned his life upside down: dying of boredom,
the young man went to look around and saw an outlandish battle between two guys. The fighters
moved with incredible speed and flexibility, executing precise and powerful punches. Back
at base, Carlos turned to a judo trainer and began to learn a new kind of wrestling,
tansudo. He spent two years honing his skills and competing in duels. He returned
home as a strong man with a black belt.
Upon his return to the States, Chuck continued
to serve at an Air Force base in California for some time, and after being discharged in 1962,
he applied for police work. According to other reports, he worked at the Northrop Aviation
plant. Also in 1962, he and Dianne had their firstborn son Michael. In order to provide for his
family, the young father began to work part-time, conducting martial arts training in the backyard
of his house. Later, this part-time job grew into a serious business. Chuck opened his own
karate school, and by 1965, the school had grown into a network of training rooms across
the United States. Chuck's family also grew as Dianne gave birth to another son, Eric. But
not everything was smooth in their relationship, as in 1963 the man had a daughter born out
of wedlock, Dina. She didn't get to know her father until she was 16, and met him only at 26.
Soon Norris's first successes in sports came: in 1965 he took first place at the All-Star
Championship in Los Angeles, and in 1968 he won the world karate light heavyweight title.
He held that title for a full seven years.
It became prestigious to be trained with Chuck
Norris, and celebrities began to sign up for training: for example, the wife of the King
of Rock and Roll, Priscilla Presley, and the popular Hollywood actor Steve McQueen. It was
he who advised Chuck to try his hand at acting.
In the first film, Norris was not even listed in
the credits. In the crime comedy The Wrecking Crew in 1968, he played an ordinary gangster and was
present in the frame for about three minutes. The real turning point in Chuck's career was
his acquaintance with Bruce Lee. In 1972, he invited Chuck to star in the
movie The Way of the Dragon, where the novice actor played the role of
the villain. It took several weeks for Lee and Norris to prepare for the fighting scene.
They worked together with a choreographer and developed each movement to create a dynamic
fight. As a result, the film The Way of the Dragon became an action movie with huge popularity
and brought our hero his first fame. On the set, the actors became such good friends that when
Lee died in 1973, Norris was one of those who carried the coffin at his funeral.
After a brilliant debut, Chuck was first offered a cameo role in the comedy
The Student Teachers, then the role of the villain character in the low-budget Hong
Kong action movie Slaughter in San Francisco. By the way, despite the fact
that the film was made in 1974, it did not appear on the big screens in
the United States until 7 years later, when the film company was able to capitalize
on the popularity of Chuck Norris. More important roles required better skills, so
in conjunction with filming, our hero was trained in the Estelle Harman acting school. He was the
oldest student there. At that time, he was already 34 years old. The effort was not in vain, and in
1977, Chuck got his first major role. In the movie Breaker! Breaker!, he played a tough trucker,
trying to find his missing younger brother. The fee of the little-known actor was only 10
thousand dollars. But in the next film, Good Guys Wear Black, his rate has grown to 40 thousand.
In another film, A Force of One, Norris played a karate champion, teaching the police martial
arts, and received 125 thousand for his work.
From that moment on, Chuck became really popular
and films with his participation began to please fans of action movies every year. In 1980,
he played a bodyguard of a rich lady in the film The Octagon, in 1981, a policeman in the
dramatic action movie An Eye for an Eye. His fees rose to 250 thousand dollars. 1982 was
marked by the release of two films at once: Forced Vengeance and Silent Rage. In 1983,
Norris tried on the role of a Ranger for the first time in the film Lone Wolf McQuade.
The popularity of the energetic actor was growing; he became a real star of the Cannon Pictures
film company and signed a contract with them for the making of five films. They were notable
for the variety and complexity of stories, and the audience liked them. The most famous film
of the time was the movie Missing in Action about a Vietnam war veteran who returns to find and save
his comrades-in-arms. By the way, Chuck dedicated this action film and its sequel ‘Missing in Action
2: The Beginning’ to his younger brother Wieland, who died in Vietnam in 1970. And after the release
of the sequel ‘Braddock: Missing in Action III’ in 1988, Norris threatened to sue the Cannon film
company for an insufficient advertising campaign of the film. The actor himself considered
this film the strongest in his career.
But let’s go back to 1985. From that year
to 1993, the actor showed his signature U-turn kick in a dozen films: Code of Silence,
Invasion U.S.A., The Delta Force, Firewalker, ‘Hero and the Terror’, ‘Delta Force 2: The
Colombian Connection’, The Hitman, and Sidekicks. In all of these films, the viewer was treated
to the obligatory happy endings, fight scenes in which Chuck was victorious, and minor love
lines. The actor also voiced an animated series about himself, ‘Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos’.
Big changes were happening not only in Chuck’s career, but also in his personal life. In 1989,
after thirty years of marriage, Chuck Norris and Dianne Holechek decided to part ways. The divorce
was amicable and without scandal. The former spouses have maintained excellent relations
with each other and their adult children.
The really big breakthrough that brought Chuck
Norris worldwide fame was the start of the filming of the TV series ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’.
The series has been on American television for a long nine seasons, including the pilot
season. It tells the story of Cordell Walker, a Texas Ranger who fights crime in his home
state. At first glance, one might think that the main thing in the show is spectacular
fights, but a deeper analysis makes it clear that the screenwriters placed a vivid emphasis
on family values and friendship. Harsh at work, Cordell Walker in life is a loving father and
husband, always ready to protect his loved ones and help his friends. These topics are touched
upon in every episode and make the series even more appealing to viewers. The fight scenes are
good too, and some of them even became iconic.
Despite being busy with the series, movies
starring Chuck continued to come out almost every year. Among them are: Hellbound, Wind in
the Wire, Top Dog, Forest Warrior, ‘Logan's War: Bound by Honor’, The President's Man, and the
TV series Sons of Thunder and Martial Law.
Moreover, Norris didn’t forget about his
coaching activities and in 1997 released a video ‘Chuck Norris: Private Lesson’, which
clearly demonstrated the techniques, punches and throws inherent in some styles of martial arts.
During the same period, the actor met a new love. She was the model and designer Gena O'Kelly. At
the time of their wedding in 1998, Chuck was 58, and Gena was 35. They both already had the
experience of marriage and children. As the actor himself admits, it was love at first sight,
so they got married soon after meeting. 3 years later, with the help of artificial insemination,
they had twins: a girl Danilee and a boy Dakota. According to rumors, ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ was
not supposed to end in 2001: the show was going to be extended for at least two more seasons.
However, after learning about Gena's pregnancy, Norris decided to hang up his cowboy hat.
During this period, Chuck's acting career faded into the background and he concentrated on
activities of another kind. Chuck began writing books, three of which became bestsellers.
One of Chuck's latest works is called ‘Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America’.
The actor also became active in his social life, promoting religious ideas and concepts of
traditional values. In 2006, he became the author of a column for a right-wing political
publication, where he expressed his beliefs. As a matter of fact, Chuck still actively opposes
the legalization of same-sex marriages and fights for the right to freely carry firearms.
Together with his wife, Norris served on the board of the National Council on Bible Curriculum
in Public Schools, where he is an active advocate for the introduction of mandatory prayer in
the classroom. Norris also founded a charity which helps children and adolescents get rid
of their addictions by taking up martial arts.
Meanwhile, viewers could see the action star
in the films ‘The President's Man: A Line in the Sand’, Bells of Innocence, ‘DodgeBall: A
True Underdog Story’, and The Cutter. In 2005, the crew of ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ got together
again to shoot a feature film, ‘Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire’. Several more sequels
were planned to be released, but the ratings of the old-school Walker were not at their best.
Norris is known in the U.S. for his loud political statements. For example, in 2009 he said
that Texans may well aspire to create an independent country on their own territory.
Moreover, the actor expressed confidence that he could be an excellent candidate for the
role of president of the newly formed state.
For several years, Chuck Norris did not
appear on the movie screens, but in 2012, he joined the team of ‘The Expendables’ in
the second part of Stallone’s film franchise. Incidentally, the name of his character Booker
is an homage to the movie Good Guys Wear Black, where Norris' character is named John T.
Booker. Also, in both films, Norris plays a retired military man who participates in a rescue
operation to help his old comrades. The film was warmly received by both audiences and critics
and grossed $315 million at the box office.
In 2017, there was tragic news about the personal
life of our hero. He admitted that he gave up his acting career because of the fatal illness of
his beloved wife Gena. Then the spouses began a lawsuit against 11 companies responsible
for the production and distribution of drugs used for MRI. The Norrises said that these drugs
were the cause of Gena's severe health problems and demanded damages of over $10 million.
According to their claims, in 2013, Gena went for a routine MRI procedure, and a few days later,
the young and healthy woman woke up at night with severe abdominal pain and was admitted to the
intensive care unit for several days. Over time, the symptoms were joined by tremors, muscle
weakness, low body temperature, weight loss, hair loss, and other serious health problems. The
situation deteriorated so much that at one point the woman could no longer take care of herself.
And her husband kept his vow to be there for her in sickness and in wealth, interrupting his career
to take care of Gena until she fully recovered.
The outcome of the drug poisoning litigation
was unpredictable: the dispute was dismissed at Norris's request without settlement, and
each side agreed to pay its own legal costs. The woman's health was severely compromised, even
though she recovered and survived after a long period of therapeutic treatment. It is known that
Norris now tries to spend as much time as possible with his family and travel extensively.
Although such squabbles affected him too: the actor had two consecutive heart attacks.
By the way, this is not the only case of litigation involving Norris. In 2018, Chuck sued
Sony Pictures and the CBS network, which owns the distribution rights to ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’.
CBS originally agreed to pay the actor 23% of all profits from all broadcasts. But according to the
actor, he was under-receiving income from viewings of the series on online streaming services.
The actor demanded a payment of $30 million.
Notably, Norris holds the title of Honorary
Texan. He received this honor not only because he lived on a ranch in Texas for
many years, but also because of his roles as Lone Wolf McQuade and Texas Ranger Walker.
Chuck lived a large part of his life in the state of Texas. For a long time, he owned a gorgeous
2100-square-foot house in the Northwood Hills area of Dallas. Among other things, the four-bedroom
home had three fireplaces, a media room, a pool surrounded by lush greenery, a large
patio, a gym, and even an elevator. In 2013, the property went on the market for $1.2 million
or, according to other sources, $1.6 million.
A few years later, the actor's estate in
California's North Tustin was put up for sale for $3.5 million. In the center of the
two-story house, there was a floor-to-ceiling glass vestibule. Brick walls and wooden posts
and beams complemented the overall style. A lake, saltwater pool and trees that cost
more than a million dollars to plant, adorned the grounds of the estate.
The Norris family currently resides on a ranch in Navasota, Texas. In addition to the usual
things in celebrity homes like a gym and stables, the actor boasts a Chuck Norris Museum
and a real life alligator. What's more, there's a lake on the ranch, and the family uses
military vehicles to move around the property.
Another of our hero's favorite vehicles are
American pickup trucks. He had a Ford F-350, and another similar snow-white
vehicle was seen near his ranch.
Chuck Norris’ house is not just a good investment
in real estate, it's also a super return on investment, because across the street from it,
there’s CForce Bottling Co, one of the largest privately owned water bottling companies. It
occupies nearly 3 square miles of manufacturing space. The CForce Water brand was launched
by Chuck and his wife in 2015. Naturally, the actor became the advertising face of the water.
By the way, this is not Chuck's only income. For just $300 anyone can order a video greeting from
Cordell Walker. Not a bad price for a 2-minute video recorded on the front camera of a phone.
Another line of his income was the smartphone game Non Stop Chuck Norris. The game allows
users to take on the role of Chuck Norris' sidekick and defeat an endless array of enemies.
And, of course, we can't ignore the phenomenon of Chuck Norris' popularity online. His entire acting
career is a fertile field for the creation of gags and memes. The unwavering indestructibility of
his characters has become the ground for more than half a million memes, collectively called "Chuck
Norris Facts." These facts usually describe Chuck Norris as an invincible hero who can handle any
situation and defeat any opponent. For example: “There is no chin under Chuck Norris's beard.
There's another fist there.” “Chuck Norris once looked at the sun for hours... the sun failed
and blinked.” Or "when Chuck Norris cuts an onion, the onion cries." By the actor's own
admission, his favorite joke goes like this:…
In fact, not only Internet users, but entire
corporations are involved in the creation of memes. In particular, Google has prepared an
easter egg for anyone looking for information about the actor on the web. If you type the
text "find chuck norris" into the search box and click "I'm feeling lucky," you'll go
to an article with the following content: "Google won't search for Chuck Norris because
it knows you don't find Chuck Norris, he finds you!" Web search suggestions might also be "Run
before he finds you," or "Try another person."
In the 2000s, memes about the actor became
so popular that Norris himself released The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book: 101
of Chuck's Favorite Facts and Stories, and starred in a commercial that was based on
those jokes. According to the advertising slogan, 10 million people can play World of Warcraft,
because Chuck Norris allows them to live.
The sellable image of the invincible Chuck
generally played into the hands of many brands, which starred him in their commercials.
The American actor became a character in a Toyota commercial, in which, thanks
to his autograph on the front fender, the pickup truck was transformed into
a superhero. He also became the face of non-alcoholic beer "AB InBev", the T-Mobile
group of companies, a poker game, Fiat cars, and in 2021, "New Year Eve Offensive" from Chuck
appeared on the World of Tanks YouTube channel.
Today Chuck is a loving husband, father and
grandfather. He has 13 grandchildren from five children. His fortune is estimated at about $70
million. He spends all his time with his family, does charity work and helps children and
teenagers get rid of addictions. In recent years, the actor returned to filming only once, appearing
in an episode of the series Hawaii Five-0.
By the time he was 83, Cordell Walker had
proven that he's cool in everything he does. What's your favorite movie starring the
invincible Norris? Write in the comments and don't forget to give us a like.
Otherwise, Chuck Norris will find you.
