Carlos Ray Norris, better known as Chuck Norris, was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940. Living in a trailer with his mother and two younger brothers, he did not participate in sports and frequently faced bullying at school. The future actor worked as a trucker and dreamed of becoming a police officer. After high school, Norris married his classmate Diana Holecek, enlisted in the Army, and served for three years at an Air Force base in South Korea. At this base, his fate took a significant turn: his colleagues started referring to him as Chuck, a moniker that remained with him throughout his life. That’s also when Norris began to practice judo and tansudo—mostly out of boredom.
Returning to the United States in the early sixties, Chuck opened his karate dojo, gradually growing it into a chain. Norris became a true martial arts master: he received the highest, 10th dan in tansudo and karate-do, and later even founded his own style, chun-kuk-do. Martial arts served as a ticket for Chuck to the world of cinema. One of his students, legendary actor Steve McQueen, first brought Norris to the set of the film “The Wrecking Crew.” Later, Bruce Lee himself offered Chuck to play the villain in one of the best action films ever made—”The Way of the Dragon.”
After a successful debut, Norris realized that acting was what he was missing in his life all this time. He began attending acting classes, working on his diction, and soon became a bona fide action star of the video arcade era. Chuck’s fame peaked in the nineties when he played the Texas Ranger Cordell Walker in the series “Walker, Texas Ranger.” The adventures of badass Walker and his partner James Trivett (Clarence Gilliard) were a colossal success both in the United States and far beyond.
Chuck Norris became an Internet meme in the mid-00s when people posted a list of “fun facts” about the legendary actor, showcasing his incredible coolness. According to these “facts,” Chuck Norris has counted to infinity twice; his tears can cure cancer (but Chuck never cries), and he can do a wheelie on a unicycle.
In the 2000s, Norris became famous as the author of several popular books, including his autobiography, self-help books on fitness and martial arts, and essays on Christianity and patriotism. On the wave of popularity of the Chuck Norris jokes, the actor also released a book in which he collected the ones he liked the most. Chuck last appeared on the big screen in 2012 in the action film “The Expendables 2.” In 2020, he starred in store advertisements for pre-tied ties.
More recently, Chuck Norris seems to be more on top of his game than ever. The martial legend celebrated his birthday with a short Instagram post that showed him feeling good and staying active. In the same video, Norris also shows off his boxing skills amid a lush landscape before saying, “You know, I’m 84 today, but I feel like I’m 48!” straight into the camera. Bold statement, Mr. Roundhouse Kick!