Chuck Norris

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris was an American martial artist, actor, screenwriter, and author known for his work in action cinema and television. Holding black belts across several martial arts disciplines, he earned multiple championship titles and developed his own fighting system, Chun Kuk Do. He eventually transitioned from combat sports instruction to a prominent career as a Hollywood action star.

Born in Ryan, Oklahoma, in 1940, Norris experienced a troubled early life shaped by financial hardship and his father's long drinking binges, which contributed to his intense childhood shyness. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother and brothers to Kansas and California. In 1958, he enlisted in the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman. While stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea, he earned the nickname "Chuck" and began training in Tang Soo Do. He completed his military service in California in 1962.

Upon returning to civilian life, Norris opened a network of karate studios and began competing in tournaments. Although he lost his initial bouts, he rapidly improved and went on to secure major victories, including the All-American Karate Championship and the Professional Middleweight Karate Championship. He earned Karate's triple crown in 1969 and instructed high-profile celebrity students, such as Steve McQueen, Bob Barker, and Priscilla Presley, before stepping away from regular competition.

Encouraged by McQueen to pursue acting professionally, Norris gained early screen prominence after his friend Bruce Lee cast him as a primary antagonist in the 1972 hit film The Way of the Dragon. He secured his first leading role in the 1977 release Breaker! Breaker!, followed by Good Guys Wear Black in 1978. The latter became a major box-office success and helped establish Norris as a leading American martial arts actor.

Norris built on this success through a series of popular action films, including A Force of One, The Octagon, An Eye for an Eye, and Lone Wolf McQuade. He later signed a multi-picture contract with Cannon Films, starring in Missing in Action and its sequels, which cemented his position as the studio's top star during the 1980s. His other notable projects during this decade included Code of Silence, Invasion U.S.A., and The Delta Force.

In 1993, Norris moved into television, taking the title role in the long-running series Walker, Texas Ranger, which aired until 2001. He continued to act in feature films through 2006, making his final major movie appearance in The Expendables 2 in 2012. He also lent his voice to the animated series Karate Kommandos.

Outside of performing, Norris became a bestselling author, writing books covering martial arts, physical fitness, personal philosophy, politics, and Christian western fiction, while also contributing a regular online column. He served as a long-term commercial spokesperson for the Total Gym. Starting in 2005, he became the focal point of an internet meme known as "Chuck Norris facts," which humorously exaggerated his abilities and led to promotional tie-ins, books, video games, and talk-show appearances.