Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial
artist, actor, film producer, and screenwriter. After serving in the
United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships
and later founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do. Norris is a black
belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and Judo. Shortly after, in
Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts. Norris went on
to appear in a minor role in the spy film The Wrecking Crew (1969).
Friend and fellow actor Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main
villains in Way of the Dragon (1972). While Norris continued acting,
friend and student Steve McQueen suggested to him that he take it
seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film Breaker!
Breaker! (1977) which turned a profit. His second lead Good Guys Wear
Black (1978) became a hit, and Norris became a popular action film
star.Norris would go on to star in a streak of bankable
independently-made action and martial arts films, with A Force of One
(1979), The Octagon (1980), and An Eye for an Eye (1981). This made
Norris an international celebrity. He went on to make studio films
like Silent Rage (1982) with Columbia, Forced Vengeance (1982) with
MGM, and Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) with Orion. This led Cannon films to
sign Norris into a multiple film deal, starting with Missing in Action
(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 (1986),
Firewalker (1986), etc. Apart from the Cannon films, Norris made Code
of Silence (1985), which was received as one of his best films. In the
1990s, he played the title role in the long running television series
Walker, Texas Ranger, from 1993 until 2001. Until 2006, Norris
continued taking lead roles in action movies, including Delta Force 2
(1990), The Hitman (1991), Sidekicks (1992), Forest Warrior (1996),
The President's Man and its sequel (2002). Norris made his last film
appearance to date in Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables 2
(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, politics, Christianity, western
novels, and biography. 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 infomercials. In 2005, Norris found a new fame on the
Internet when Chuck Norris facts 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 where he read the
facts or participated in sketches.
artist, actor, film producer, and screenwriter. After serving in the
United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships
and later founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do. Norris is a black
belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and Judo. Shortly after, in
Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts. Norris went on
to appear in a minor role in the spy film The Wrecking Crew (1969).
Friend and fellow actor Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main
villains in Way of the Dragon (1972). While Norris continued acting,
friend and student Steve McQueen suggested to him that he take it
seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film Breaker!
Breaker! (1977) which turned a profit. His second lead Good Guys Wear
Black (1978) became a hit, and Norris became a popular action film
star.Norris would go on to star in a streak of bankable
independently-made action and martial arts films, with A Force of One
(1979), The Octagon (1980), and An Eye for an Eye (1981). This made
Norris an international celebrity. He went on to make studio films
like Silent Rage (1982) with Columbia, Forced Vengeance (1982) with
MGM, and Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) with Orion. This led Cannon films to
sign Norris into a multiple film deal, starting with Missing in Action
(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 (1986),
Firewalker (1986), etc. Apart from the Cannon films, Norris made Code
of Silence (1985), which was received as one of his best films. In the
1990s, he played the title role in the long running television series
Walker, Texas Ranger, from 1993 until 2001. Until 2006, Norris
continued taking lead roles in action movies, including Delta Force 2
(1990), The Hitman (1991), Sidekicks (1992), Forest Warrior (1996),
The President's Man and its sequel (2002). Norris made his last film
appearance to date in Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables 2
(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, politics, Christianity, western
novels, and biography. 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 infomercials. In 2005, Norris found a new fame on the
Internet when Chuck Norris facts 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 where he read the
facts or participated in sketches.
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