Chuck Norris is 80. How a professional fighter became a Hollywood star

American actor, martial artist and internet star Chuck Norris turned 80 this week. Over the years, he has starred in dozens of legendary films, but he is best known for his role as Cordell Walker in the TV series “Cool Walker”. Thanks to the role of the ranger, the man achieved the status of the strongest representative of Hollywood. The public ironically says: when Chuck trains on the simulator, the simulator becomes stronger. And memes with the actor have become a separate art form on the Web. We tell you how Norris came to the movie and what he does now.

How did Chuck Norris become an athlete?

Carlos Ray Norris – Chuck’s real name – was born in 1940 in Oklahoma in a poor family. The army contributed greatly to the formation of him as a person. In the late 50’s he served in the Air Force in South Korea, where he not only tried on his current pseudonym, but also seriously interested in martial arts. Yes, so much so that he was discharged with a black belt.

After the army Norris opened his own school, where he began to teach karate, and a year later – the second. The man taught and celebrities: for example, the wife of Elvis Presley Priscilla and actor Steve McQueen. By the way, Chuck was one of the first Americans who received an eighth-degree black belt in taekwondo.

It was the school of martial arts opened the door to Norris in Hollywood. There he met Bruce Lee and met with him in a fight on the set of the cult film “Return of the Dragon”. The fight scene became a classic karate movie. In one interview, Chuck parodied the dialog between him and Bruce.

I owned the belt of the world champion in karate at that moment. Deciding to make a joke, I asked Bruce:
– Who’s going to win our fight?
– Well, of course I’m gonna win. I’m the star of this movie!
– Yeah, I can see that. I can see that you want to beat the world champion.
– No, I don’t want to beat the world champion. I want to kill the world champion.

In the early noughties, Norris appeared in many movies. Viewers he is especially remembered in the films “Bouncers”, “The President’s Man” and “The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand”. The actor even played in the horror film “Resident of the Devil”. For all roles, the man maintained excellent physical shape and regularly trained.

In 2012, Chuck for the first time after a six-year break appeared in the movie “Unstoppable 2”. Sylvester Stallone admitted that it was extremely difficult to invite the actor to the project, because Norris long pondered the answer. He agreed only after he was convinced that he would take part in an adventure movie without carnage. The man played Booker, nicknamed the Lone Wolf. This is a reference to his previous role in the action movie Good Guys Walking Black, where the character’s name was John T. Booker, and the movie Lone Wolf McQuaid.

Norris also participated in the process of creating movies and TV series as a writer and producer. For example, he produced the film “Logan’s War” and his brother Aaron Norris wrote the screenplay for the movie. In the TV series “Cool Walker” Chuck is also listed as a screenwriter.

In addition, Chuck has an active political position. He supports the Republican Party. In a video message to the American people in 2012, the fighter predicted the U.S. disaster if President Barack Obama is elected for a second term.

The Hollywood star also tried his hand at literature. He became the creator of the best-selling books “Black Belt. Patriotism: How to Awaken America”, “All Trouble to Spite” and fantasy works “Riders of Justice” and “The Threat of Justice”.

Chuck Norris’s Personal Life

In his personal life, Chuck also seems to be doing well. In 1997, he met a young actress Gina O’Kelly, who a year later became his second wife. Norris’ first marriage to Diane Holechek lasted 30 years.

Now the actor is the father of five children. It is said that after twenty years Norris learned that he has a sixth child – an illegitimate son.

Judging by the photos on social networks, Chuck has not changed much over the years. He continues to go to the gym often and promotes a healthy lifestyle. On his Facebook page, the actor said that he does not intend to grow old.

There is no better time than now to start the fight against old age.

Memes with Chuck Norris

Internet folklore is very fond of Chuck. On the vastness of the web for the man has fixed the image of an invincible superhuman. Memes and jokes about the tenacious Norris still flicker on the Internet. We show you some of them.