Chuck Norris was born in Oklahoma on March 10, 1940. On the side of his father, Chuck is Irish, but his mother is a descendant of the Cherokee Indians. At birth, the boy was named Carlos Ray Norris, and Chuck began to be called much later, in the late fifties in South Korea, where he served in the US Air Force. It was in the army that the guy decided to take up martial arts, since the service, in his own words, was incredibly boring. Chuck started with judo, then became interested in karate. In a few years, Norris managed to get a black belt, returning to his homeland, he opens his own school. At the same time, Chuck himself continues to train hard, in 1968 he wins the world championship in light heavyweight, retaining this title for seven whole years.
As a child, no one could have imagined that Norris would become a martial artist. He himself often got it from his alcoholic father, who recognized only the only way to raise his son – fists. Therefore, the boy grew up withdrawn and shy. Chuck’s parents separated when he was sixteen years old. After the divorce, Norris’ mother married George Knight. It was the stepfather who instilled in his stepson a love for sports.
At the age of eighteen, Chuck Norris created his own family, married classmate Diana Holechek. A happy marriage lasted for thirty years, but already in adulthood, the wife divorced. In 1998, Chuck remarried, 25-year-old Jeanne O’Kelly became his chosen one. Three years later, the twins Dakota and Dennily appeared in the family.
Actor Steve McQueentrained at Chuck Norris’ karate school. It was he who brought his coach to the set. Chuck himself understood that the career of a professional athlete was short-lived, therefore, he began to think about what he would do when he left the tatami. In 1968, Chuck received a cameo role in Phil Carlson’s The Wrecking Crew, a comedic parody of the James Bond movies.
In the late sixties, Chuck Norris met Bruce Lee. After completing one of the karate tournaments, Bruce approached Chuck, who won a landslide victory.
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Norris recalled that he was so tired from the fights that his only desire was to get to his hotel room and fall asleep. But, the conversation with Bruce Lee fascinated him so much that two masters, right in the hall, proceeded to demonstrate their skills, despite the late hour.
Soon, new friends began to conduct regular training in the courtyard of Bruce Lee’s house in California. They trained a couple of times a week for three to four hours. Chuck Norris claimed that he had never met such a hardy sparring partner as Bruce.
The first joint work of Chuck and Bruce in the cinema was the film “Return of the Dragon”. In 1970, Bruce Lee went to Hong Kong, where he made two films.
Returning to Hollywood, he called Norris and offered him a role in his new film. According to the scenario, a duel was to take place between them in the Roman Colosseum. Bruce wanted his opponent to look more impressive, and set a condition for Norris – he must recover 9-10 kilograms. Chuck had to go on a high-calorie diet, fortunately, the film company paid all the expenses.
The film really made a splash among connoisseurs of martial arts. The filming costs paid off many times over. Only 240,000 dollars were spent, and the rental of the picture brought about 80 million. The climax of the film, the fight between two masters, has become a classic martial art in cinema.
Lee and Norris’ film collaboration proved to be short-lived. Just a few months after the release of the picture, Bruce Lee died suddenly in Hong Kong, before he reached the age of 33. The official cause of death is cerebral edema, which occurred due to the fact that Bruce Lee took a pill for a headache. But, not all of his fans agree with this version. Many of them claim that Bruce was simply “removed” by ill-wishers. After the death of a friend, Chuck Norris said: “I have everything in my life except Bruce Lee.”
Chuck enrolled in acting classes the following year. He realized that strong muscles alone were not enough for a successful film career.
I had to deal with diction and the ability to stay in front of the camera. Chuck was not even embarrassed by the fact that he was much older than all the other course participants, at that time he was already 34 years old. In 1977, Kickin’ Jeans (“fight jeans”) began to be produced in the United States. Due to the special pattern, they did not restrict movement. In 1982, Chuck Norris became the advertising “face” of the company. He advertised these jeans for nine years – until 1991.