Norris, Chuck (1940-…), is an American martial artist and actor. Norris first gained fame as a karate champion during the 1960’s and 1970’s. He later became a motion-picture and television star. On screen, Norris is known for his portrayals of tough characters, his sometimes stiff acting, and his fighting skills.
Carlos Ray Norris was born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma. His family moved frequently when he was a child, and Norris grew up in small towns in Oklahoma, Arizona, and California. In 1958, he graduated from North High School in Torrance, California, and joined the United States Air Force. There, he served as a military police officer and acquired the nickname “Chuck.” While stationed at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, he began studying the martial art tang soo do, a Korean style of karate.
Norris left the Air Force in 1962 and settled in California. He worked as a file clerk for an aircraft manufacturer and began teaching karate in the evenings to supplement his salary. Soon, he was able to become a karate instructor full time and opened a number of karate schools. His students included the Osmond family singing group and the American actor Steve McQueen, who encouraged him to try acting. Norris began competing in karate tournaments in 1964 to promote his teaching services. After several early losses, he won many national and international championships. From 1968 to 1974, Norris was the World Professional Middleweight Champion in karate. Norris retired from competition in 1974.
Norris made his first motion-picture appearance in a minor role in The Wrecking Crew (1969). He got his big break in film with the classic martial-arts movie The Way of the Dragon (1972), in which he appeared with the Chinese American movie star Bruce Lee . The film was released in the United States as The Return of the Dragon. Norris went on to star in such popular action films as Missing in Action (1984) and The Delta Force (1986). He starred in and produced the TV action-crime series “Walker, Texas Ranger” (1993-2001).
Norris has written and coauthored several books. These include The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story (1988, written with Joe Hyams); The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems (1996); and Against All Odds: My Story (2004, written with Ken Abraham). He also has worked with a number of charitable organizations, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and United Way. In 1990, Norris started his own nonprofit organization, called Kick Drugs Out of America, or Kickstart. Today, the program, which uses karate to develop personal character, is called Kickstart Kids.
