Chuck Norris Seven-time world champion among professional karate, Hollywood movie star (<Cool Walker>) Date of Birth: 10.03.1940 Country: USA

Chuck Norris: A Biography

Chuck Norris, a seven-time world champion in professional karate and a Hollywood movie star, is best known to the modern generation for the popular internet memes parodying his masculinity and toughness. However, these memes originated from Norris's iconic roles in movies and television, such as Colt in Bruce Lee's "Way of the Dragon," J.J. McQuade in the western film "Lone Wolf McQuade," and of course, Ranger Cordell Walker in the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger."

Carlos Ray Norris Jr. was born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, USA. Norris's childhood was not a happy one as his father, mechanic Ray Norris, had a drinking problem, causing suffering for his mother Wilma and his siblings Willand and Aaron. For a while, Wilma and her children had to live in a trailer. It wasn't until Chuck turned 16 (his brothers were 13 and 5 years old at the time) that Ray and Wilma divorced, and the family's life improved when Wilma remarried George Knight. It was George who instilled in Chuck a love for physical fitness and sports.

Chuck was always drawn to traditionally masculine professions and seriously considered becoming a police officer. To pursue this goal, Norris joined the United States Air Force in 1958 and was sent to a military base in South Korea. Although his military service didn't live up to his expectations, it was during this time that he discovered his passion for martial arts. Norris attended judo and taekwondo classes and developed his own fighting style called Chun Kuk Do, which combined various martial arts disciplines.

After his discharge from the military, Norris continued to practice martial arts and opened a karate school in 1963. In the same year, his first child, Mike, was born. Norris achieved success as the head of the karate school and opened a second one in 1964. In 1965, he participated in the All-Star Championship in Los Angeles and emerged as the winner. Over the next three years, Norris continued to win tournaments until he suffered his first and final defeat in 1968. However, he avenged this loss and became the world champion in the light heavyweight division on November 24, 1968.

During this time, Chuck became a father to three children, with his daughter Dina being born in 1964 and his son Eric with Diane Holchek being born in 1965. Eric later became a race car driver and worked as a stuntman in movies, performing stunts for his father. In 1968, Chuck made his film debut in the action-comedy film "The Wrecking Crew." However, it was his role in Bruce Lee's film "Way of the Dragon" in 1972 that marked his true breakthrough.

Wanting to pursue acting seriously, Norris took a two-year break from acting to attend acting classes taught by Estelle Harman. In 1977, he made his return to the big screen with the lead role in the film "Breaker! Breaker!" From 1978 to 1985, Norris starred in eleven films, all of which featured him in the lead role. Successful films from this period include "The Octagon" (1979), "An Eye for an Eye" (1981), "Lone Wolf McQuade" (1983), "Missing in Action" (1984), and "Missing in Action 2: The Beginning" (1984). The last two films were dedicated to the memory of his younger brother, Willand, who was killed in Vietnam.

Working on "Missing in Action" marked Norris's collaboration with Cannon Films, and he went on to star in several films for the studio, including "Delta Force" (1986), "Firewalker" (1986), "Braddock: Missing in Action III" (1988), "Hero and the Terror" (1988), "Delta Force 2" (1990), and "The Hitman" (1991). Norris divorced Diane Holchek in 1988 and had a brief relationship with interior designer Monica Hall before marrying model Gena O'Kelley in 1998. Gena gave birth to twins Dakota Alan Norris and Danilee Kelley Norris in 2001.

In 1993, at the age of 53, Chuck made his most memorable role debut in the television series "Walker, Texas Ranger." The righteous and wise Ranger Cordell Walker became a beloved character worldwide, and Chuck Norris became a symbol of this widespread adoration. The series aired for nine seasons, and two TV movies followed. In 2012, Norris showcased his talents alongside other action movie stars in "The Expendables 2."

Chuck Norris, a decorated military veteran and holder of black belts in various martial arts, is not only an actor but also a father of five children and a grandfather of nine grandchildren. Despite the popularity of internet memes surrounding him, Norris continues to entertain audiences with his iconic tough-guy roles.