Campaigned for George Bush in the 1988 U.S. elections.
Eldest of three sons born to Ray and Wilma Norris. Chuck's brothers are Wieland Norris (born July 12, 1943; KIA in Vietnam, 1970) and Aaron Norris. Aaron is the youngest of the trio, the proverbial "runt of the litter."
Father of Mike Norris and Eric Norris, the latter of whom is a professional stock car driver. Chuck also has a daughter named Dina, born in 1964. Diane Holechek is the mother of Chuck's aforementioned kids; of those three, Dina is the only one not mentioned in Chuck's 1980's autobiography, "The Secret Of Inner Strength: My Story." More recently, Chuck and Gena O'Kelly (his second wife) welcomed opposite-sex twins Dakota Alan (the boy) and Danilee Kelly (the girl). The twins' birthday is August 30, 2001.
Often trained with Bruce Lee.
6-time World Karate Champion; among those he faced for this title are fellow actors Joe Lewis and Steve Sanders.
He was the karate teacher of father-son actors Steve McQueen and Chad McQueen. The elder McQueen encouraged Norris to pursue a career in movies and television; allegedly, he told Chuck: "If you can't do anything else, there's always acting."
Received "Veteran of the Year 2001" honor at the 6th Annual 'American Veteran Awards'. [12 December 2000]
In the movies where he's a police officer, Norris usually prefers to work alone (i.e. Lone Wolf McQuade (1983), Code of Silence (1985) and Top Dog (1995)).
Has 3 grandchildren by son Eric Norris; these include fellow actress Gabby Di Ciolli.
He has founded two of his own martial arts: Chun Kuk Do ("the Universal Way") and American Tang Soo Do.
He is the Founder of the National Tang-Soo-Do Congress (NTC) and the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF). Chuck is also President of the latter.
Founder of National Tang Soo Do Congress (NTC).
He has a 10th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, and also an 8th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do...that is, the Korean (or traditional) styles of each.
His father Ray was killed in a car accident, shortly after cancer surgery. Part of Ray's throat and chin were removed; a tube was inserted in his trachea to help him breathe. Ray was thrown out of his car in the wreck, and the tube came out. Ray suffocated on the ground because no one at the accident site was aware of the tube.
His voice and drama coach was Jonathan Harris, of "Lost in Space" (1965) fame. Harris "taught him how to speak," by putting his fingers in Norris's mouth, and stretching the mouth wide open. He names Jonathan as the only man in the world who could get away with doing that to him...a fact Jonathan was always proud of.
Having worked for years as a martial-arts instructor (giving both public and private lessons), he was offered the role of "Sensei Jon Kreese" in the original The Karate Kid (1984). He turned it down, claiming he did not want his name connected with such a brutal and vicious character.
Despite their vast political differences, he is friends with actress and comedienne Whoopi Goldberg. He was so impressed with a performance of hers that he tried, unsuccessfully, to get her a role in his film Invasion U.S.A. (1985).
Reader's Digest once noted a story of how Norris, true to his characters, prefers to find a non-violent way to solve a situation. Norris was in a bar once when a customer walked in and said to him, "You're in my seat. Move." Norris complied, and as the customer sat down, he recognized Norris. He then said, "Chuck, you could've kicked my butt if you wanted to. Instead of moving, why didn't you just attack me?" Norris' response: "What would that have accomplished?" Norris later said the experience resulted in him getting a new admirer and a new friend.
He has 5 children, 3 from first wife Dianne Holechek; Mike (b. 1962), Dina (b. 1964), and Eric (b. 1965) and 2 from second wife Gina O'Kelley; twins Dakota Alan and Danilee Kelly (b. 2001).
Is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the Machado Brothers.
As a child, his idol and favorite actor was John Wayne, Indeed, their on screen personas bear much in common. Both achieved their highest level of fame playing no nonsense good guys who were uncorruptable and did whatever it took to "take the trash out" and make sure that justice was served and that the bad guys got what they deserved.
Supporter of the US Republican Party.
Chuck Norris Detailed Biography
Chuck Norris is a native of Ryan, Oklahoma. Chuck Norris has two younger brothers, one of which is Hollywood producer Aaron Norris. Both of Chuck Norris's parents are half Cherokee Indian and half Irish. When Chuck Norris was 12, his parents divorced and he relocated to California with his mother and brothers. There, he finished high school and soon married his girlfriend, Diane Holechek. After marriage, in 1958 Norris joined the United States Air Force as a Military Policeman and was sent to Osan Air Base South Korea. It was in South Korea that Norris acquired the nickname Chuck and began his training in Tang Soo Do. When he returned to the states he continued to act as an MP at March Air Force Base California. Chuck Norris was discharged in August of 1962 without ever seeing combat besides that provided on base. Norris has indicated in his own biography that he has black belts in Tang Soo Do, Tae Kwon Do, and is founder of Chun Kuk Do ("Universal Way"). Mr. Chuck Norris has also practiced Judo, Shinto-Ryu Karate, and Brazilian jujutsu. He is also founder of The United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF). Chuck Norris returned to the United States in 1962, working for the Northrop corporation and opening a karate school, which many celebrities, including Steve McQueen attended. In 1963, his son Mike was born. A daughter, Dina followed in 1964, and a second son, Eric, in 1965. But another important moment happened in 1964: at a demonstration in Long Beach, Chuck Norris met the soon to be famous, Bruce Lee, who would ingrain Chuck Norris in martial arts history forever with his portrayal as Lee's nemesis in The Way of the Dragon. But while the two were publicly friendly, contrary to what many (including Norris himself) state, they were not close friends. Yet, the two managed to set aside any differences in pursuit of their mutual film aspirations and developed a friendly public persona toward one another.
Chuck Norris as Cordell Walker in Walker, Texas RangerIn 1968, Norris became Middleweight Karate champion (non-contact), and in 1969, he won Karate's triple crown for the most tournament wins of the year, and the fighter of the year award by Black Belt magazine. It was also in 1968 that Chuck Norris made his acting debut, in the Dean Martin movie The Wrecking Crew. The greatest tragedy of Norris's life took place in 1970. His younger brother Weiland was killed in Vietnam. Norris later dedicated his Missing In Action films to his brother's memory. In 1972, Chuck Norris acted alongside Lee in the movie Way of the Dragon, and in 1974, McQueen encouraged him to begin acting classes at the MGM Studio. While at acting classes his voice and drama coach was Jonathan Harris, of Lost In Space fame. Harris taught Norris how to speak by putting his fingers in Norris's mouth, and stretching his mouth wide open. Chuck Norris describes Harris as the only man in the world who could get away with doing that to him. Norris' first starring role was 1977's Breaker, Breaker!, and subsequent films such as The Octagon (1980), An Eye for an Eye (1981), and Lone Wolf McQuade proved his increasing box office bankability. In 1984, Chuck Norris starred in Missing in Action, the first of a series of POW rescue fantasies produced by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus and released under their Cannon Films banner. Over the next four years, Chuck Norris became Cannon's most prominent star, appearing in eight films, including Code of Silence, The Delta Force and Firewalker, in which he co-starred with Academy Award winner Louis Gossett, Jr. During the 1970's he taught The Price is Right host Bob Barker karate. Chuck Norris turned down the part of Sensei Kreese in the first Karate Kid film stating that he did not want his name and/or image associated with a villainious or evil character.
In 1988, after 30 years of marriage, Chuck Norris and Holechek divorced. In 1990, Chuck Norris founded the non-profit organization Kick Drugs Out of America. It has since been renamed KICKSTART. By the close of the 1980s, Cannon Films had faded from prominence, and Norris' star appeal seemed to go with it. Chuck Norris reprised his Delta Force role for MGM, who had acquired the Cannon library after the latter's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Chuck Norris went on to make several more largely ignored films before making a transition to television. In 1993, Chuck Norris began shooting the series Walker, Texas Ranger, which lasted eight years on CBS and continued in heavy syndication on other channels. Chuck Norris married again in 1998, this time to former model Gena O'Kelley, and she delivered twins in 2001: Dakota Alan Norris, a boy, and Danilee Kelly Norris, a girl. Chuck Norris also owns a house and property on the caribeen island of Anguilla. Chuck Norris has portrayed an Army Major in The Delta Force, Army Colonel in Missing in Action, and a Marine Captain during flashback scenes in his T.V. hit series Walker, Texas Ranger. United States President George W. Bush has stated that Chuck Norris is his favorite actor.
