Contents
Chuck Norris
Starring in Walker, Texas Ranger and martial-arts action films.
The Way of the Dragon · Missing in Action
- Born
- 10 March 1940
- Birthplace
- Ryan, USA
- Died
- 19 March 2026
More people
Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris was an American martial artist and actor who brought competitive fighting experience into action cinema. He later became familiar to television audiences as a Texas lawman.
Early life
Oklahoma childhood
Grew up in Oklahoma before his family moved to California.
Air force training
Began studying martial arts while stationed in South Korea with the US Air Force.
Career
- 1960s
Martial-arts career
Taught karate and competed in tournaments.
- 1972
Film exposure
Fought Bruce Lee on screen in The Way of the Dragon.
- Late 1970s–1980s
Action leading man
Built a career in martial-arts and military action films.
- 1993–2001
Television lead
Played Cordell Walker in Walker, Texas Ranger.
Selected work
The Way of the Dragon
A climactic fight with Bruce Lee’s character.
Missing in Action
An action film about a Vietnam veteran returning to rescue prisoners.
Walker, Texas Ranger
A crime series built around a martial-arts-trained ranger.
Beyond work
Youth programmes
Co-founded a martial-arts programme for young people that became Kickstart Kids.
Internet fame
Exaggerated Chuck Norris facts became a widely circulated comic internet format.
Sources & photo credit
Life and career ↗Institutional or specialist reference ↗Family announcement reported by Reuters ↗Photo: Yoni S.Hamenahem. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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