Chuck Norris Quick Info
Height5 ft 10 in
Weight72 kg
Date of Birth 10, 1940
Zodiac SignPisces
SpouseGena O’Kelley

Chuck Norris is an American action movie star who became a bankable artist after appearing in several commercially successful independent action movies in the 1980s that had little dialogue but showcased his martial art skills.

Born Name

Carlos Ray Norris

Nick Name

Chuck, Ground Chuck

Sun Sign

Pisces

Born Place

Ryan, Oklahoma, United States

Residence

Navasota, Texas, United States

Nationality

American

Education & Training

Chuck attended Hamilton Junior High School in Houston, Texas, in the early 1950s before he moved to California and graduated from North Torrance High School in 1958.

Occupation

Martial Artist, Actor, Producer, Screenwriter, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Author, Former Air Policeman with the US Air Force

Family

  • Father – Ray Dee Norris (Mechanic, Bus Driver, Truck Driver, Former World War II Soldier)
  • Mother – Wilma Norris Knight née Scarberry
  • Siblings – Wieland Clyde Norris (Younger Brother) (Died in service during the Vietnam war in June 1970), Aaron Norris (Younger Brother) (Director, Stunt Performer, Producer, Screenwriter, Actor, Served in the US Army for 3 years as a Sergeant, Co-Founder of the Action Fest Film Festival)
  • Others – James Henry Norris (Paternal Grandfather), Ella May Tinker Norris (Paternal Grandmother), John Porter Scarberry (Maternal Grandfather), Ada Agnes Hargrove (Maternal Grandmother), Mattie Lee Norris Barnes (Paternal Aunt), Carrie Mae Norris Parker (Paternal Aunt), Henry James Norris (Paternal Uncle), Lawrence Meredith Norris (Paternal Uncle), Marshall Norman Norris (Paternal Uncle), Rebecca Norris aka Becki (Sister-in-law) (Entrepreneur, Fashion Stylist and Designer, and Personal Stylist, Co-owner of Shady and Katie), Meagan Norris Wade, (Niece) (Actress, Fashion Stylist, Co-owner of Shady and Katie), Tyler Norris (Nephew) (Stunt Performer), Amanda Norris (Niece), Gabby Di Ciolli (Granddaughter) (Actress), Dante DiCiolli (Grandson) (Soccer Player, Model, Actor), Hannah Norris (Granddaughter), Twins Max and Greta Norris (Grandchildren), Camrynn Norris (Granddaughter), Chloe Norris (Granddaughter), Chantz (Granddaughter), Cash Norris (Grandson)

Manager

Chuck Norris is represented by Michael Forshey, Squire Patton Boggs LLP (Law Firm).

Build

Athletic

Height

5 ft 10 in or 178 cm

Weight

72 kg or 159 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Chuck Norris has dated –

  • Jami Gertz
  • Dianne Kay Holechek (1958-1989) – The couple got married in 1958 and separated in 1989. They have 2 sons together named Mike R. Norris (b. 1962), who is an actor, director, screenwriter and owner of a movie studio and Eric Scott Norris (b. 1964), who is a race car driver, stuntman, and film director.
  • Johanna Brady – They have 1 daughter named Dina DiCiolli (b. 1963), who is a Realtor. Chuck was not aware of Dina’s existence until she got in touch with him at the age of 26.
  • Beverly Johnson (1992)
  • Gena O’Kelley (1998-Present) – The couple got married in November 1998. In August 2001, they had twins named Daniliee Kelly Norris (daughter) and Dakota Alan Norris (son).

    • Race / Ethnicity

    White

    He has English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cherokee, and German ancestry.

    Hair Color

    Ginger Brown

    Eye Color

    Green

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    • Known for his Ginger Brown hair and beard
    • Has a signature fight move of roundhouse kick
    • A deep, calm voice

    Brand Endorsements

    • In the 1980s, he represented a line of jeans called Action Jeans that allowed greater leg movement.
    • He was also cast in print ads for Right Guard Sport stick deodorant.
    • Chuck filmed several infomercials for the Total Gym brand over the years. He owns and uses its exercise machines in his home gym. He first endorsed the brand with Christie Brinkley in 1997 and has filmed further footage in 2007, 2009, and 2010.
    • Chuck was cast in the TV commercials for Mountain Dew soda (2007), T-Mobile (2010), Czech Republic World of Warcraft video game (2011), Polish Bank BZ WBK (2012), Belgian beer Hoegaarden (2016), United Health Care (2017), Hesburger, a Finnish hamburger chain (2018).
    • Chuck became a brand ambassador for Fiat’s commercial vehicles in 2017.
    • He also filmed 3 commercials for Toyota Trucks (2018) – the advertisements were titled “Tough as Chuck” and “So Beautiful”.
    • He endorsed a mobile phone game produced by Flaregames called Non-Stop Chuck Norris, an isometric action-RPG game in 2017.
    • Chuck started producing and promoting his line of bottled water named CForce in 2015 using the underground water from his 1000 acre ranch and a part of the profits are invested in his Kickstart Kids charity.

    Religion

    Christianity

    Best Known For

    • His professional career as an action movie star that peaked in the 1980s and 1990s with blockbuster movies such as Missing in Action (1984) followed by sequels in 1985 and 1988, and Code of Silence (1985)
    • Appearing on CBS network’s action-crime TV series called Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001)

    First Film

    He made his theatrical film debut in The Wrecking Crew in 1968. However, his role was uncredited.

    Chuck’s first credited role was as Colt in the Bruce Lee directed Chinese action-comedy called The Way of the Dragon in 1972 that released as Return of the Dragon dubbed in English in the United States.

    First TV Show

    He made his TV show debut as “Himself” on The Joey Bishop Show in 1969.

    As a voice actor, he made his TV show debut on Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos in 1986.

    Personal Trainer

    • After getting discharged from the U.S. Air Force in August 1962, Norris dedicated himself to teaching and practicing martial arts. He started competing in major competitions and after suffering 10 fight defeats from 1962 to 1968, he won the title of Professional Middleweight Karate Champion in November 1968. He retained that title till 1974 for 7 consecutive years.
    • Chuck befriended Bruce Lee in 1968 when he appeared as a celebrity judge at one of his competitions. The two men trained together for 2 years until Bruce returned to Hong Kong to pursue a movie career.
    • In his late 30s, Chuck became an advocate of the Total Gym multi-purpose exercise machine. He bought the machine for his home gym as well for the location of his filming set for a quick workout in his busy schedule.
    • Even as late as his early 50s, Chuck would workout 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. His routine included some weight training and cardiovascular conditioning along with Jiu-jitsu practice.
    • As a working actor, Norris consumed a diet primarily comprised of lean meat and vegetables. He avoided restaurant dishes loaded with sauces and dressings and did not consume desserts. Chuck did not take wine with his meals and preferred water or iced tea.
    • He chose to eat a light dinner and breakfast and had the biggest meal of his day at lunch which was usually pasta with vegetables.

    Chuck Norris Favorite Things

    • ‘Fact’ About Himself – “People wanted to add Chuck Norris to Mount Rushmore, but the granite was not tough enough for his beard.”
    • Actor He Idolized In His Childhood – John Wayne

    Source – YouTube, NY Times

    Chuck Norris Facts

  • He had an alcoholic father and was raised by a single mother due to which Chuck suffered from low self-esteem. Norris shared in an interview that in high school, he was shy, physically weak, and only a C-grade student. He used to daydream about being strong enough to stand up to his bullies.
  • Norris was named after Carlos Berry, who was his father’s minister.
  • The action star was named Chuck in 1958 by one of his comrades at Lackland Air Force base in Texas because he said that the English name for Carlos was Charles for which the popular nickname was Chuck by convention.
  • Some of the Hollywood celebrities who trained with Chuck before he became a full-time actor were Steve McQueen, Chad McQueen, Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donnie & Marie Osmond.
  • He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989.
  • Chuck is a republican in his political views.
  • Immediately after finishing school, he joined the US Air Force, where he served from 1958 to 1962.
  • A young boy from Long Island named Ian Spector launched the Chuck Norris Fact Generator in 2005. At the peak of the site’s popularity, it received 18-20 million views a month and several thousand ‘Chuck Norris Facts’ submissions. These statements eventually turned into globally popular memes.
  • As an Air Policeman, Chuck was first stationed overseas at Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he was introduced to Tang Soo Do. That experience permanently sealed his life-long commitment to martial arts. From there on, he earned a black belt in Judo, 3rd-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a 5th-degree black belt in Karate, an 8th-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and a 9th-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. Chuck even owes the success of his acting career to his proficiency in practicing and teaching martial arts.
  • After returning home, he worked for Northrop Aviation and worked part-time as a karate instructor. Within 2 years, he was running several Karate schools in California.
  • During the peak of his competitive fighting career, Chuck used his knowledge of popular American, Brazilian, Japanese, and Korean combat styles to invent his own martial art called Chun Kuk Do in which he is a 10th-degree black belt.
  • He retired from competing in his sport in 1974 as an undefeated Professional Full-Contact Middleweight Champion.
  • He is a published author of many books including The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story (1987) and The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems (1996).
  • In 1979, he found the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF) – the governing body of his system of martial arts.
  • Chuck was the first choice to play the famous character of Red Forman in the hit Fox sitcom That 70’s Show (1998–2006) but he turned it down because he was still playing the lead role in Walker, Texas Ranger.
  • The actor formerly took training from celebrity Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Phil McGraw.
  • He is a friend of George Bush Sr. and George W. Bush and actively campaigned for them to become the 41st and the 43rd President of the United States.
  • He is not active on social media.

    • Featured Image by Sergeant Christopher M. Tirado / www.marinecorpstimes.com / Public Domain

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