Only mountains are steeper: legendary actor and martial artist Chuck Norris has died

Chuck Norris, the man whom the whole world seemed to consider eternal, has passed away. He became famous for his roles as tough guys, but his significance was much broader: he became a phenomenon, an international phenomenon of popular culture, leaving behind not only dozens of films, but also his own martial arts style and dozens of memes, which he commented on with restrained humor. "There is no theory of evolution, there is only a list of creatures that Chuck Norris allowed to live," I think it's ridiculous," he said in an interview and smiled the way only the owner of five black belts in martial arts can smile. Izvestia recalls the most striking facts from the biography of the legendary actor.

Shy introvert

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940. His mother, Wilma Lee, nee Scarberry, was of Irish descent, and his father, Ray Dee Norris, was mixed with a variety of blood: among his ancestors were Germans, British and Cherokee Indians. Ray Dee Norris fought on the fronts of World War II, and after returning home, he got a job as a mechanic and driver. He gave his firstborn the name of his own confessor, Carlos Berry. After Carlos, two more boys, Wieland and Aaron, were born in the family.

Photo: TASS/Rights Managed

The middle brother, Wieland, was associated with the first and, perhaps, the only mystical experience in Norris' life. Once, as a child, Wieland mentioned to his brother that he would not live to be 27 years old. Carlos probably wouldn't have remembered this if 26-year-old Wieland hadn't died fighting in Vietnam.

The actor called his childhood "joyless," and he had every reason to do so. His father often changed jobs and regularly went on a binge that lasted for months. Because of this, the family languished on the brink of poverty. Carlos was very shy of his father and grew up insecure, an unsportsmanlike introvert. He didn't do well in school either, which made him even more reluctant to communicate with his teachers and classmates. When he was 16, his mother finally broke down and divorced her husband. Together with her sons, she moved first to Kansas, and then to California, where Norris completed his studies.

A natural fighter

After school, in 1958, the future actor, in an effort to get rid of his oppressive past as soon as possible, enlisted in the US Army and was sent to Osan Air Force Base in South Korea to serve in the military police. Then he finally became convinced that he had made the right decision to break his life through his knee. Four years of service had changed him beyond recognition. On the basis of Osan, he very quickly acquired the nickname Chuck, by which the whole world would soon recognize him, and discovered the world of martial arts, instantly realizing that he had found his destiny.

The first for him was tansudo— a type of wrestling that focuses on footwork techniques, perfectly develops leg muscles and trains flexibility. Very soon, his hobbies also included taekwondo, judo, karate and judo. He eventually achieved a black belt in all five types of wrestling. So he became the owner of the maximum number of black belts among Westerners and the first to receive an eighth dan black belt in taekwondo.

Photo: TASS/Chris O?Meara

However, this happened later. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Norris, after four years of service, was discharged with the rank of private first class and applied for a job as a police officer in Torrance, California, where his mother and brothers lived at that time. At the same time, he opened his own martial arts studio and began participating in competitions. It soon became clear that he did not have enough time for police service. From 1962 to 1968, constantly competing in tournaments and participating in championships with varying success, he suffered only ten defeats. The latter, in 1968, happened after he had won the All-American Karate Championship a year earlier, in the final fight at the famous Madison Square Garden, laying the previous champion on the tatami. A few years later, already gaining popularity in Hollywood, he stopped participating in competitions, leaving undefeated champion of America.

At the competition, Chuck Norris met Bruce Lee, who had already started his film career. They competed in different categories, they had nothing to share, so the two fighters quickly became friends. Norris had other connections in the world of cinema: his martial arts studio was becoming increasingly popular, and Steve McQueen, Bob Barker, and Priscilla Presley gradually became his clients. With such acquaintances, the invincible fighter could not pass by the cinema — and, of course, he did not pass: in 1968, with the help of Steve McQueen, Norris got his first role in the action parody "The Destroyer Team."

The superhero

In 1969, Norris received the title of "Fighter of the Year" from Black Belt magazine, defending his championship title at the international karate Championship. He continued to coach, but his film career seemed more interesting to him. In 1972, Norris played his first notable role as Bruce Lee's nemesis in the action film "The Way of the Dragon", which became the highest—grossing film of 1972 in Hong Kong, the world capital of karate fighters. From that moment on, he began to be taken seriously in the world of cinema. However, for several more years, the directors exploited the image of the villain that the actor had formed after the "Way of the Dragon". He wanted more. On the advice of Steve McQueen, Norris began taking acting classes at MGM Studios, becoming their oldest student. He begins to give up roles that exploit his qualities as a fighter, and is looking for opportunities to star in films with a plot and psychological overtones in the relationship between the characters.

Photo: TASS/Rights Managed

This opportunity was given to him in the 1978 film "Good Guys Wear Black." However, the studios did not like the picture: none of them dared to release a film where, after many years of domination by eastern fighters in action films, the main role would be played by a representative of the West. Studio bosses didn't think it would pay off. Norris and the producers of the film decided to go all-in, buying the picture, renting cinemas and showing the picture there on their own, receiving money for tickets as a profit. The film unexpectedly "shot up": with a budget of $ 1 million, it grossed $18 million.

Photo: TASS/Rights Managed

In the 1980s, Norris continued to act in karate-action films, already consciously choosing films dedicated to America, its fighters, its citizens and its problems instead of standard Hong Kong-style paintings. "The Power of the Loner," "Code of Silence," "Delta Squad," "Lone Wolf McQuade" — these and his other films were successful at the box office and consolidated his fame as one of the best screen fighters in the United States. Along the way, he supported Jean-Claude van Damme, who came for a Hollywood career and helped him establish himself in cinema. Norris' colleagues unanimously say that a significant part of his popularity was based on his ability to remain the same in life as his characters were: strong, calm, reliable and obliging, ready to help anyone who needs help at any moment.

A living legend

In 1993, Chuck Norris began starring in the TV series Tough Walker: Texas Justice as Ranger Cordell Walker. The producers conceived the series after the success of the movie "Lone Wolf McQuade," but "Cool Walker" quickly acquired an almost mythological status. Filming of the series lasted for almost ten years, ending only in 2001, and all this time "Cool Walker" remained popular. Well, Chuck Norris has finally entered the status of a legend.

The Internet has also helped a lot. Norris surprisingly quickly plunged into the World Wide Web and became one of his own there. Since 2005, the famous "Facts about Chuck Norris" began to appear on the Internet, humorously describing his boundless strength and power. Norris has laughed at these facts more than once, both online and in interviews, and has chosen his favorite ones from them, telling them to the public.

Norris always enjoyed interacting with fans. In 2006, he visited American military units in Iraq more than once, meeting with soldiers, presenting insignia and discussing with them the funniest "Facts about Chuck Norris." As he said later, he thought that the soldiers in Iraq could use moral support — and just went to provide it, once again confirming his reputation as a real tough hero of America.

Until his last days, he remained in excellent shape, wrote books about martial arts and his film biography, acted in films and participated in documentaries. On March 10, his 86th birthday, he wrote on a social network: "I'm not getting old, I'm growing on myself. There is nothing better than a little workout on a sunny day to feel young again. I am grateful for another year, for good health and for the opportunity to continue doing what I like." On March 19, he was in Hawaii, and according to people who were with him, he felt healthy, joked, talked, and managed to do a traditional workout. After that, the actor became ill and medics were urgently called to him, who could not save the actor.

In an interview, Norris said that his favorite fact about himself was that they wanted to carve his profile on Mount Rushmore along with the profiles of the great presidents of the United States, but the granite of the mountain was not hard enough for him. But it turned out that the mountains are still steeper. It's a pity.