370891180

Actor, martial arts expert. Half Cherokee Indian and half Irish, I joined the Air Force after high school. During my service, I was sent to South Korea where I began my training in the martial art of Tang Soo Do. I returned to Los Angeles in 1962 and opened a karate school, catering to such celebrities as Steve McQueen, who later encouraged Norris’s acting career.In 1968, I became middleweight karate champion (non-contact), winning karate's triple crown in 1969. That year, I made my acting debut in the Dean Martin movie The Wrecking Crew. In 1972, I acted alongside karate competitor Bruce Lee in Way of the Dragon. Numerous successful films followed throughout the 1980s, including eight by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus such as Code of Silence and Delta Force. After the genre ran its course, however, I faded from the limelight. I reappeared in 1993 in a starring role on the popular CBS series Walker, Texas Ranger which lasted until 2001.