Does Chuck Norris Have Kids?
Chuck Norris might be known for his martial arts skills, but he is also a family man. The actor has appeared in several action films and has made a name for himself as one of the most bankable actors, with many of his movies receiving critical acclaim.
When the 80-year-old isn’t fighting villains, he is hanging out with his children. Read on to find out more about the legendary actor’s personal life and children.
Norris’s early life
Norris was born on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, to Ray Dee and Wilma Norris. His father was a bus driver, a mechanic, a truck driver, and a World War II Army soldier. The actor has two siblings Aaron and Wieland. When Norris was 16, his parents got divorced, and he and his brothers relocated to Kansas, then California with their mother.
The martial artist described his childhood as a downbeat one. He was shy, non-athletic, and didn’t do well in school. His father was also an alcoholic who could binge on alcohol for many months. Norris was embarrassed by his father’s drinking and his family’s financial situation, and as a result, he resorted to keeping to himself.
Norris gained an interest in martial arts while in the Air Force
In 1958, Norris enlisted in the United States Air Force. He got deployed to Osan, South Korea, and while there, he got nicknamed Chuck. He also began learning Tang Soo Do and eventually got interested in black belts. This interest led him to establish Chun Kuk Do.
When his service ended in 1962, Norris applied to be a police officer in California. While he was still on the waitlist, he opened a martial arts studio. To promote the studio, the actor went on fights and martial arts competitions to demonstrate the art.
Norris then fought against the likes of Skipper Mullins, Joe Lewis, and Allen Steen. In 1972, he appeared in Bruce Lee’s film Way of the Dragon playing Lee’s nemesis. The movie was well-received and grossed a whopping $5,307,350 in Hong Kong, beating Lee’s previous films Fist of Fury and The Big Boss.
Way of the Dragon grossed a total of $130 million in its international run and set the martial artists on his way to stardom. In 1974, Norris received encouragement from his student and friend Steven McQueen to take acting classes. McQueen had been observing Norris and realized that the martial art tutor had potential.
Norris began acting professionally with a starring role in the low budget 1977 film Breaker! Breaker! At the time, Norris had gotten tired of acting in martial arts films and wanted to work in a movie that had a story arc. He felt that he needed to do a movie where the action would occur in the right segment. Breaker! Breaker! did exceptionally well.
Norris has since appeared in several films such as The Octagon, A Force of One, An Eye for an Eye, and Silent Rage. He is perhaps famously known for his role on Walker, Texas Ranger, as Cordell Walker, which ran for eight seasons from 1993 to 2001.
Norris is the doting father of five
In 1958 Norris, who was 18, tied the knot with his high school sweethearts Dianne, who was 17. In 1962 the couple welcomed their first son, Mike. In 1964, he welcomed his second son Eric. After having been married for 30 years, Dianne and Norris separated in 1988 and divorced in 1989.
While Norris was still married to Dianne, he had an affair with a lady named Joanna, who bore a child, Dina, without his knowledge, according to IMDb. Dina accidentally learned about her father when she was 16 but waited for 10 years before approaching Norris.
The 80-year-old actor remarried in 1998 to Gena O’Kelley, and the couple welcomed twins, Dakota Allan and Danilee Kelly, three years into their marriage. Norris is also the proud grandfather to 13 grandchildren.
