Was it the 1980s action movies? The long-running TV show in the '90s? The viral jokes in the '00s? No matter how you know him best, you know Chuck Norris. The action star and martial artist has had a lengthy career as an actor, going all the way back to the late '60s, but you probably haven't heard much from him recently. Norris stopped taking on lead roles in movies and TV shows years ago, but that doesn't mean he hasn't still been working. In fact, his first film in 12 years was just recently released.
At 84, the star has not officially retired from acting, but he did purposely step back due to a family issue. Read on to find out more about the state of his career and what Chuck Norris is doing now.
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Norris is famous for his action movies and hit show.
Featureflash Photo Agency / ShutterstockNorris first came to fame in the '70s for action movies that showed off his expertise in martial arts. He's known for the Delta Force movies, the Missing in Action movies, and appearing alongside Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon. From 1993 to 2001, he starred on the police procedural Walker, Texas Ranger. Then, in the '00s, Norris gained massive popularity on the internet when the "Chuck Norris facts" meme started circulating.
He pulled back because of his wife.
Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty ImagesIn 2017, Norris and his wife, Gena Norris, sued multiple pharmaceutical companies after they claimed she suffered physical and cognitive issues and nearly died after being injected with contrast dye that was used during three routine MRI scans.
"My whole life is focused on keeping her as well as I possibly can," Norris told CBS News during a joint interview with his wife at that time. "You know, I’ve had to give up my film career." During the interview, they shared that they had spent nearly $2 million in treatments to tackle her health problems. According to Radiology Business, they dropped at least one lawsuit in 2020.
He's still taken on a role here and there.
carrie-nelson / ShutterstockNorris stopped acting regularly in 2005 after the TV movie Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire and the film The Cutter. He later returned to the big screen in 2012 with a part in The Expendables 2. In 2015, he had a voice role playing himself on The Goldbergs. And in 2020, he played a guest role on Hawaii Five-0.
He just appeared in his first movie role in 12 years.
In 2023, it was announced that Norris would be making a return to action flicks with the sci-fi film Agent Recon. The official synopsis reads, "Alastair, the captain of a covert Earth security force, calls in super-powered rookie Jim to join a mission led by Colonel Green and his skilled Marines to track down a mysterious energy disturbance at a base in New Mexico." Norris stars as Alastair, and the movie was released in June 2024. The star has also been sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the movie's production on his Instagram page.
And that's not all the Norris butt-kicking you can look forward to. He also filmed the upcoming action-comedy Zombie Plane, in which he plays an exaggerated version of himself opposite an exaggerated version of Vanilla Ice. The two have to save humanity from an aircraft full of the undead, and early press promised a "wild ride" full of "'90s nostalgia." No word yet on when and where Zombie Plane will be released.
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He's also involved in other ventures.
Markus Wissmann / ShutterstockThere's more to Norris' career than just performing. For instance, he is involved in promoting gym equipment for QVC and investing in silver. He founded the organization Kickstart Kids, which teaches children karate in Texas schools. He and Gena also founded a bottled water company.
