Aaron Dee Norris (born November 23, 1951) is an American stunt performer, director, occasional actor, and film and television producer. He is the younger brother of action film star
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...
.
Career
1974–1988: Stunt work to directing
While his older brother
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...
was on his rise to stardom, Aaron Norris began his career as an uncredited stunt man in movies such as ''
Black Belt Jones'' (1974), ''Speedtrap'' (1977), and ''
Breaker! Breaker!
''Breaker! Breaker!'' is a 1977 American action film directed by Don Hulette and starring Chuck Norris in his first lead role. The co-stars include George Murdock, Don Gentry and Michael Augenstein.
J.D. (Norris), a trucker from California, l ...
'' (1977) (his brother Chuck's starring debut). The following year he was hired again as martial arts choreographer (credited) and a stunt double (uncredited) for his brother's second film ''
Good Guys Wear Black''- where he acted, credited, as "Al" one of the "Black Tigers" in an early scene- (1978) directed by
Ted Post
Theodore Ian Post (March 31, 1918 – August 20, 2013) was an American director of film and television. Highly prolific, Post directed numerous episodes of well-known television series including '' Rawhide'', ''Gunsmoke'', and ''The Twilight Zo ...
. He is noted to have performed the flying sidekick through the windshield of a speeding car, the stunt that sold the movie. He also played a small role in this movie. Later on that same year, director
Ted Post
Theodore Ian Post (March 31, 1918 – August 20, 2013) was an American director of film and television. Highly prolific, Post directed numerous episodes of well-known television series including '' Rawhide'', ''Gunsmoke'', and ''The Twilight Zo ...
re-collaborated with Norris who is a credited stuntman for Post's film ''
Go Tell the Spartans'', and was a stunt coordinator for the
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Most commonly associated with horror film, horror, action film, action, and science fiction film, science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, he is ...
film ''
Elvis
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's sexuall ...
'' starring
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor before transitioning to leading roles as an adult in various genres such as action adventures, science-fiction, westerns, romance films, co ...
.
In 1979, Norris played Anderson in ''
A Force of One'' starring his brother Chuck, with whom he shared the fight choreography credit. Norris is also credited as the stunt coordinator and listed amongst the stuntmen. The director noted that Aaron wanted to learn everything, and was a real asset to the picture. Because of this the director had him to focus on the martial art, and the specific of the fighting. The same year he was also a stuntman for the Italian film ''
The Visitor''.
In 1980, Norris did the Karate fight choreography and played the role of Hatband for his brother's film ''
The Octagon The Octagon may refer to:
*The Octagon, Christchurch, a former church in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand
*The Octagon, Dunedin, the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand
*The Octagon (Egypt), the headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of ...
.''
In 1981, with his brother playing the lead, Norris was stunt player in
Steve Carver
Steve Carver (April 5, 1945 – January 8, 2021) was an American film director, producer, and photographer.
Biography
Carver attended Manhattan's High School of Music and Art and received his BA from Cornell University and his Master of Fine Art ...
's ''
An Eye for an Eye''.
In 1982, Norris was an associate producer and a stunt person in his brother's film ''
Silent Rage
''Silent Rage'' is a 1982 American sci-fi action horror film directed by Michael Miller. It stars Chuck Norris as a sheriff who must stop a mentally ill man (Brian Libby) who goes on a rampage after being granted indestructibility in a medical ...
.''
In 1983, Norris was again an associate producer on a film starring Chuck,
Steve Carver
Steve Carver (April 5, 1945 – January 8, 2021) was an American film director, producer, and photographer.
Biography
Carver attended Manhattan's High School of Music and Art and received his BA from Cornell University and his Master of Fine Art ...
's ''
Lone Wolf McQuade'', where he also did stunt coordination and played a small role.
During that decade, he worked as the stunt coordinator for ''
I, the Jury'' with
Armand Assante, ''White Water Rebels'' with
James Brolin
Craig Kenneth Bruderlin (born July 18, 1940), known professionally as James Brolin, is an American actor. Brolin has won two Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globes and an Emmy Awards, Emmy. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August ...
, ''
Chained Heat'' with
Linda Blair
Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. Her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973) established her in popular culture and as a scream queen, earning her a Golden Globe Award ...
, the dance film ''
Breakin'
''Breakin (also known as ''Breakdance'' in the United Kingdom and ''Break Street '84'' in other regions) is a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film, musical film directed by Joel Silberg and written by Charles Parker and Allen DeBev ...
'', ''Lies'' with
Ann Dusenberry, and ''
The Naked Cage'' with
Shari Shattuck.
In 1988 he directed ''
Braddock: Missing in Action III''. That same year he also directed the war drama ''
Platoon Leader
A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or first lieutenant or an equivalent rank ...
'', starring
Michael Dudikoff.
1990–2002: Subsequent projects
Norris continued directing with his brother as the lead in ''
Delta Force 2'' (1990), ''
The Hitman,'' ''
Sidekicks
A sidekick is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany.
Origins
The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of ...
'' (1993)., ''
Hellbound'' (1994), ''
Top Dog'' (1995), and ''
Forest Warrior
''Forest Warrior'' is a 1996 American adventure film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Norris's brother Aaron Norris. The film was released on direct-to-video in the United States on November 5, 1996.
Plot
The film opens with a campfire st ...
'' (1996).
In 1995, he produced the film ''Ripper Man''.
In 1996, he played the leading man in the film ''Overkill''. That year he started to work on his brother's long lasting TV show ''
Walker, Texas Ranger
''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action fiction, action Crime drama, crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norr ...
'' (1993–2001), during his tenure he served as an executive producer for 168 television episodes. He wrote and directed four episodes.
In 1998'','' Norris was an executive producer, and participated to writing the story of for the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
television film ''
Logan's War: Bound by Honor.'' Sharing the lead with Chuck is actor
Eddie Cibrian
Edward Carl Cibrian ( ; born June 16, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Cole Deschanel on the television series ''Sunset Beach (TV series), Sunset Beach'' and List of Third Watch characters#James 'Jimmy' Doherty, Jimmy ...
. The television-film was ranked third among the thirteen most viewed shows of that week.
In 1999, he created and was an executive producer on the ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' spin-off ''
Sons of Thunder''.
In the early 2000, Norris was an executive producer for the CBS television films ''
The President's Man'' (2000), and ''
The President's Man: A Line in the Sand'' (2002).
2005–present: Current work
In 2005, Norris was an executive producer and acted in the film ''
The Cutter''. That same year he returned to directing with the CBS Movie of the Week, ''
Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire''. A continuation of the series ''
Walker, Texas Ranger
''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action fiction, action Crime drama, crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norr ...
'', with
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...
reprising his role.
In 2007, he produced the documentary ''Inside Aphasia''.
In 2009, Norris produced
Bill Duke
William Henry Duke Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor, director, and producer. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke works primarily in the action and crime drama genres often as a character related to law enforcement. As a ...
's ''
Not Easily Broken'' starring
Morris Chestnut
Morris Lamont Chestnut (born January 1, 1969) is an American actor. He first came to prominence for his role as Ricky in the 1991 film ''Boyz n the Hood''. He has appeared in feature films such as ''G.I. Jane'', ''The Brothers (2001 film), The B ...
and
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, alongside nominations for an Academy Award, six Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2016 and 2024, ''Time'' named Henson one of ...
. That same year he also produced the film ''Everyday Life'' with
Brad Hawkins. That year, he worked on stunts on the
Luc Besson
Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French filmmaker. He directed and produced the films '' Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Associated with the '' Cinéma du look'' film movement, he h ...
film ''
I Love You Phillip Morris''. Also in 2009, he was named the "president of development and production" of
ALN
Aln, ALN, or AlN may refer to:
Organizations
Paramilitary
* Ação Libertadora Nacional, a Brazilian Marxist–Leninist guerrilla movement
* Armée de Libération Nationale, the armed wing of the nationalist National Liberation Front of Alge ...
, formerly ''The American Life Network''.
In 2010, he provided stunts for the film ''
Skateland''.
In 2015, he provided utility stunts for the
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
film ''
Ant-Man'' starring
Paul Rudd.
Personal life
Norris is the younger brother of
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...
(b. March 10, 1940), and Wieland Clyde Norris (1943–1970). During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, both Aaron and his older brother Wieland enlisted in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
.
Wieland was killed in action in Vietnam in 1970.
Norris has been married to Rebecca since 1981. They have three children, a son and twin daughters. Both twins appeared with their mother in Norris's and his brother Chuck's 1991 film ''
The Hitman''.
Norris' nephews, through Chuck, are
Mike and
Eric Norris.
On December 2, 2010, Norris, along with brother Chuck, was given the title honorary
Texas Ranger by Texas Governor
Rick Perry
James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 in the first administration of Donald Trump. He previously served as the 47th governor of Texas fr ...
.
Martial arts
Norris holds a tenth-degree black belt in the Chuck Norris System
Chun Kuk Do
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...
, a martial art created by his brother Chuck Norris.
Director
Producer
Stunts
Actor
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Aaron
1951 births
Living people
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American action film directors
American male film actors
American male karateka
American people of English descent
American people of Irish descent
American tang soo do practitioners
Film directors from California
Male actors from Los Angeles County, California
Military personnel from California
Aaron Norris
Aaron Dee Norris (born November 23, 1951) is an American stunt performer, director, occasional actor, and film and television producer. He is the younger brother of action film star Chuck Norris.
Career
1974–1988: Stunt work to directing
W ...
People from Gardena, California
United States Army soldiers