List of the top 12 Chuck Norris Movies and TV Shows:
#12 The Expendables 2
In The Expendables 2, he co-stars alongside Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Liam Hemsworth, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Jason Statham, and Sylvester Stallone.
“Great man and my condolences to his wonderful family,” Stallone wrote on Instagram after Norris’ passing. “He was All American in every way. I had a great time working with Chuck.”
He lowered the rating of The Expendables from R to PG-13 since there “was a lot of hard language in the screenplay.” Norris also said that he “doesn’t play in movies like this.”
#11 Forced Vengeance
In Forced Vengeance, he played Chief Joshua Harrin “Josh” Randall, the head of security for a mid-level casino in Hong Kong. Norris later said he basically played a “cowboy in Hong Kong.”
1985 – @Getty
The film was directed by James Fargo.
#10 A Force of One
In A Force of One, Norris plays karate champion Matt Logan, who helps an anti-narcotics police unit. The screenplay was based on a story co-written by Pat E. Johnson.
#9 Silent Rage
In Silent Rage, Norris is a sheriff who must stop a mentally ill man. It grossed over $10 million at the box office.
Chuck Norris poses for a portrait Session in January, 2003 in Los Angeles – @Getty
#8 The Octagon
The Octagon was written by Leigh Chapman and Paul Aaron, and Chuck plays Scott James, a veteran martial arts expert. He called The Octagon “the first Ninja movie.”
#7 Invasion U.S.A.
In Invasion U.S.A., Norris starred as CIA Agent Matt Hunter, who is combating a Soviet-led terrorist army that lands in Florida. It is all set during the Christmas season.
“The movie is not meant to scare people but to make us aware of a potential problem,” the actor stated.
#6 Code of Silence
Chuck Norris attends the Rick Dees’ “Dees Demons” vs. Michael Bolton’s “Bolton Bombers Softball Game on October 16, 1991 – @Getty
In ”Code of Silence,” he played a straight-arrow Chicago narcotics detective. The film is based on a story by Butler and Shryack. They originally wrote a script called Dirty Harry IV: Code of Silence, but the script was later bought by Orion Pictures.
#5 Lone Wolf McQuade
In 1983, Norris, alongside Robert Beltran, R.G. Armstrong, Barbara Carrera, and David Carradine, played as Ranger Jim “J.J.” McQuade in Lone Wolf McQuade, a western action film directed by Steve Carver.
While filming Lone Wolf McQuade, it was rumored that David Carradine was going too hard with his moves, and when Chuck warned him. He also said:
“David Carradine is every bit as good a martial artist as I am an actor.”
#4 Walker, Texas Ranger
Judson Mills, Chuck Norris, and Clarence Gilyard – @Getty
From 1993 to 2001, Norris portrayed Texas Ranger Sergeant Cordell Walker in 196 episodes of the TV show Walker, Texas Ranger. The series was noted for its moralistic style.
Lone Wolf McQuade served as the original inspiration for the series.
“I try to avoid shooting as much as I can and using my martial arts ability that Walker has again, because when you’re dealing with injustice and dealing with crime, you have to deal with it in a forceful way,” Norris explained in an interview in 1995. “But again, it’s not because he wants to, it’s because he has to.”
In 2023, the Oklahoma-born star settled a lawsuit that he previously filed against CBS and Sony Pictures, in which he alleged he was denied millions of dollars. Chuck and his production company, Top Kick Productions, were asking for $30 million. CBS has denied the allegations outlined in the lawsuit.
A reboot starring Jared Padalecki debuted on The CW in 2021.
#3 The Way of the Dragon
Chuck Norris with Bruce Lee on the set of his movie The Way of the Dragon – @Getty
In 1972, he performed opposite Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon. It grossed an estimated total of $130 million against the film’s budget of $130,000.
“The fight scene is considered the classic martial art fight scene of all time,” he later revealed about his fight scene with Bruce Lee at the Colosseum. “I enjoyed working with Bruce Lee in the film; it was a lot of fun.”
Fun fact: The Colosseum fight was filmed illegally, with Lee having bribed officials.
#2 Missing In Action
Missing In Action – 1984 – @Getty
In his 1984 film, Missing In Action, Norris played a lone wolf commando, Colonel James Braddock. The plot is about an unauthorized rescue of POWs who were trapped in Vietnam after the war. Joseph Zito directed the film from a screenplay by James Bruner.
”The endings are always positive,” Norris said about his success. “My films do deal with certain positive things. I think a lot of people are tired of depressing, boring films.”
Missing in Action 2: The Beginning was released one year later, and is actually a prequel to Missing in Action. He played Colonel James Thomas Braddock as a POW, trying to escape from a brutal camp.
Braddock: Missing in Action III was released in 1988. It is the final installment in the Missing in Action film series.
#1 The Delta Force
In 1986, he portrayed Major Scott McCoy, the deputy commander of the Delta Force unit, in the action film The Delta Force. It was inspired by the hijacking of TWA Flight 847. Lee Marvin also starred in the film. “It was a privilege to work with Lee Marvin,” he told Black Belt Magazine.
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