Richard Norton, stunt veteran who sparred with Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan, dies at 75
Norton's wife Judy Norton announced her husband's death in an emotional Instagram post shared over the weekend. 'I am numb and devastated, I have no words I have lost my everything,' Judy Norton said. The post did not disclose additional information, including a cause of death. Norton was 75.
'I know there is, and will be lots of love and shock that we lost this incredible human being. The love of my life,' she added. 'I'm using this time to come to terms with my great loss.'
Norton, born in Croydon, Australia, in January 1950, enjoyed a varied career that spanned from the 1980s to 2024 and resulted in on-screen battles against Norris in 'The Octagon' and Chan in 'City Hunter.' He also sparred against Hong Kong action star Sammo Hung in several films including 'Mr. Nice Guy' and fought alongside martial arts queen Cynthia Rothrock in 'China O'Brien,' 'Lady Dragon' and more.
Norris mourned the loss of his 'dear friend and brother' on Sunday, sharing behind-the-scenes photos and pictures of their on-screen battles on Instagram. He said Norton 'made me not only a better martial artist but a better person' and that the performer's legacy will live on. To Norris, Norton was 'one of the finest men I've ever known.'
'I long for more time together, but I take comfort in the fact that we will meet again,' Norris wrote, before sending his love to Norton's family.
'Guardians of the Galaxy' filmmaker and DC Studios boss James Gunn also paid tribute to Norton over the weekend, remembering his work on 'The Suicide Squad' as a fight choreographer. Gunn said in a Sunday Instagram post that he and Norton bonded over their love for '90s Hong Kong films, and that he was 'particularly surprised' to learn about Norton's death because he said the martial arts expert came off much younger than he actually was. Gunn sent his condolences to Norton's family and collaborators.
'The film world will be a less vibrant place without him,' Gunn said. 'Rest in Peace, friend.'
Norton's acting credits also include 'Force: Five,' 'Gymkata,' 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,' 'Magic Crystal,' 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars,' 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and the CBS series 'Walker, Texas Ranger.' In addition to showcasing his action chops, Norton also helped several A-listers improve theirs. Liam Neeson, Margot Robbie, Charlize Theron, Anya Taylor-Joy, Will Smith and Ben Affleck are among the actors who trained under Norton throughout his career.
Norton, whose dynamic fighting style earned praise from Chan, began his martial arts career at age 11 after joining a neighbor to his judo class, according to an interview on his website.
'I ended up going along with him one night and was absolutely intrigued by it. The only downside was that I was pretty small and skinny as an 11-year-old so I ended up being cannon fodder for some of the older, bigger students,' he said.
Before his Hollywood career, Norton channeled his physical abilities as a club security guard and eventually a bodyguard for musical acts including David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt, ABBA and Fleetwood Mac back in the '70s. Later in life Norton maintained his physicality with consistent training and by devoting himself to Brazilian jiujitsu. A sixth-degree black belt, Norton also created the Richard Norton Brazilian Jiujitsu Association, which helped bring the martial art to various clubs and organizations across South Wales, Australia and to Norris' United Fighting Arts Federation.
___
© 2025 Los Angeles Times.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
25 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week (July 26-Aug. 1)
Woof — it's been a long week. If you feel like you've been working like a dog, let us offer you the internet equivalent of a big pile of catnip: hilarious posts about pets. We Shih Tzu not. Each week at HuffPost, we scour Bluesky, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, to find the funniest posts about our furballs being complete goofballs. They're sure to make you howl. (And if you want more, no need to beg ― you can check out last week's batch right here.) Related... 21 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week 23 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week 30 Of The Funniest Posts About Cats And Dogs This Week
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Ozzy Osbourne's final gift to rock protégé Yungblud revealed in touching death tribute
Gone but not forgotten. The 'precious' final gift Ozzy Osbourne gave to his rock protégé, Yungblud, has been revealed in a loving tribute after the Black Sabbath legend's death. Yungblud, whose real name is Dominic Harrison, took to social media after Osbourne was laid to rest on Thursday to pay homage to the late heavy metal icon. Advertisement 14 Yungblud and Ozzy Osbourne backstage during the 'Crazy Train' singer's last-ever concert on July 5. yungblud/Instagram 14 Yungblud shared a picture of the cross pendant that Ozzy Osbourne gifted him when meeting for the first time back in 2022. yungblud/Instagram 'Goodnight Oz,' Yungblud, 27, wrote on his Instagram Stories. 'Your light will forever shine. I love you.' Advertisement The English singer-songwriter included a close-up picture of the dazzling cross pendant that the 'Crazy Train' singer gifted him in 2022 while recording a music video for Yungblud's hit song, 'The Funeral.' Yungblud returned the favor and gifted Osbourne a custom-made cross necklace of his own during the 'Paranoid' rocker's last-ever show on July 5 at Villa Park. 14 Yungblud gifted Ozzy Osbourne a cross necklace of his own during the Black Sabbath legend's last-ever show at Villa Park on July 5. Instagram/@yungblud 14 Yungblud and Ozzy Osbourne backstage during the 'Paranoid' singer's last-ever show before his death. Instagram/@yungblud Advertisement Last month, the 'Parents' punk rocker shared that his necklace from Osbourne 'is the most precious thing I own.' After meeting on the set of the 2022 music video, Osbourne and Yungblud began a close friendship that lasted until the 'Miracle Man' singer's death on July 22 at 76. The pair became so close that Yungblud allegedly gave a moving reading in front of Osbourne's family and close friends at Ozzy's private funeral on Thursday. 14 Ozzy Osbourne at iHeartRadio Theater on February 24, 2020, in Burbank, California. Getty Images for iHeartMedia Advertisement 14 Yungblud at the Attitude Pride Awards Europe 2025 at Peninsula London on July 4, 2025, in London, England. Alan Chapman/The singer was also chosen to present Osbourne with the Icon Award at the Rolling Stone UK Awards in 2023. Osbourne passed away last week following a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease and other health issues. 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,' Osbourne's family said in a statement to The Post. But before Osbourne was laid to rest on Thursday, a funeral procession was organized through his hometown of Birmingham, England. 14 A memorial was set up to remember Ozzy Osbourne in his hometown of Birmingham, England, ahead of his funeral. / 14 Jack Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne view tributes to the late Ozzy Osbourne from fans as his funeral cortege travels through Birmingham on July 30, 2025. Getty Images Thousands of his fans gathered in the streets to mourn the late rocker, and they were joined by Osbourne's heartbroken widow, Sharon, 72, and their grieving kids, Aimee, 41, Kelly, 40, and Jack, 39. Advertisement Louis, who is Osbourne's son from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, was also in attendance at the cortège, and each member of the famous family included subtle references to Osbourne. While Sharon wore Ozzy's wedding ring on a chain around her neck, Jack honored his late dad with a small silver cross pin that he wore at the end of his tie. 14 Kelly, Sharon, Aimee and Louis Osbourne greeted fans upon arriving at Ozzy Osbourne's funeral procession through Birmingham. Anadolu via Getty Images Kelly wore a pair of round wire-rimmed sunglasses, and Aimee had a bat brooch on her black blazer. Advertisement One day after Osbourne's funeral procession in Birmingham, his family held a private funeral next to the lake of his Buckinghamshire home. Besides Osbourne's former Black Sabbath bandmates, Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, other A-listers like Marilyn Manson, Metallica's James Hetfield, and reportedly Elton John were in attendance. 14 Aerial footage showed the preparations at Ozzy Osbourne's Buckinghamshire residence ahead of a his private memorial on July 31. / 14 Ozzy Osbourne's friends, including Zakk Wylde and Marilyn Manson, unite in Buckinghamshire ahead of the late heavy metal icon's private memorial. / Advertisement 14 Ozzy Osbourne's friends unite ahead of the Black Sabbath legend's private memorial. / 'Today we laid to rest a beloved friend,' Manson, 56, wrote on Instagram after the funeral. 'I am eternally grateful that you let me into your life, Ozzy. Your inspiration and love will always be with me.' 'Thank you, Sharon and family, for a reverent, beautiful ceremony,' Manson added. 'Your legacy lives on.' 14 Ozzy Osbourne performs during the NFL season-opening game between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 08, 2022, in Inglewood, California. Getty Images Advertisement 14 Ozzy Osbourne at the 23rd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party on February 22, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. Jonathan Leibson 'Toasts were raised, memories were shared – it was a very fitting goodbye,' a source told The Sun. 'There was a stage where people, including Yungblud, who grew very close to Ozzy in recent years, were set to pay tribute to him.' 'The day was incredibly emotional,' the source added. 'Pictures of Ozzy were dotted throughout the house, and a photograph of him was given to everyone who attended to take home with them.'
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
American Eagle responds to critics over ad with Sydney Sweeney, saying it was always about the jeans
NEW YORK (AP) — Teen retailer American Eagle Outfitters has a message to its critics, who took issue over its denim ad campaign with 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney that sparked a debate over race and Western beauty standards. The campaign, the retailer said, was always about the jeans. In a statement posted on American Eagle's Instagram account on Friday, the retailer said the ad campaign 'is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.' The message marked the first time the teen retailer responded to days of backlash since the ad with the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' launched last week. In the run-up to the ad blitz, the company's chief marketing officer told trade media outlets that it included 'clever, even provocative language' and was 'definitely going to push buttons." It's unclear if the company knew how much controversy the ad could raise. Most of the negative reception focused on videos that used the word 'genes' instead of 'jeans' when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor known for the HBO series 'Euphoria' and 'White Lotus.' Critics found the most troubling was a teaser video in which Sweeney says, 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.' Other commenters accused detractors of reading too much into the campaign's message. Some marketing experts said the buzz is always good even if it's not uniformly positive. 'If you try to follow all the rules, you'll make lots of people happy, but you'll fail,' Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce said. 'The rocket won't take off.'
