Richard Norton, an accomplished Australian actor and martial arts expert known for his performances alongside Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, and Cynthia Rothrock, has passed away at the age of 75. Norton’s wife, Judy Green, announced his death on Instagram, saying: “I am numb and devastated, I have no words, I have lost my everything.”
Norton died at his residence in Melbourne, Australia, on March 30, 2025. He leaves behind a significant legacy that spans various industries and has had a global impact.
Born on January 6, 1950, in the Croydon suburb of Sydney, Australia, Norton began practicing martial arts at the age of 11 with judo. Despite being small and skinny at the time, he persevered and expanded his training to karate, achieving a black belt by age 17.
Norton’s martial arts expertise grew to include multiple disciplines. He earned black belts in Gōjū-ryū karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Chun Kuk Do. Together with Bob Jones, he co-created Zen Do Kai, a self-defense martial art for the security industry.
Prior to his acting career, Norton spent 20 years as a bodyguard for prominent musicians such as The Rolling Stones, ABBA, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, and Stevie Nicks. He made his first film appearance in “ABBA: The Movie” (1977) during the group’s Australian tour.
Norton’s transition to Hollywood began in 1979 when he moved to Los Angeles, California, to work with Linda Ronstadt. There, he developed a friendship with Chuck Norris, who cast him in “The Octagon” (1980) as the masked ninja villain Kyo, leading to a memorable sword fight ranked #13 on Fighting Stars Magazine’s greatest fight scenes list.
Throughout his career, Norton appeared in over 80 films and TV shows, particularly gaining recognition in Hong Kong action cinema. He starred alongside Jackie Chan in “City Hunter” (1993) and “Mr. Nice Guy” (1997), and with Sammo Hung in “Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars” (1985).
One of Norton’s notable collaborations was with martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock. They worked together on films such as “Millionaires’ Express” (1986), “China O’Brien” (1990) and its sequel (1991), “Lady Dragon” (1992), and the “Rage and Honor” series (1992-1993).
In recent years, Norton focused on roles as a fight choreographer and martial arts trainer in Hollywood. He coordinated fights for “Walker, Texas Ranger” and choreographed action scenes in films like “The Condemned” (2007), “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), “Suicide Squad” (2016), “Dark Phoenix” (2019), and “The Suicide Squad” (2021). He also appeared in “Mad Max: Fury Road” and its prequel “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (2024) as The Prime Imperator.
Norton trained numerous Hollywood actors, including Scarlett Johansson, Charlize Theron, Sophie Turner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ben Affleck, Margot Robbie, Charlie Hunnam, and Liam Neeson, for demanding roles.
James Gunn, who worked with Norton on “The Suicide Squad,” described him as “a tough but sweet Australian dude with a hearty laugh and a million stories about his years making movies.” Robert Patrick, a co-star in “Equalizer 2000,” called him “an extraordinary individual, a towering figure in the martial arts community.”
In 2014, Norton’s contributions to martial arts were formally recognized with his induction into the Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He remained committed to martial arts education, conducting seminars on street defense, martial arts weapons drills, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and mixed martial arts.
Norton is survived by his wife, Judy Green, whom he married in 1993. As tributes continue to pour in from around the world, his legacy as an actor, stuntman, fight choreographer, trainer, and martial arts innovator remains secure.