Eric Norris

Norris was born in Redondo Beach, California, the son of Dianne (née Holecheck) and Walker, Texas Ranger star Chuck Norris.[1]

Norris began racing in 1982 with his father in the SCORE Off-Road Series, but retired to study at Arizona State University.[2] Following his graduation, he began racing at Willow Springs Raceway and the Formula Ford Series.

Norris made his Craftsman Truck Series debut in 1997, running five races in the No. 02 Wolverine Vinyl Siding Ford F-150 for Ultra Motorsports. His best finish that season came at Watkins Glen International, where he finished 13th.[3] He did not run again until 1999, when he ran both races at Texas Motor Speedway. He finished 35th in the first race, which he ran with Ultra's No. 02 Ford, and 22nd in the second race, driving the No. 4 Coca-Cola Dodge Ram for Bobby Hamilton Racing.[4] That season, he began running in the West Series full-time, finishing tenth in points. In 2000, he made one start in the No. 5 Ultra truck at Texas, but finished 35th after being caught up in a lap 2 crash.[5] He also won his first NASCAR race at Mesa Marin Raceway in the West Series and finished seventh in the series points.

Norris ran the No. 32 Jani-King Chevrolet Silverado for Matt Stowe in three 2001 races. His best finish of the season was a 17th at Texas. In the fall, a 23rd at California Speedway was the first time that Norris ran at a track other than Texas since 1997.[6] He finished fifth in the standings in the West Series, but did not win another race.[7] He won the championship by 119 points in 2002, winning twice and finishing in the top ten for every race during the season.[8]

Norris did not return to the Craftsman Truck Series until 2004, when once again, Jim Smith and Ultra Motorsports gave Norris a two-race deal. Norris was 36th in his first start at Texas, but in his next start at Homestead-Miami, Norris finished 14th.[9] In 2005, Norris ran four races, all for Green Light Racing. In his first start of the year at Texas, Norris had his best career weekend to date, churning in his best career start and best career finish of 12th. There, he also led his first career lap. He only finished one of the other three starts, which was a 20th at Kansas Speedway.[10]

He made his Busch Series debut in 2005, running a pair of races for MacDonald Motorsports. He qualified 35th and finished 41st in his debut at California in February, after the No. 72 P4OT.com Chevy broke an engine. Norris then returned at Las Vegas, finishing 35th, ten laps off the pace.[11]

Norris returned to Green Light early in 2006, running their No. 07 truck at California. However, an early crash put him to 35th in the results. Norris competed in some more races for Green Light in 2006 with some good runs.[12]

In addition to his racing career, Norris has done many stunt performances and acting in film and tv. From the mid 1980s, Norris often worked alongside his father Chuck, who is an action film star. As well as working on other film productions.

On the 27th September 1985, premiered his father's action film, Joseph Zito's Invasion U.S.A., where Norris is credited for stunts.[13]

On the 14th February 1986, premiered another of Chuck's action film with Menahem Golan's The Delta Force, where Norris is credited as an actor in the role of Andy.[14] Norris was a stunt player on Sam Firstenberg's Avenging Force starring Michael Dudikoff, that started its theatrical run September 12 of that year.[15] On the 6 of June, Tobe Hooper's Invaders from Mars started its theatrical run, in it Norris is also credited for a small role.[16]

In 1988, Norris was a stunt player for the motion pictures starring his father Hero and the Terror.[17]

In 1990, Norris returned as a stunt player for his father in Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection, directed by his uncle Aaron Norris.[18]

In 1990, Norris was credited for stunts in Sylvio Tabet's Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time and Stan Dragoti's Necessary Roughness.[19][20] That year, Norris got a stunt performer credit in Nicholas Meyer's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.[21]

On the 10th of July 1992, premiered Roland Emmerich's Universal Soldier starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Dolph Lundgren. The film is about dead soldiers who are resurrected with super abilities who go on delicate secret missions. Norris in a minor role appears as one of them.[22]

On december 3 1993, Norris played the role of a thug in the film Rescue Me, starring Michael Dudikoff and Stephen Dorff.[23] That year, Norris is credited for utility stunt in Benefit of the Doubt starring Donald Sutherland and stunts for Best of the Best II starring Eric Roberts.[24][25] Also that year Norris was credited twice as a stunt player. First was Sidekicks starring his father and directed by his uncle, where he also played a biker.[26] Second was Yurek Bogayevicz's Three of Hearts.[27]

Norris' father went on to star in the long lasting hit tv show Walker, Texas Ranger,(1993-2001) where, he acted in nineteen episodes, directed nine, and produced four.[28]

In 1994 Norris provided stunts for Chuck and Aaron in Hellbound.[29]

On November first, 1998, Norris was second unit director on Michael Preece's television film Logan's War: Bound by Honor, starring Eddie Cibrian and his father, which premiered on CBS.[30][31][32]

Norris served again as a second unit director for Michael Preece and his father playing the lead in the television film The President's Man. It aired for the first time on CBS on April 2, 2000.[33][34][35][36]

For the sequel The President's Man: A Line in the Sand, Norris directed. It premiered on the same network on January 20, 2002.[37][38] His father reprised as the lead, it also costarred Judson Mills, Robert Urich, Roxanne Hart, etc. The story is about secret agent Joshua McCord (Chuck Norris) is assigned by President Adam Mayfield (Urich) to prevent a band of terrorists from setting off a nuclear device in the US.[39]

On his own, Norris has done stunts for Mike Judge's Office Space (1999), Jon Turteltaub's National Treasure (2004), Ben Affleck's The Town (2010) among many others.[40]

Norris since works consistently in film and television.

In 2015, Norris was nominated at the 67th Emmy Awards for outstanding stunt coordination in for a drama series, limited series or movie, for his participation as a stunt coordinator on the hit show Sons of Anarchy created by Kurt Sutter.[41]

Norris and his brother Mike are the two sons of the union of actor Chuck Norris and Dianne Holecheck. Through his father, Norris is the nephew of Aaron Norris, the godson of Gena Norris, has a half brother and two half sisters.

His father, a friend and collaborator of Bruce Lee, said that when Lee died, he kept in touch with Lee's family, and that Eric and Lee's son Brandon were friends at a young age.[42][43]

Norris has lived with his wife, Stephanie, since circa 1993 and they have four children together: three daughters, Camrynn (born 1995), Chloe (born 1998) and Chantz (born 2000), and one son Cash (born 2010). The family lives in California.

• The Delta Force (1986) – Andy, U.S. Navy Diver
• Invaders from Mars (1986) – MP #2
• Universal Soldier (1992) – GR86
• Rescue Me (1992) – Thug
• Sidekicks (1992) – Biker #5
• Top Dog (1995) – Border Patrol Officer
• The Guardian (2006) – Navy Guy

• Official website
• Eric Norris driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Eric Norris on IMDb