Australian actor, stunt man, and choreographer Richard Norton has died, aged 75.
Norton, who held black belts in karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was concerned in additional than 80 movies because the Nineteen Seventies, and labored alongside a few of the greatest names in Hollywood. Over his profession, Norton helped prepare star actors together with Scarlett Johansson, Charlize Theron, Sophie Turner, Anya Taylor-Pleasure, Ben Affleck, Margot Robbie, Charlie Hunnam and Liam Neeson.
His spouse Judy Inexperienced confirmed Norton died at residence in Melbourne in an Instagram submit on Sunday.
“I’m numb and devastated, I’ve no phrases I’ve misplaced my every little thing,” Ms Inexperienced mentioned.
“I do know there’s, and will probably be numerous love and shock that we’ve misplaced this unbelievable human being.”
ABC studies Norton was born in Croydon, Sydney in 1950 and started learning martial arts as a baby within the Nineteen Sixties, coaching in judo and karate earlier than selecting up work as a safety guard on dwell excursions.
He landed a job as bodyguard to The Rolling Stones in the course of the band’s Australian tour and educated with Mick Jagger in 4:00 a.m. exercises after concert events. His clientèle would later embody James Taylor, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and Linda Ronstadt, who invited him to California as her bodyguard.
A friendship with Chuck Norris introduced him work in movement footage. Norris solid Norton because the deadly Kyo, a masked ninja, in The Octagon.
He was employed because the combat coordinator on Norris’s tv present Walker, Texas Ranger in 1993, and appeared in visitor roles in eight episodes of the present.
Norton was additionally a mainstay within the Hong Kong motion scene, showing in such movies as Twinkle Twinkle Fortunate Stars and Millionaire’s Categorical, reverse icon Sammo Hung.
In recent times Norton handed on his martial arts information to a spread of recent film stars, together with Margot Robbie and Will Smith on 2016’s Suicide Squad and Charlize Theron for Mad Max: Fury Highway in 2015, the place he additionally had a quick position because the Prime Imperator.
In a submit on Instagram, Chuck Norris mentioned he was heartbroken by the lack of his “pal and brother”.
“The great recollections we shared will eternally be cherished in my coronary heart,” he mentioned.
“Richard, you made me not solely a greater martial artist however a greater individual.”
Actor Robert Patrick, who starred in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, paid tribute to Norton, saying “I’m deeply saddened to share that my pal Richard Norton has handed away…“He was a rare particular person, a towering determine within the martial arts neighborhood, and a recent of Chuck Norris.”
Supply: ABC, IMDb information.com.au
