Richard Norton, an Australian actor and martial arts expert recognized for his roles with Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, and Cynthia Rothrock, has passed away at the age of 75. His wife, Judy Green, announced his death on Instagram, stating: “I am numb and devastated, I have no words, I have lost my everything.”
On March 29, 2025, Norton died in his home in Melbourne, Australia, leaving a significant legacy across various industries and continents.
Born on January 6, 1950, in the Croydon suburb of Sydney, Australia, Norton began studying judo at age 11. “The only downside was that I was pretty small and skinny … so I ended up being cannon fodder for some of the older, bigger students!” Norton once shared. He continued his training, earning a black belt in karate by age 17.
Norton mastered multiple martial arts, holding black belts in Gōjū-ryū karate (5th dan), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (6th dan), and Chun Kuk Do (8th dan). He co-created Zen Do Kai with Bob Jones, a self-defense martial art initially for the security sector.
Before acting, Norton worked for 20 years as a bodyguard for top music artists, including The Rolling Stones, ABBA, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, and Stevie Nicks. This role led to his first film appearance as a bodyguard in “ABBA: The Movie” (1977).
Norton moved to Los Angeles, California in 1979 to work with Linda Ronstadt full-time. There, he met Chuck Norris, who cast him as Kyo in “The Octagon” (1980), with their sword fight ranked #13 on Fighting Stars Magazine’s list of top 25 fight scenes.
Norton appeared in over 80 films and TV shows, gaining recognition in Hong Kong action cinema with roles against Jackie Chan in “City Hunter” (1993) and “Mr. Nice Guy” (1997), and Sammo Hung in “Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars” (1985).
His partnership with Cynthia Rothrock produced several films, including “Millionaires’ Express” (1986), “China O’Brien” (1990) and its 1991 sequel, “Lady Dragon” (1992), and the “Rage and Honor” series (1992-1993).
Recently, Norton worked mainly as a fight choreographer and martial arts trainer in Hollywood, coordinating fights for “Walker, Texas Ranger” and choreographing films like “The Condemned” (2007), “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), “Suicide Squad” (2016), “Dark Phoenix” (2019), and “The Suicide Squad” (2021). He appeared as The Prime Imperator in “Mad Max: Fury Road” and its prequel “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (2024).
Norton trained many 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 collaborated with Norton on “The Suicide Squad,” called him “a tough but sweet Australian dude with a hearty laugh and a million stories about his years making movies.” Actor Robert Patrick, Norton’s co-star in “Equalizer 2000,” described him as “an extraordinary individual, a towering figure in the martial arts community.”
Norton’s martial arts influence was recognized with his induction into the Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2014. He remained active in 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. Tributes from colleagues and fans globally affirm his enduring legacy in action cinema.
