Richard Norton (actor)

Richard Norton (6 January 1950 – 30 March 2025) was an Australian martial artist, actor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, security consultant and fight choreographer. He held a 5th dan Black Belt in Gōjū-ryū karate, a 6th Dan Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, an 8th Dan Black Belt in Chun Kuk Do, and a Level 6 ranking in American Kickboxing. After high school, Norton worked as a bodyguard in the entertainment business before pursuing an acting career. Norton appeared as a bodyguard in the 1977 ABBA movie, as they toured his native country, Australia. He had a very minor speaking part. His first movie screen appearance was in the 1980 Chuck Norris film The Octagon, and he worked on over 80 feature films and television programs. He appeared in a number of martial arts films, facing off against stars such as Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yasuaki Kurata, Benny Urquidez, Don Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock, and worked as fight choreographer for titles like The Condemned (2007), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Suicide Squad (2016), Dark Phoenix (2019) and The Suicide Squad (2021). With fellow karateka Bob Jones, Norton was the co-creator of Zen Do Kai, a hybrid self-defence martial art intended for the security industry. He was also the head of Richard Norton BJJ.