By Alistair Macmordéan Sat. 14 Nov 2020
“He know the rhythm, and he know the timing”
- Jackie Chan
The Killer from Manilla, a master of the Bushido Blade, the dealer of Okinawan Sai, connoisseur of the cod cudgel, the hammer of the Equalizer Gun, the King of the Black & Decker, a tamer of shrews, a charismatic heartthrob for the ladies, fists and kicks as quick as lightning, none can stand against the mighty Richard Norton the Lionheart.
Mr. Norton’s career has spanned over fourty years in movies and television boasting over a hundred titles. The Lionheart alongside Cynthia Rothrock (aka Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of martial arts movies) where the first two westerners to achieve success in blockbuster Hong Kong Movies. Norton is considered one of the very few stunt actors to be able to keep up with action stars Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.
Richards’ long life passion to the martial arts began in Croydon, Australia when he was eleven years old:
“I started Martial Arts when I was 11 years old in the art of Judo. This was in 1961, and the reason my first art was Judo is that back then in Australia, there really weren’t any other Martial Arts in the country. I don’t think I’d even heard about Karate yet. Anyway, when I was growing up there was a kid who happened to move into a house across the road from me and he’d disappear two nights a week. I asked him where he was going and it turned out he was going to a Judo class, which immediately got my attention. I ended up going along with him one night and was absolutely intrigued by it.”
- Richard Norton
Spanning a career over fifty five years he has trained in various styles of marital arts including Judo, Karate, Japanese & Okinawan weapons arts, Jiu Jitsu and Kick Boxing. Richard founded Karate club Zen Do Kai with Bob Jones and the pair established over five hundred schools across the great nation of down under.
“People have often asked me why I started doing Martial Arts and I can honestly say that in hindsight, it’s what I believe I was meant to do with my life. I mean I didn’t grow up in a rough neighbourhood and although my friends and I were always very physical and loved playing sports and doing things like Boxing and Wrestling, I never felt that being able to fight was the sole reason. I was drawn to the mystique of this Eastern art.”
- Richard Norton
“Becoming good friends with Bob gave me an insight into the ‘real world’
aspect of the Martial Arts and comparing the Dojo to the street.”
- Richard Norton
The Lionheart was a pioneer with Bob Jones in founding Zen Do Kai incorporating aspects from other martial art styles that they deemed to be practical in a street fighting context. At the time this was revolutionary as most martial art schools would only teach a particular tradition and mixing styles was taboo. It was Bruce Lee’s legacy in the movies and martial arts that gave them the permission to blend different styles. Richard had first met Bob as fellow students of Sensei Tino, and it was their they struck up a friendship that lead to them to start their own school some years later. Jones used his knowledge working in security to collaborate in creating Zen Do Kai system:
“Well, Bob was definitely the catalyst for this. When Bob and I eventually left training with Tino, Bob wanted to start his own style. Eventually we did this together and opened up the first Zen Do Kai schools in 1970. At that time most of the early students who came along were bouncers and security personnel who’d already worked with Bob for many years. So to cater for this we had to find ways to modify the traditional techniques we taught in order to make the training more practically suitable for the type of work these guys did as security personnel. I guess ours was a very early example of the schools we see so much of today which would combine and draw from different practical fighting systems to suit the environment of today’s urban battlefield. So we’d include techniques from Boxing, Judo, Wrestling and pretty much anything else if we felt it worked in that environment. To us, our style name means ‘the best of everything’ in progression.”
- Richard Norton
Norton’s extensive credentials in the martial arts make him not only one of the the most famous instructors, but also a formidable teacher in a diverse range of styles. His accolades include a ninth degree Soke title in Zen Do Kai Karate with Soke Bob Jones, trained under Chuck Norris obtaining a Master’s eighth degree in Chun Kuk Do, trained under international superstar/martial artist Sensei Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez in Kickboxing, trained in International Goju Ryu Karate fifth degree Shihan title under Hanshi Tin0 Cereberano, and Machado Brothers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fifth degree. To this day, Norton is Jean Jacques Machado’s highest graded student. Other notable instructors Richard has trained under include Pete ‘Sugar Foot’ Cunningham, Fumio Demura, Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace, Rickson Gracie, Sal Ebanez, Masayuki Takasaka and Tadashi Yamashita. Norton has also completed an MMA curriculum to assist martial arts schools in incorporating UFC techniques. Soke Richard Norton now teaches at his own school of BJJ and the Team Norton Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association. Click the picture website link below for further reading:
Bob Jones opened the door for Richard in security which lead to a flamboyant twenty year career as a bodyguard for celebrities including Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, ABBA, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, John Belushi and Stevie Nicks.
“But it was absolutely Bob’s involvement that got me working on doors. Later in 1970 we were taken on to work security at a very big music festival, which was almost like Australia’s equivalent of America’s famous Woodstock Pop festival. It was called ‘The Sunbury Pop Festival’. Soon after, a very well-known music promoter called Paul Dainty phoned us and said he was bringing The Rolling Stones to Australia and asked if we’d like to be their personal bodyguards. That pretty much started my work as a Personal Bodyguard, a career that lasted for around 20 years.”
- Richard Norton
“In 1979 I was offered a job doing security on a U.S. tour with Linda Ronstadt as her personal bodyguard and trainer. So I went out to Southern California. I told everybody in Australia I'd be back in a month and 20 years later I'm still here.”
- Richard Norton
To this day Norton has a strong friendship with everyone he has worked for and also sharing his passion for the martial arts. Indeed, in the late 70’s while on tour it was pop hit singer Linda Ronstadt that encouraged Richard to pursue a career in acting.
Richard first met Chuck Norris at Bob Jones’s debut Australian Kick boxing Competition in 1978. Chuck Norris was very impressed by Norton’s demonstrations at the event, and during the Lone Wolf Mcquad stay in Australia the pair become regular training partners.
Since then they have both been long life friends, and Norton recalls how fondly it was that Chuck gave him his first real break in the movies starring as one of the main villains right hand Ninja Kyo in the movie The Octagon in 1980.
Previously Norris was very impressed by Richard’s exceptional skills in Japanese weaponry, which is why he landed the role that critics like Fighting Star Magazine have credited his jaw dropping fight with Chuck in The Octagon in the thirteenth place out of the twenty five greatest fight scenes of all time.
“This resulted in Chuck asking me to play the lead Ninja villain character, ‘Kyo’, in the movie. For the purposes of the movie, ‘Kyo’ was supposed to be Japanese, hence the reason I had to wear a crimson mask! So that’s how it came about. Chuck also wanted me to help choreograph many of the fights in the film, which we ended up doing a lot of in his back garden. As a bonus I also got the chance to play a small role called Long Legs, where you could see it was actually me! I was also one of four guys who ended up doing most of the Ninja work, so I like to say that my claim to fame in that film is that I died eight times! [Laughs] I even remember saying to my mum when the movie came out that if you see anyone go ‘splat’ on the ground, it’s probably your darling son. Hah! Through working on that movie I got the chance to meet great Martial Artists like Tadashi Yamashita and Simon and Phillip Rhee, who are amazing Tae Kwon Do practitioners.”
- Richard Norton
Since The Octagon Richard joined the stunts team for two more feature films with Chuck Norris in Eye for an Eye (1981) and Forced Vengeance (1982). Norris not only gave Norton his first break but really mentored him in action movies. This lead to further opportunities for Richard who was recommended by Pat Johnson to co-lead in Force: Five (1981) as Ezekiel a member of an elite squad of undercover agents in the tradition of the A-Team. Their mission was to rescue the senators daughter from a religious cult that is a cross between Jim Jones and the Minoans of ancient Crete. In the climatic fight scene in the third act, Norton resorted to using saw mill blades which foreshadowed the actors audience appeal not only in his martial art skills but also in his charismatic whit in spontaneous one liners; “thank god, for Black & Decker!” Force: Five was brought to audiences on the silver screen from the producers of Enter The Dragon Fred Weintraub and Robert Clouse. Norton co-starred with the legendary martial artists Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, Joe Lewis and Master Bong Soo Han for the first time. Norton’s role as Ezekiel was a defining moment as he went through a mind shift of doubt to triumph:
“I remember walking into a massive room full of American Karate legends like Keith Vitali, Bill Wallace and literally countless legends of the Martial Arts world. They were all auditioning for roles! I just thought, “oh, man, what hope do I have?”, because no one knew who I was and I had an ‘Aussie’ accent which, back then, was unacceptable because not many people could understand it! But anyway, we went through the audition process and eventually they narrowed it down to the last 10 to play the five lead roles. Incredibly I was still there so it was then I remember I stopped and realized that I must have the necessary skills to make it into the last 10! So then my next step was thinking how I could set myself apart. Back then I was into a lot of visualization and trying to visualize future goals and this helped me work on how I might influence them to think… “there’s something about him”. My favourite lesson from that experience was rather than saying “why me?” I started to say “why not me?” I have trained just as hard as anyone else and I had the skills and Martial Arts knowledge. That started my new journey in the film world and importantly a new confidence that I could make it in this industry.”
- Richard Norton
“I was surrounded by names like Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, Joe Lewis and Master Bong Soo Han; real legends in the Martial Arts world, so I was like a kid in a candy store!...Working with all these Martial Arts stars on set was just amazing and the best experience I could’ve hoped for. When the film came out it was a theatrical release and I remember being in Boston and seeing a billboard with my name on it! It was an unbelievable feeling for a skinny kid from the suburbs of Melbourne.”
- Richard Norton
Mr. Norton got the call to step into the role of an Assassin in the Hong Kong action comedy Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985), starring Sammo Hung as the lead actor and Director co starring with action star Jackie Chan. It was Richard’s ‘baptism of fire’ into Hong Kong productions as they spent more than three week shooting the fight scenes with out a master plan. Little did Norton know at the time this was the standard in Hong Kong Cinema compared to American Movies. For this bronze Aussie fighter it was ‘a huge eye-opener’:
“It was all filmed in the famous Golden Harvest Studios lot and involved shooting fight scenes in a studio that was always a temperature of between 115-120°F with no air conditioning. We were also filming 18-hour days; seven days a week and this sequence took three and a half weeks to film. I lost 17 or 18 pounds during that period and that was purely because of the hours we were working and the physical intensity of the action sequences. All the fighting was virtually full contact because that’s just the way they did it back then! So even though they sometimes used wires and other tricks, what you saw is pretty much what happened in the way of kicks and punches sinking in, including body hits and even facial hits. This was of course all new to me. Compared to the American films I was used to and even the timing was different. In the beginning I was treated like a bit like an outsider, but once we started the fights, Sammo and Jackie saw I had very good timing and was more than willing to take the bumps and that impressed them. For them, timing is even more important than the actual fighting and your timing has to be good enough to match their choreography and action style. So I took the hits and didn’t complain and they ended up really liking me...One of the biggest things I took away from Hong Kong was when I completed the first couple of days of shooting Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars. I remember I was so frustrated and exhausted with the hours, the heat, and the tiredness of the Sammo fight that I got back to my room and said out loud that if I could get through this I could get through anything! I mean after that, shooting 12-hour days in an American movie was literally like a walk in the park! Often on western film sets I’d hear people complaining if we worked one hour overtime or the fights got a little rough and I’d laugh and say, “Man, you guys don’t even know!” [Laughs] I’d also add that even though I thought the Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars shoot was tough for me, Jackie and the Hong Kong guys were doing this level of hardship year round, movie after movie and often shooting two movies at once! I felt like a big baby! So this gave me massive respect for the physical and mental toughness of those guys.”
- Richard Norton
Norton persevered with the rigorous shooting schedule and the end result was a memorable fight scene with Sammo Hung. The pair moved with lightning precision. Richard was amazed at Sammo’s acrobatic abilities, which made the fight scene more dynamic. It is during this bout that Richard again delivers another icon catchphrase “Painful?”, which Sammo responded with funny gestures as audiences would erupt with laughter in cinemas around the globe.
Director Robert Clause (Enter The Dragon) was enticed by the novel The Terrible Game by Dan Tyler Moore, which eventually developed into the feature film Gymkata (1985). Starring Kurt Thomas (Gold Medalist) playing an American called Jonathan Cabot chosen by the secret service to enter a competition in the far east to investigate the terrorist Zamir played by Richard Norton. The bone of contention for Cabot is an exotic princess played by Tecthie Agbayani who is promised in marriage to the evil Zamir. The tournament is in the tradition of The Running Man and Blood Sport as it is a race against time for Jonathan to finish the competition and save the princess from the evil clutches of Zamir. Jonathan is overwhelmed with Zamir’s superior strength and skill, however he begins to incorporate his gymnastic skills to win the duel to the death in the far eastern mountains of the fictional country Parmistan. Shooting in Yugoslavia, Norton not only trained the lead star Kurt, but also was one the fight choreographers for the production. It is noted Norton had to adjust the fight scenes to suit Kurt style as a gymnast which brought a different take on the martial arts genre.
The action comedy Hong Kong blockbuster concocted by Lead Star/Director Sammo Hung Millionaire’s Express (1986) brought together Samurai, Kung Fu fighters and Cowboys in a climatic scene of riveting gun battles and fists of fury. Norton battled a Japanese warrior and the shooting schedule went on for many weeks resulting him in getting massive blisters and an infection on his foot. At night they would drain the puss and blood so he could return the next day and shoot. It hurt like hell but it’s testament to Norton’s professionalism in getting the job done. During the production of Hung's Millionaires' Express (1986) in Asia, Richard bonded with cast member and fellow martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock:
“I first came to hear of Cynthia in Hong Kong as she was working out there starting a career around the same time I was. I remember being told about this petite American girl who was doing really well in Hong Kong action films and by coincidence, Sammo Hung later teamed us up as Bandits in Millionaire’s Express.”
- Richard Norton
A shining jewel in Norton’s catalogue of classic films Magic Crystal (1986) directed by Jin Wong boasts of action co-stars Cynthia Rothrock and Andy Lau. The martial arts choreography is breathtaking and fast paced, gluing audiences eyes to the silver screen in eager anticipation to find out what happens next. Norton playing the role of the villain Karov is menacing as he battles with Andy and Cynthia in the catacombs of the acropolis in Greece. Richard’s skills in Kung Fu complimented the choreography adding to the drama of the movie. Notable scene is in the third act where he displays his sophisticated Sai skills:
“The Magic Crystal was really enjoyable from a different point of view. It was one of Andy Lau’s first movies and was great because I had the chance to work with Cynthia Rothrock for the first time and also because I got to shoot a fight scene using the Sai, which was the first weapon I studied in the Martial Arts. That was really cool for me to be able to put some of my own style in a Hong Kong fight scene. I really liked the fight scenes in The Magic Crystal with Cynthia. I like them from a complexity and choreography point of view, aside from the memories of fighting Cynthia and being cracked in the head with a wooden sword and having eight stitches on my eye without anesthetic so the eye wouldn’t swell up!”
- Richard Norton
In the tradition of Mad Max and action exploitation movies Norton dazzled audiences in The Equalizer 2000 (1987) with his portrayal of bad ass Slade, a Rambo-esque warrior with a gun boasting a dozen barrels blasting away enemies left, right and centre. Director Cirio Santiagio brings us a romping action extravaganza, a cacophony of guns blazing and explosions full of eye candy for the inner adolescent to feast their eyes on. Richard shared the big screen with Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) and the very voluptuous Corinne Wahl (Former Penthouse pinup model) in the role of Karen. Norton’s and Wahl’s kinetic chemistry worked well in the action and romance department. The Lion showed off his stunt bravado standing tall on the bonnet of a car going over 100 km’s per hour firing at his pursuers in this post apocalyptic romp. The gravitas of Norton’s stage presence with the legendary gun of multiple barrels firing all cylinders, backed up by his sexy sidekick Karen make it a thrill ride and fantasy for any teenage boy.
From the producers of Enter the Dragon, Norton portrayed the charismatic Matt Conroy and action partner to Cynthia Rothrock’s titled character China O’Brien 1 & 2 (1990). The producing and acting partnership continued on for many other productions:
“Based on that, back in America I had the chance to work with Fred Weintraub again and the idea came up to put Cynthia and I together again and that’s how we ended up doing up the China O’ Brien and Rage and Honor movies. I think we just had really good chemistry and got along so well. Essentially, we were able to have a lot of fun with what we were doing and that came across onscreen... That’s it really; we were able to do what was asked of us and had chemistry along the way. There’s an old saying in our business that says, “the camera either likes you or it doesn’t”. You can’t really manufacture that chemistry and because we’re such good friends it just seemed to come naturally. Also I think audiences like the familiarity because they feel they get to know you over time, so seeing Cynthia and me appearing together in different roles really captured an audience.”
- Richard Norton
Norton embraced his inner Samurai warrior in the Sword of the Bushido (1990) as an Ex-Navy SEAL Zac Connors, who goes on a quest to search for a lost Japanese sword once used in battle by famous warriors including Tokugawa. The highlight of the movie is the finale Katana duel with the famous sword master Toshirô Obata:
“It’s memorable for me because I had such respect for Obata Sensei because of his Aikido and sword work. He is a true master. We did most of that fight with live sword blades because we quickly ran out of bamboo stunt swords through the rigorous rehearsals! So we ended up using real Katana, which were actually his own swords and very, very sharp. That was pretty exhilarating! He even said he wouldn’t have done that with any other actor but he respected me as a Martial Artist and was confident we could do it. I also like the opening scene where I perform Tameshigiri (test cutting for the sword) on the beach. That was thrilling and scared the shit out of me! I wasn’t sure how well I’d be able to do it due to being really tired because I’d been in a boat shooting scenes in the glaring sun for hours before shooting and that exhausted me. When I came to doing it I wasn’t as confident as I should’ve been. Suddenly I was aware of Sensei Obata shouting, “You must cut! you must cut!” [Laughs] because to a Martial Artist and especially him as my sword teacher, there’s no other way: failure is unthinkable, you just do it. So that was an important scene for me for many reasons. I’ve done so many fight scenes throughout my career but these stand out as some of the most memorable.”
- Richard Norton
The Dynamic Duo Norton and Rothrock continued their collaboration in Rage of Honor 1 & 2 (1992-1993). Norton played the assertive Officer Preston Michaels who teams ups with the martial arts instructor Kris Fairfield to prove his innocence of a murder he didn’t commit. Stumbling upon the lair of Hanna the Huns gang of gun toting violent women reminiscent of the movie The Warriors and Necromunda 40K, did Norton realize that "this ain’t no Tupperware party!" Forced to fight his co star Cynthia, he grins and bears a bullet in the leg. Like a true Aussie Preston holds his own while his flaming leg hurts like hell from the bullet wound till the very end of the film. The final fight scene with Norton against Brian Thompson who plays Conrad Drago is very rewarding, making any punter shout to the rafters “Hit him Norton!”
Norton Reunited again with Jackie Chan and Director Jin Wong. The lion was cast to play the terrorist Colonel MacDonald in City Hunter (1993), who with a team of men take a cruise ship hostage full of aristocrats, musicians and beautiful women. It is the titled character City Hunter played by Jackie Chan to save the day in a hilarious romping action packed movie with all the bells, whistles and slapstick humour of the Looney Tunes. The Final fight scene between Norton and Jackie is a bonanza of their Kung Fu skills mixed in with a lot of slapstick shenanigans.
“City Hunter was a lot of fun because it was a bit different in that the script was based on a Japanese character and was geared to a much younger audience for Jackie fans. We shot all the exteriors in Tokyo, filming on a cruise ship and around the harbour and then we went back to Hong Kong to shoot the interiors. It was a very long shoot and had a bigger budget than the previous films I’d made in Hong Kong. At the time you often only appreciate the whole film afterwards because initially you are only there for your scenes and you focus on what you’re doing and that’s it. So I basically had no idea of any of the other scenes in the movie. When I went to the American Film Market and saw the finished film for the first time, I was cracking up because it was so quirky and funny! I think it was a big decision by Jackie to go lighter with the comedy style and of course the film was also directed by Wong Jing who was like the Spielberg of Hong Kong action at that time and known for his comedy.”
- Richard Norton
Independent movie Under the Gun (1995) had all the classic hallmarks of a gritty action film. Starring Norton in the lead role as Frank Torrence a nightclub owner who juggles the feds, and a diverse range of criminals ready to give him the third degree. The movie is riddled with tension and drama which Torrence has to use his skills of persuasion and charm to get on top before unleashing a volley of fists, kicks and bullets at his enemies.
“Another film where I’m really proud of the fights is in Under the Gun, which I also produced. We made the film in Melbourne and it featured a number of close Martial Arts friends of mine like Sam Greco, a K-1 World Kickboxing Champion and Ron Vreeken, who is a fight choreographer and stuntman and also an old friend of mine, so we got him in there too. Tino Ceberano, my first Karate instructor also featured in the film and to have him in there and have us do a fight scene together was an absolute thrill for me!”
- Richard Norton
Norton as Producer also did all the fight and stunt choreography. Joined with legendary Armourer John Fox the third act exploded with a gun battle that out shined most big budget Hollywood blockbusters.
Richard took on the lead villain role in Strategic Command (1997) facing off with action star Michael Dudikoff. In a race against time to deactivate a bomb on a commercial plane and rescue the hostages held by Carlos Gruber (Norton). Dr. Rick Harding (Dudikoff) is the man on the mission to take them down. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) hilariously portrayed a jittery scared journalist taken hostage by Gruber’s team. The on-screen chemistry between Norton and Cranston was very dynamic as there was many memorable moments, which added more tension and dark humour to the movie.
Audiences responded well to City Hunter that showed Jackie Chan in a more comedic role, so work begun on Mr. Nice Guy (1997) with Sammo Hung returned to the Directors chair. Richard was again cast in the lead villain role this time as the intense and edgy gangster boss Gian Carlo. USA Today magazine pronounced Norton “as one of the best evil doers in all the Chan films.” Sammo Hung the director told Richard that he wanted him to wear the black suit, with slick back hair and a cigar in his mouth in the tradition of 1930’s gangsters movies. At first Norton was reluctant, but Sammo reassured him it will be good for his role; “with any Jackie movie, you have to just abandon any pre-conceptions and jump in for the fun ride” Richard Norton said.
Richard really enjoyed the experience working as an Actor, Stunt Coordinator and Second Unit Director for the Warner Bros. production of The New Adventures of Robin Hood TV series (1997-1998). Over a four year period shooting in the beautiful landscapes of Lithuania Norton’s on screen performances entertained audiences with the swashbuckling humour. His wife Judy also played different roles throughout the series bringing lots of sassy and sultry laughs to the show. Richard was fortunate to have worked with and met the legendary actor Sir Christopher Lee who made a cameo as the wizard Olwyn. Norton fondly remembers the experience of the production bonding with the cast & crew and they became like a second family to himself and Judy. At first when Norton was offered the role of Second Unit Director, he hesitated. However, it was Judy’s encouragement for him to step out of his comfort zone and learn a new role in the movie industry which would become a turning point for future opportunities.
The wild west was a calling for the Lionheart in the hit TV show Walker Texas Ranger between 1993 and 2001. Norton’s actor roles saw him playing various tough guy heavies including the fiery Rollins who drew fists and kicks with Walker. In the episode Storm Warning Rollins shouts “I’m going to rip your bloody head off!” before barely impaling Walker’s head to the wall with his deadly lunge kick. Luckily Walker dodged aside but the interior designer would have been ripping their hair out. For various episodes in 1993 he filled the role of fight coordinator including A Shadow of in the Night, Borderline, One Riot, One Ranger and In 1995 Norton appeared as a Mercenary in the Episode Standoff. Norton in the role of Tom Muger shared a prison cell with Walker in 1999’s episode Fight or Die and Simms in Team Cherokee: Part 2 where he turned a racing car engine into a Picasso. In 2000 he played the demanding and highly anxious Frank Scanlon in Avenging Angel who became a bone of contention in extorting the owner of a wrestling entertainment business.
Finally Richard played the notorious and deadly Jonas Graves in The Final Showdown Parts 1 & 2. The two part episode featured a flash back western narrative of a tale of Ranger Cooper who had to face a gang of outlaws threatening his local village in the old days of the wild west. Norton put on his cowboy boots for this one and joined the gang in a final showdown with Cooper and his allies ending with the iconic gun duel sequence featured in many classic western movies. Overall, it was a great opportunity to reunite with his long time friend and mentor Chuck Norris.
Directed by Rob Cohen (Triple XXX and The Fast & The Furious) comes the sci-fi/action blockbuster Stealth (2005) starring charismatic Jamie Fox and bombshell Jessica Biel. They called in the best and they got it when they called Norton to join the stunt team. The movie is a cocktail mix of Top Gun and Terminator as Fox and Biel have to contend with an AI controlled fighter gone rogue.
Richard was reunited with long time friend Nathan Jones as a Stunt and Fight Coordinator for WWE films action release The Condemned (2007). The pair had previously worked on the cancelled production of George Miller's Justice league and have been strong allies since.
Norton reflects on working for this no holds barred island game show competition, where cons would fight to the death and the illegal network would reap the high ratings on the black market:
“I worked on The Condemned a few years back and the director, Scott Wiper, said to me he didn’t want to see any flashy Jackie Chan or Jet Li fight moves or anything that didn’t have a practical purpose. That was interesting for me because it allowed me to incorporate a mix of street-style MMA and some Karate but give it a real street feel with a rough realistic style to the fights. Working with Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones was a hoot and we were able to create some good action with them on board.”
- Richard Norton
Norton joined the stunts team for The Green Hornet Directed by Michel Gondry starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Tom Wilkinson and Christopher Waltz. The movie was a reboot of the 1960’s TV series which once starred Bruce Lee in the role of Kato.
Working with Second Unit Director Vic Armstrong and Stunt Coordinator Andy Armstrong, Norton came on board for the The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) as a SWAT officer. Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Martin Sheen it was return to form for the Spider-Man Franchise.
Norton made a cameo in the hit TV series Spartacus (2013). In episode Enemies of Rome Norton portrayed the character Hilarus, a former gladiator turned martial tutor to his Master Crassus. The pair spar until Crassus demands they duel to the death. Richard gave a very compelling performance in his delivery of dialogue, that whispered a Shakespearean vibe. Combined with his martial skills Norton gave a riveting scene for his characters send off in the show.
Long term friend Guy Norris who Richard worked with on Blood of Heroes (1989) hired him to work on Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015 as the Fight Coordinator and Stunt Actor. Joined by confidante Nathan Jones they starred together as the enforcers for the lead villain Immorten Joe played by Hugh Keays-Byrne. Norton’s role as the Prime Imperator saw him exchanging blows with Charlize Theron in the dynamic action sequence as Immorten’s gang were in pursuit of the fleeing wives. Critics described Mad Max: Fury Road as The Road Warrior on steroids.
“Talk about thrills, to be a part of such an iconic Aussie movie Franchise like Mad Max.
What a swan song to go out on, even if it was the last thing I ever did.
What a great one to go out on!”
- Richard Norton
Mad Max: Fury Road blew critics away and amazed audiences around the world for death defying traditional stunts in an age where CGI has taken over in action movies. All the action was based on realism, flaws and limitations and the choreography for the fight scenes complimented the drama and suspense. Every scene was meticulously rehearsed and planned out by the Mad Max stunt team under the Leadership of Guy Norris and Richard Norton to ensure safety whilst fulfilling George Miller’s vision.
“...All the stunts were real, the danger was there
and it was the organicness really resonated with Mad Max.”
- Richard Norton
Fifteen years in the making Mad Max: Fury Road faced a lot of logistical and financial obstacles to bring George Miller’s vision to life. It is a testament to the hard work of the cast and crew, especially the dedicated stunt team that Richard was a part of.
“When I saw the movie for the first time, it took my breath away
and gave me goosebumps. I know what was involved to make it...
and it was such a vindication to see the way it turned out.”
- Richard Norton
The work Norton did in the latest Mad Max propelled him to work in Stunt & Fight Coordination collaborating with Guy Norris in Suicide Squad (2016).
“Obviously Guy, Glen and Richard do a tremendous amount
of pre-production training, design and maximize what the actors
can do to make them look the best when they are doing stunts.”
- Charles Raven P.G.A. Producer
Director David Ayer wanted realistic fight scenes which suited Norton’s choreography style:
“Guy Norris and Richard Norton they where fantastic collaborators
when it came to helping the actors to develop those styles.”
- Jai Courtney
Working with famous names including Will Smith, Jai Courtney and Margot Robbie, Norton greatly enjoyed working with the action stars. Will’s enthusiasm and team spirit was a bonus, and it was a real treat to train Margot as she displayed the capacity to quickly learn any fight sequence the Lionheart could throw at her.
“To have the actor to do 99 percent of their action, it is a god send for the movie because they are organically connected to their character. It’s not just a series of movements, it’s a character that understands drama and you can see the character thinking within the choreography. I honestly think there is almost nothing you can could choreograph that these actors wouldn’t be capable of. As a choreographer, that is fantastic.”
- Richard Norton
Norton was hired for Ghost in the Shell (2017) as the fight trainer for Scarlett Johansson to give her the tools and techniques to assist her fight scenes in the movie. He joined the shoot under Scarlett’s request and assisted her in rehearsing her fight moves. Richard always encouraged her to do her own action and find moves she would be physically capable of performing. Due to Johansson’s commitment and Richard’s coaching in the end she did 80 percent of her fight scenes.
Norton collaborated as the Fight Coordinator with Charlie Hunnam, Ben Affleck and Oscar Isaac in the action blockbuster Triple Frontier (2019). Directed by J.C. Chandor the movie was a cross between Black Hawk Down and Oceans Eleven as the ensemble cast take on a South American Drug Lord to cash in on the heist.
Richards third entry into the super hereo genre as he was brought on board as the fight coordinator for X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019). Featuring action sequences of supernatural proportions. Norton collaborated with Director Simon Kinberg and A-List actors including Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholaus Hoult.
Reunited with Margot Robbie, Norton continued his role as the Fight Coordinator for the sequel to DC dirty dozen The Suicide Squad (2021). With an ensemble cast including Idris Elba, Taika Waititi, Joel Kinnaman, Director James Gunn’s vision has brought us a potential blockbuster hit that will be released on the silver screens next year.
Richard has joined the sci-fi/horror sensation The Manifesto Chronicles (In Development) as a mentor & advisor in script development and fight coordination. It is set in the macabre Gothic worlds of Europe and America blending themes and ideas of political intrigue, supernatural creatures and secret societies. The production boasts of other well known industry professionals including John Fox, Chris Wilson, Warwick Sadler, Yasushi Ayasa, Shaun Smith, Paul Gerrard, Nathan Jones, Silvio Simac, and Zara Phythian.
Richard Norton’s extensive career in front and behind the camera for action blockbuster movies, makes him the go to guy to develop extraordinary fight sequences in various styles and applications in stunts. Norton’s career as a Stunt/Fight Coordinator and Second Unit Director has opened opportunities for longevity in the movie industry. From his initial career playing villains in Chuck Norris and Jack Chan movies, to playing lead and supporting roles in other films, to working as part of the Mad Max Stunt team under Guy Norris, allows him to approach holistically any production. Norton sees it is important to stay true to story and character, particularly in the fight sequences as an extension of the drama:
“Action should be incidental to the character and story.”
- Richard Norton
Norton has the capacity whether as a captivating actor or coordinator to assist in bringing the Director's vision to life. The Lionheart is a true asset to the international movie industry and he is a key ingredient for any movie to potentially become a number one hit at the box office. With such an impressive catalogue so far, it will be interesting to see future explosive appearances of Richard Norton the Lionheart on the big screen.
About the Author:
Alistair Macmordéan founder of The Manifesto Chronicles multi-media franchise and Heavy Metal band Manifesto, is an aspiring writer. His credentials include a Bachelor of Arts in English/History Majors, with Film and Drama electives. He has also completed a Post-Graduate Degree in Information Studies.
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