Carlos Ray Norris was born March 10, 1940 to Carlos Ray Norris, Sr., a mechanic, and Wilma Scarberry Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma. It wasn't long before the reported alcoholic father Carlos Ray Norris, Sr. abandoned the family of three boys, Chuck, Aaron, and Wieland. With twelve year old Chuck helping out, Mrs. Norris raised the three boys alone.

Upon graduating from High School, Chuck joined the Air Force and was stationed in Korea where he earned the nickname Chuck. During his tour in Korea, he started studying martial arts, specifically the Korean disciplines of Tang Soo Do and Tia Kwon Do. Since this time he has studied a number of different martial arts disciplines and was the first North American to be awarded an eighth degree black belt in Tia Kwon Do. Not bad for a half Cherokee Airman First Class who joined the Army to escape the title half-breed.

When Chuck returned to America after the war, he opened a Karate school while working as a file clerk for Northrop Aviation. Gaining notoriety as an instructor, he eventually opened a chain of 32 Karate schools where he had such students as the Osmonds, Steve McQueen and Priscilla Presley. His success as an instructor lead him to seek new and more challenging things. Upon the suggestion of his former pupil Steve McQueen, Chuck took up acting, and the rest as they say is history.

Even though Chuck has never hit it off with the critics, he has a loyal fan following. In addition to his acting career, he has become a screenwriter, an author, a producer and a stunt choreographer. His hit TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger" is proof of his ability to fight the odds and succeed.

Chuck was married to his first wife, Dianne Holecheck, for thirty years. This marriage ended in divorce and Chuck has since married again to model/actress Gena O'Kelley. Chuck has three children, Mike, Eric (director), and Dina (publicist). His brother Aaron is the director of "Walker, Texas Ranger", and his second brother Wieland died in Vietnam. Chuck spends much of his free time on humanitarian efforts. His Kick Drugs out of America program, which he founded as a non-profit agency, has been a wide success. When asked, Chuck will state that he would like to be remembered for his humanitarian efforts.