Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee are two legendary action heroes known for their martial arts skills. The former is known for films like Walker, Texas Ranger, The Hitman, Missing in Action, and more, whereas Bruce Lee is known for films like Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury, The Green Hornet, and others. The two even worked together on the hit The Way of the Dragon.
In the movie, the two actors played characters who get into a fight. As expected, Norris was told by the producers to alter his weight for the film. But the result wasn’t what they wanted because Norris couldn’t even do the required stunts and failed miserably in front of Bruce Lee.
Chuck Norris Was Humiliated in Infront Of Bruce Lee
In The Way of the Dragon (1972), Bruce Lee plays Tang, a young martial arts expert who protects a restaurant in Rome from a crime boss. Tang teaches the staff working there karate and gradually earns everyone’s respect. To take revenge on Tang for thwarting his plans, the crime boss hires Colt, played by Chuck Norris, who is a world-class fighter.
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Tang and Colt square off and fight it out. Tang of course wins and kills Colt in the end. Norris was hired for the role because Lee liked to hire and challenge other prominent as well as budding martial artists. But the role of Colt wasn’t easy for Nortis. He had to work out and put on about 20 pounds of weight before shooting the film so that he would look larger than Lee.
So when Colt got defeated, the victory for Tang looks even better. Norris did as he was instructed. But there was a problem. He failed to carry out certain moves like the jump kicks. In a 2007 Empire interview, Norris said, “That’s why I don’t do jump kicks [in the movie]. I couldn’t get off the ground!” But the production team clearly worked around the issue to deliver a convincing and iconic fight.
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Chuck Norris Praised Bruce Lee Despite Their Rivalry
In an interview with Black Belt, Chuck Norris revealed that even though he and Bruce Lee were in an intense career rivalry, he still respected him. He said,
“The truth is Lee was a formidable opponent with a chiseled physique and technique. I totally enjoyed sparring and just spending time with him.”
Additionally, he complimented Lee’s charisma and confidence. Norris said,
“He was as charismatic and friendly in the ring and at home as he was on film. His confidence and wit were dazzling, and sometimes even debilitating to others…Lee was lightning fast, very agile and incredibly strong for his size.”
Norris also expressed that Lee had enormous passion and determination to win.
In an interview with Combat Culture, Norris explained that Lee told him he was going to win over him in The Way of the Dragon. He said,
“At that time I held the world title, and kiddingly I said to Bruce ‘Well, who wins Bruce?’ and he says, ‘I win, I’m the star of this movie.’ I say, ‘Oh, I see, you want to beat the world champion, and he said ‘No I don’t, I want to kill the world champion.'”
But this didn’t change the way Chuck Norris looked at and respected Bruce Lee at all.
The Way of the Dragon is available on Paramount+.
Source: Empire
