Much like his legendary martial artist and actor dad—most famous for The Way of the Dragon, Lone Wolf McQuade, Code of Silence, and Vengeance Force—Eric Norris has spent decades straddling two successful careers at once. Not only has he won a NASCAR championship, he was also nominated for an Emmy Award for his stunt work in Hollywood. Now 57, he’s enjoyed a decades-long, turbocharged career, which he says is very much the result of being Chuck Norris’ son. Read on to see the NASCAR champion and stuntman now, and to find out how he’s collaborated with his powerhouse dad! RELATED: Al Pacino’s Award-Winning Filmmaker Daughter Julie Is 31. See Her Now. Like Chuck Norris, Eric Norris apparently does nothing halfway. He started racing with his father in 1982 and didn’t stop until he won a championship 20 years later. “My whole childhood I loved racing, and I raced motorcycles,” Eric told ESPN in a 2012 interview. “I got an opportunity to race some open wheel cars, like Formula 2000, and I caught the bug. Later I had an opportunity to go race NASCAR Trucks. We had a big sponsor, but I had never done any oval racing before so I went out and got my butt kicked because I was a road racer. After doing eight races that year, I took a step back and got my own team to race in the West Series until we won a championship in 2002,” he recalled. RELATED: See Steven Seagal’s Daughter, Who’s a Model and Aspiring WWE Star. Besides his accolades earned on the race track, Eric has had a successful career in Hollywood, too. He got his start as a stuntman in 1985 and has worked steadily in the industry ever since, climbing his way up the ranks to stunt coordinator and second unit director. He’s credited on several highly successful films, including War Dogs, The Amazing Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, The Green Hornet, The Town, Office Space, and more. Most recently, you may have seen his work on Hawaii Five-0, The Fate of the Furious, Magnum, P.I., and 24: Legacy. In 2015, Eric was nominated at the 67th Emmy Awards for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie for his work on the FX show Sons of Anarchy. For more entertainment news sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. From 1993 to 2001, Chuck Norris starred in the popular action drama series Walker, Texas Ranger. During that time, Eric reportedly acted in nineteen episodes of the show, directed nine, and produced four. He’s also credited as a stunt coordinator for 90 episodes of the series, according to IMDB.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb In a 1997 interview marking the 100th episode of the show, Eric shared the secret to the pair’s successful working relationship: “I tell him my idea, he tells me his idea, and then we do his idea,” Eric said, laughing. With a shared passion for entertainment and racing, it’s no surprise that Eric and his legendary dad are thick as thieves. Eric sang his dad’s praises while speaking to ESPN, saying there is “no downside at all” to being Chuck Norris’ son. “Anybody who meets my dad knows he is such a normal guy,” he told the sports outlet. “He was a great dad; he was always there for me growing up. For most of my life, he was just a karate instructor that owned a bunch of karate schools and became the world champion of karate. It wasn’t until I was in high school that he started to get famous,” he said. Today, he uses his dad’s success to motivate his own career. “He opened a lot of doors for me, but I have to work my butt off and I have the motivation to work a little harder because I had that advantage and I want to prove myself,” he told ESPN. “It’s a great thing to have him as a dad.” RELATED: See Harrison Ford’s Son Now, Who’s a Major Celebrity Chef.
