As a movie critic, I had little appreciation for Chuck Norris. His movies seemed to recycle the same plot whether the location was Texas, the Vietnam jungle or the Roman Colosseum. Then Justin Bieber, barely 16, visited my office at Rolling Stone and schooled me. Don’t get me wrong, the Biebs didn’t defend the storylines. He just told me to watch how Norris moved. I mean really watch. The son of an amateur Muay Thai fighter, Bieber himself trained in mixed martial arts, not professionally but to learn self-defense. This young pop star was telling me that Norris had skills and that they needed to be appreciated, the same way I would an actor or filmmaker or a dancer, for hell’s sake. I stood corrected. Still do.
Chuck Norris: A Divided Appreciation
He won’t be remembered for his acting or his politics, but when the king of the roundhouse kick was in action mode, he had all the right moves.