Australian martial artist and fight coordinator Richard Norton worked across the world and with some of Hollywood’s elite.
Richard Norton, the Australian stunt performer and coordinator who worked with some of Hollywood’s elite, has passed away. He was 75.
Announcing the news, Richard Norton’s wife Judy wrote on Instagram, “I am numb and devastated, I have no words, I have lost my everything, I know there is, and will be lots of love and shock that we have lost this incredible human being. The love of my life. I’m using this time to come to terms with my great loss…” The likes of Robert Patrick, Lorenzo Lamas and more have all shared their grief on social media over the loss of Norton, with Lamas noting that he was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in the same year.
No doubt Richard Norton was an absolute legend in the field of martial arts, proving versatile in a number of studies, including karate, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (he was even an instructor). That he studied and perfected fields from different countries showed his devotion to the craft. And he would take this into the movies as well, getting his first notable credit alongside Chuck Norris in 1980’s The Octagon. Soon after, he was appearing in films from Hong Kong (Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars) and the Philippines (Future Hunters). Throughout his lengthy career, Richard Norton was found facing off – and holding his own against – the likes of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Don Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, and the aforementioned Chuck Norris (their showdown in The Octagon is simply badass).
Richard Norton got a new appreciation with Western audiences much later, serving as a stunt performer and fight coordinator on George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road, later returning for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. These action-packed favorites allowed him to work with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Charlize Theron. He, too, would work with Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie and Ben Affleck, who all found out that when you want to look like you know what you’re doing in hand-to-hand combat, Richard Norton was one of the best.
What was your favorite Richard Norton movie or stunt work? Leave your picks and your condolences in the comments section below.
