In 1998, Chuck Norris revealed that starring on Walker, Texas Ranger made him work harder than ever
For actors, it sometimes takes a while to consider yourself successful. The industry might have scripts full of laughs, but it's truly no joke when you're trying to establish yourself and become a household name. For Walker, Texas Ranger star Chuck Norris, he'd already spent about two decades as a film actor in action movies and as a martial artist before starring on television in the '90s show.
Norris knew what it meant to work hard, but he really felt it, not on set filming movies, but on the set of the series. "All I do is work... I've never worked so hard in my life. I'm the executive producer of the series as well, so I keep my hand in the writing and the editing, and everything else. It's a never-ending story," he told the Associated Press in 1998.
Some people might think filming a movie is more hectic, but Norris said that wasn't quite right. "A series is not like a feature, where you're sitting around the set for three or four hours. On television, we're shooting a one-hour feature in seven days. The speed is fast," Chuck added.
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With the veteran actor turning 60 the next year, at the time of this article, the writer, Bob Thomas, wanted to know how long Norris could maintain the long hours and fast-paced work.
"I'm really taking it one season at a time. I'll see how it all falls into place at the end of the year. It's hard to leave a crew. We've been together more than six years, and it's amazing what a family atmosphere can develop."