The news just happened on Friday. Robert Patrick also announced his passing on social media. He’s a legend in the martial arts community.

Unfortunately he never became a big mainstream star. He worked in Asia and made mostly low budget straight to video movies.

James Gunn worked with Richard Norton on The Suicide Squad.

Chuck Norris’ tribute to Norton. They were good friends for over 50 years and worked together many times.

That sucks. He was still working in the industry, too.

Saw him so many times in the '90s as I was renting every VHS martial arts movie at the store. Lots of great movies with him and Cynthia rothrock. RIP.

He was in some classic Hong Kong fight scenes in his prime, and was one of the few gwailos who got fairly substantial roles in bigger pictures in that industry. It probably helped that he was one of a select few ‘outsiders’ who had a reasonable amount of charisma and acting ability.

Norton and Cynthia Rothrock fight alongside each other as partners-in-crime in Sammo Hung's MILLIONAIRES' EXPRESS (1986, aka SHANGHAI EXPRESS) and they fought each other as enemies in MAGIC CRYSTAL (1986), both Hong Kong films. I've seen Norton in plenty of others, but those are the most memorable. He also played the lead villain in Jackie Chan's MR. NICE GUY (1997), directed by Sammo Hung, a Hong Kong film that was shot mostly in English in Australia, Norton's home country. What a great career he had.

Here are Norton and Rothrock in MILLIONAIRES' EXPRESS:

Probably one of the most badass fight scenes of Norton’s career. He was fighting Chuck Norris hand to hand in The Octagon from 1980

Richard Norton was great. I was always excited when he and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez would pop up in movies. Great martial artist who deserved to be a bigger star, even though he was never hurting for work.

Damn, that's impressive that he was still working. He was even in the last two Mad Max movies!
I've seen 10 of his movies, most recently The Magic Crystal. I can't say I ever loved him in his Rothrock collaborations, but I did eventually did warm up to him as a great "that guy".

Cynthia Rothrock shared these thoughts on Facebook

I made a little Tribute Video on my little YT- Channel ... Need some more Posts. Maybe I will send it ... in a few days, lol ...
RICHARD was awesome ... Thank to him for a great childhood. He supported the ACTION- Genre so much ... not only "on Camera".
Pure Love to MAGIC CRYSTAL and his HK- Movies ... Under the Choreo of SAMMO HUNG he was awesome .
Anybody knows his Final Fight in "Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars" ? Oh Boy. Masterpiece.

As I say. My little Tribute on my little channel to RICHARD NORTON ... What a great Person, Actor and awesome Childhood Memory.

I miss these glory Action- Decade ...
"Forward"- TRAILER (80s, 90, 2000s ... Action & HK, B- Genre)