Carlos Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940. Though he spent 12 years in Oklahoma, his family would eventually move to Torrance, California, in the Los Angeles Metro Area. After graduating high school from North Torrance High School, he went on to serve in the United States Air Force for four years.

He started learning Asian martial arts during a Korean tour. This background in martial arts launched his prolific fighting career, where he won many martial arts championships, including the World Professional Middleweight Karate crown seven years in a row. In 1996, Norris was awarded an eighth-degree Black Belt Grand Master in Taekwondo, the first in the Western Hemisphere.

His acting career didn’t begin until his 1968 debut in The Wrecking Crew. From there, Norris became a showstopping on-screen martial artist, working alongside Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon in 1972 and Missing in Action alongside Leonore Kasdorf in 1984.

In The Way of the Dragon (1972), the final fight between Bruce Lee (Tang Lung) and Chuck Norris (Colt) is widely considered one of the most legendary one-on-one battles in martial arts cinema history. Set in Rome’s historic Colosseum, the scene is a technical and philosophical masterpiece that showcases a clash between East and West.

Bruce Lee personally choreographed the approximately nine-minute scene. He utilized long takes to capture both fighters’ entire bodies, avoiding quick cuts or camera tricks to emphasize their genuine skill. Due to strict regulations, much of the scene was filmed illegally inside the Colosseum. The crew reportedly bribed officials to film for just a few hours before being forced to complete the sequence on a set in Hong Kong.

The battle is noted for its lack of music, focusing instead on the sounds of combat (kiais and strikes). It concludes with a poignant moment where Tang Lung covers the fallen Colt with his own gi and black belt as a sign of warrior’s respect.

She often described her costumes, designed by James Acheson, not as clothing, but as armor. To capture the rigid social structure of 1700s France, the production used period-accurate corsetry and underpinnings. The corsets were so restrictive that Close reportedly had difficulty breathing and eating during long shoot days. However, she credited this physical “trap” with helping her find Merteuil’s controlled, predatory stillness.

During the character’s climactic mental breakdown, Close was so immersed in the role that she reportedly lost bladder control while kneeling on the floor, only realizing what had happened after the scene ended. She personally conceptualized the film’s final shot after director Stephen Frears told her the goal was to show that “her soul was on her face.”

Frears encouraged a sharp, intellectual atmosphere on set to match the wit of Christopher Hampton’s script. Unlike the more fluid, romantic approach seen in other adaptations of the novel (like 1989’s Valmont), Close maintained a formidable, intellectual authority on set. Crew members often noted how she could switch from a lighthearted conversation to the Marquise’s lethal coldness the moment the cameras rolled. Her chemistry with John Malkovich (Valmont) was built on a shared background in theater. On set, they approached their scenes like a high-stakes chess match, often rehearsing the biting dialogue until the rhythm was perfect.

Dangerous Liaisons was theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 21, 1988. Grossing $34.7 million against its $14 million budget, the film was a modest box-office success. It was nominated for seven awards at the 61st Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning three: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.