Painful? – A Richard Norton Obituary

While writing obituaries for stars of Hong Kong cinema is becoming more frequent than I or anyone would like, remembering the contributions of different actors and actresses who have added so much to one’s viewing pleasure is often uplifting. Richard Norton’s recent death brought back so many memories of the cheeky gweilo who went toe-to-toe with the greats, including Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Cynthia Rothrock and Chuck Norris (He also fought Kurt Thomas in ‘Gymkata’ but despite my strange affection for that film, I’ll stop right there). Norton, the convivial Aussie action star had a tremendously varied career in the film and the entertainment business; he was a bodyguard for ‘Fleetwood Mac’, David Bowie and ABBA, trained with Benny Urquidez and was stunt and action co-ordinator for major Hollywood films like ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. For the purpose of this article, though, I wanted to talk about his groundbreaking work in Hong Kong as this is where I was introduced to his work.

City Hunter (1993)

I used the word ‘groundbreaking’ as in Hong Kong cinema, an industry not known for its inclusion of Western actors, Norton made a mark. Not many actors, Western or otherwise, can claim to have created a catchphrase; ‘Painful?’ his famous witticism, said with that Aussie lilt, is instantly recognised by fans of Hong Kong action cinema. The fact that people like Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan used Norton on more than one occasion was not just testament to his charm and screen presence, but also his ability to keep up with the pace of those legends. Two famously exacting film-makers pushed Norton to his limits in films like ‘Millionaires’ Express’, ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars’ and ‘City Hunter’ and he never seemed out of place – this was someone whose ‘small’ roles in films were much larger than their actual running time.

China O’Brien (1990)

Western films gave Norton greater exposure and leading roles. I recently re-watched ‘China O’Brien’ and really enjoyed his dynamic with Cynthia Rothrock, a star he often worked so well with. Whether it’s the aforementioned or the ‘Rage and Honor’ films, Rothrock and Norton were a great partnership and in those halcyon days of Direct-to-VHS joy in the mid-90s, a whole new set of fans got to know him. Norton had, of course, popped up in productions like ‘The Octagon’ and ‘Force: Five’, but his success in the 90s brought him to a new audience, one perhaps not familiar with his work in Hong Kong. Yet it’s in Hong Kong cinema that I will always associate Richard Norton: fighting Yasuaki Kurata, Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan while uttering that immortal line with a glint in his eye – ‘Painful?’