Who is Chuck Norris’ wife Gena O’Kelley? Wiki Bio

Gena O’Kelley was born in California USA, on 10 August 1963, so her zodiac sign is Leo and she holds American nationality. She is a retired model and actress, but perhaps better known for being the wife of Chuck Norris, a famous American actor and martial artist.

Early life and education

Gena grew up in California alongside her sisters Maureen and Elizabeth and her brother Eric, raised by their father Alan Gordon O’Kelley who was serving in the US Army and who passed away in 2008, and their mother Annette M. Kelley who was a housewife.

She attended a local high school where she first became interested in modelling and acting, while she was also physically active mostly because it helped her stay fit. She was a member of the school’s drama club and appeared in several plays performed at school.

Career as an actress

Gena launched her modelling career as soon as she matriculated and has been signed with several modelling agencies such as LA Models and Q Model Management among others. Specific details ae vague, but she appeared on the covers of several women’s magazines, but at some point was also a deputy sheriff – maybe arrests were easy when miscreants were faced with this lady!

She launched her acting career in 2003 when she appeared in the comedy TV series “Yes, Dear”, which stars Anthony Clark and Liza Snyder and follows two young couples who have rather different opinions about how to raise children. In 2006, she was invited to appear in the TV series “Praise the Lord”, while her latest appearance was in the political TV show “Hannity” which stars Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin, and Dana Perino and covers topics related to daily news and politics.

Gena could have also be seen appearing in the fitness show “Total Gym” which was hosted by her husband Chuck in 2009.

Love life and marriage with Chuck Norris

In 1997, Gena and Chuck met at a restaurant where Chuck was having dinner with a girl, and the very next day, the two were shooting for the same show – as Gena was only shooting for that one day, Chuck asked if she would come to Dallas again to go out with him. She visited Dallas a month later, the two started dating, and they married in a year, on 28 November 1998.

The two decided to wait to have children as they were both focused on their careers, but on 30 August 2001, Gena gave birth to their twins Danielle Kelley and Dakota Alan Norris.

Chuck previously married Dianne Kay Holechek in December 1958, who gave birth to their son Mike in 1962, then he had a daughter from an extra-marital affair in 1963 – Dianne knew about the affair, but stayed with Chuck and in 1964 gave birth to their second boy named Eric. They divorced in 1989 after being together for 30 years. Gena was also married before, to Gordon Hinschberger, and gave birth to their son Tim and their daughter Kelly – the marriage lasted around five years.

Gena’s health problems

In the second half of 2013, Gena had three MRI scans which detected rheumatoid arthritis, was given three injections which hurt her and made her feel as she was burning.

Gena believes that the injections worsened her health, as she is no longer the vibrant person she was before. Chuck and she went on to sue over 10 pharmaceutical companies asking for $10 million while Gena’s treatment cost over $12 million. When Gena started having health issues, Chuck stopped acting and focused on helping his wife.

Hobbies and other interests

Gena has been interested in exercising at the gym since she was a teenager, and was going to the gym five to six times per week until she started having health problems in 2013.

She has been a fan of the film industry since a very early age as well, and some of her favorite actors and actresses are Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, and Natalie Portman, while some of her favorite movies include “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull”, and “The Deer Hunter”. Her favorite season is summer as she enjoys laying on the beach and drinking cocktails.

Gena is a lover of animals, with her favorites being cats – she and Chuck have two dogs and a cat. She is a philanthropist who has worked with several charity organizations, while she has also helped people who are trying to lose weight and stay fit by giving them tips and advice.

Appearance and net worth

Gena is 56 years old. She has long blonde hair and brown eyes, is 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall, and weighs around 143lbs (65kgs). As of March 2020, her net worth is estimated at over $1 million, while Chuck’s net worth is reputed to be over $70 million.

Who is Chuck Norris? Wiki Bio

Carlos Ray ‘Chuck’ Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma USA on 10 March 1940 – his zodiac sign is Pisces and he holds American nationality. He is an actor, martial artist, and a film producer, best known for starring in movies such as “A Force of One”, “Silent Rage”, and “An Eye for an Eye” among others.

Chuck was raised with brothers Aaron and Wieland in Ryan, by his father Ray Dee Norris who fought in World War II, and his mother Wilma who was a housewife, and he has. After Chuck’s parents divorced when he was 16, he and his brothers decided to stay with their mother, moving to Kansas then to Torrance in California.

At the age of 18 after matriculating from high school, Chuck became an Air Policeman serving in the US Air Force, and it was when he went to Osan Air Base in South Korea that he was given his nickname Chuck. He started training in martial arts there, eventually gaining black belts, and subsequently creating his own martial arts discipline, naming it Chun Kuk Do.

He went on to compete at many karate championships winning several and eventually becoming the Professional Middleweight Karate Champion.

He gained recognition as an actor in 1972, when he starred opposite Bruce Lee in the film “Way of the Dragon” which became a huge hit worldwide. He went on to star in movies such as “A Force of One” in 1979 and “The Octagon” in 1980, while 1981 saw him play the lead role in “An Eye for an Eye”. He won his first leading role in the TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger” in 1993, which follows him in Dallas, Texas, as he battles criminals together with James Trivette.

Hmmm? Good question LOL. My friends and partners at Team Glock came up with this one.

What’s your favorite Chuck Norris / Glock “fact”?#GLOCKNorris

— Chuck Norris (@chucknorris) May 23, 2019

Chuck hasn’t been very active since 2009 due to his wife’s health problems but has appeared in an episode of the TV series “The Goldbergs” in 2015 and an episode of “Hawaii Five-0” in 2020.

Chuck has written nine books, with his first – “Winning Tournament Karate” – being published in 1975 while some of his other books are “The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story” in 1987, “Against All Odds: My Story” in 2004, and his latest “The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book: 101 of Chuck’s Favorite Facts and Stories” which came out in 2009.