Hollywood isn’t a place where you’d expect to find a lot of Evangelical Christians—in fact, it’s known as a place where Christian values are disrespected and faith in Jesus is scoffed at. As the media continues to become more and more about shock value, sex, and violence, and as expletives continue to replace more and more adjectives, it seems like there is less and less room for Christian actors and actresses.

Still, it’s the darkest places that are most in need of light. And there are a handful of faithful, outspoken Christians in the film industry that stands as excellent examples of how it’s possible to live in the world, but not succumb to being of it. Their faith stands as an example to fans who look up to them, giving them the ability to share the gospel and use their public platform to further the Kingdom of God.

Chuck Norris is one such shining light. A household name, Norris is famous for his expertise in martial arts, over 23 feature films, and the long-running TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger.” Known for his tough-guy, action hero persona, “Chuck Norris jokes” have become popular in recent years: Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird. Chuck Norris’ blood type is AK-47. When Chuck Norris was born, he drove his mom home from the hospital. Chuck Norris’ tears can cure cancer.

The name Chuck Norris is synonymous with tough, and it’s not all an act. His life has not always been easy, in fact he grew up with an alcoholic father who moved the family 16 times in just 15 years. They had little money, and life was often uncertain. But Norris’ mother, a devout Christian, held the family together—and passed her faith on to Chuck. He describes her as a prayer warrior who always made sure her son knew that God had a plan for him.

The road from a rocky childhood to stardom wasn’t easy for Norris, and there were years when he seemed lost. In an interview with The 700 Club, Norris shared about his early life and how he even got to attend a Billy Graham crusade: “I gave my life to the Lord at 12. I was baptized at 12. Then it grew stronger. And when I got to go to a crusade for Billy Graham, unfortunately a lot of times in the entertainment industry, sometimes you lose sight of what’s really important in your life. I lost a marriage because of it.”

The Hollywood lifestyle and the shock of becoming famous (after a childhood that included being abandoned by his father and spending years as a shy, unathletic schoolboy) distracted Norris from his faith, and he went through a bad divorce. But after being introduced to his current wife, the couple experienced a radical conversion. At the age of 26, Norris rededicated his life to Christ and he and his wife, Gena, became outspoken Christians on fire for Jesus.

Since then, Norris has started the KICKSTART martial arts program for high-risk middle school students. Although the program is aimed at public schools and therefore they can’t talk openly about Jesus, Norris shares that it is based on the Bible: “The martial arts is a philosophy that is pretty much the principles in the Bible. Even though we can’t talk about Jesus, we can talk about what Jesus talks about in the Bible – love, loving your neighbor, being good people. Even though we can’t quote Scripture, we can [paraphrase] what Jesus says in the Bible or what the Apostle Paul says or what St. Peter says. We can say that in an indirect way, which we do.”

He is quick to admit his failures, but gives God the glory for getting him where he is today. He says that he has grown deeply in his walk with the Lord in the last 10 years, and has become an outspoken advocate for Christianity—including supporting efforts to allow the Bible to be taught as an elective in public school history and literature classes.

In addition, Norris is dedicated to sharing his faith through film, TV, and any means that his life in the spotlight might make possible. He’s written several episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger that highlight his faith, and those episodes proved to be very popular—even winning an Epiphany Award.

You can learn more about Chuck Norris’s life and faith in his new book, “Against All Odds: My Story.” Although he had previously written a book about his life, he realized that since his conversion experience and rededication to the Lord, so much had changed that it needed to be shared—and in his new book, he is very forthcoming about his faith and how living as a Christian has changed his life.

And about those Chuck Norris jokes? In response to one joke circulating the internet, “Chuck Norris’ tears cure cancer,” the actor replied: “There was a man whose tears could cure cancer or any other disease, including the real cause of all diseases – sin. His blood did. His name was Jesus, not Chuck Norris. If your soul needs healing, the prescription you need is not Chuck Norris’ tears, it’s Jesus’ blood. Again, I’m flattered and amazed by the way I’ve become a fascinating public figure for a whole new generation of young people around the world. But I am not the characters I play. And even the toughest characters I have played could never measure up to the real power in this universe.” 

More than just an action hero, Chuck Norris’ honesty about his life, struggles, and return to the Lord make him a hero of the faith. His life is a testimony as to the strength of a mother’s prayers, and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform and redeem lives.