The millionaire cowboy-booted hunk opposite me has been hailed the most macho star in America, the king of the martial arts and the heir to Bruce Lee. Ten years ago he was as big as Stallone, bigger than Shwarzenegger. Now he’s been eclipsed not just by these two, but by younger versions of himself, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Still Chuck remains the darling of the video rent market, with one of the largest world wide sales. So what’s it like now just to follow in the footsteps of Shwarzenegger and Stallone? ‘You don’t compare yourself to anyone or you start to drive yourself crazy. Sly, Arnold and I are all friends. I’ve known Arnold for 25 years. Of course he’s at the top of the heap right now. But the three of us have talked about success. You can be number one today and number 50 tomorrow. You just take the success and enjoy it when it comes.’ Chuck, 50, who is not as tall as he should be and also looks younger than he should, has a beard that covers a passive face, and eyes that challenge defensively. His father was a Cherokee Indian.
The millionaire cowboy-booted hunk opposite me has been hailed the most macho star in America, the king of the martial arts and the heir to Bruce Lee. Ten years ago he was as big as Stallone, bigger than Shwarzenegger. Now he’s been eclipsed not just by these two, but by younger versions of himself, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Still Chuck remains the darling of the video rent market, with one of the largest world wide sales. So what’s it like now just to follow in the footsteps of Shwarzenegger and Stallone? ‘You don’t compare yourself to anyone or you start to drive yourself crazy. Sly, Arnold and I are all friends. I’ve known Arnold for 25 years. Of course he’s at the top of the heap right now. But the three of us have talked about success. You can be number one today and number 50 tomorrow. You just take the success and enjoy it when it comes.’ Chuck, 50, who is not as tall as he should be and also looks younger than he should, has a beard that covers a passive face, and eyes that challenge defensively. His father was a Cherokee Indian.
Despite the fact that he has rubbed shoulders with US Presidents, he himself came from the wrong side of the breadline. In 1990, Chuck divorced Dianne, his wife of 30 years, and immediately got involved with a 19-year-old fashion designer. He was 48. ‘Monica was a very mature 19-year-old. She met the President of the United States, heads of state and the chief of operations in the army with me, and she fitted in easily.’ They stayed together for two years. Now Chuck is dating women, but lives alone on his Texas cattle ranch.
‘I went from living with my mom, to my wife. I’d never been alone. That’s probably why I jumped straight into a relationship. Now I stay real busy, I have to be doing things.’ He is open and gentle, and while appearing laid back, says he is incredibly driven. Growing up without a father left him feeling insecure. ‘Insecurity comes out either as over aggressiveness or over passiveness. In my case it was the latter. I was so insecure, I couldn’t prove anything – even to myself.’
This all changed when he went to Korea as a serviceman and learned the martial arts. He believes that the philosophy behind martial arts makes all things possible – ‘I have to give the martial arts much of the credit for the success in my life’ – and karate helped instil in him self-control and drive, and enhanced his self-esteem. Nowadays he feels very content. ‘Whatever I want in life, I know I can get it. But I have nothing more I want.’
So what happens when a tough guy’s muscles turn flabby? He smiles. ‘I don’t plan on that happening.’
