He’ll trade Tarzana for Texas
Chuck Norris, star of the longtime CBS series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has listed his gated Tarzana compound at $5.3 million.
The 64-year-old action-adventure TV and movie star has decided to live full time in Texas, where he has a Dallas home he just finished remodeling and a Houston-area ranch he plans to expand.
“I’m adding five more cottages so we’ll have a total of seven for our seven kids,” he said, referring to the 700-acre ranch. The actor and his wife, Gena, were married in 1998. At the time, he had three grown children; she had a preteen and a teenager. Two years ago, the Norrises had twins.
It’s a far different situation from the days when he was a divorced father, but it’s the second time he has put his Tarzana home on the market. After owning it for five years, he listed it in 1993 for about $2.6 million. He was already living in Dallas most of the time while filming “Walker, Texas Ranger.” He changed his mind about selling in Tarzana, however, and added onto the compound instead.
The three-bedroom main house is still about 5,000 square feet and is on a knoll overlooking the pool, but Norris built a detached 2,280-square-foot gym and office and a four-apartment guesthouse. He also bought an adjacent, 28,000-square-foot parcel of land “so nobody could build there,” said his Realtor, Lillian Wall of Wall Street Properties in Tarzana. Norris’ home, on just under 3 acres, also has a tennis court, a pool and parking for more than 25 cars.
In Dallas, he built an additional 3,000 square feet onto his 5,000-square-foot home, mostly by adding a second floor, and he enlarged the kitchen. The second story includes two bedrooms and a media room.
The series “Walker, Texas Ranger” last aired in 2001, but a two-hour TV movie or reunion show may go into production in February. Norris also went on tour this fall to promote his autobiography, “Against All Odds: My Story,” co-written with Ken Abraham.
“All of the proceeds will go to my mission, Kickstart, for at-risk children,” Norris said. He established Kickstart as a foundation to build character in youths through martial arts. Norris holds an eighth-degree black belt grand master in tae kwon do.
He estimates that there have been 30,000 graduates of his program. “Hundreds of thousands is my goal,” he said.
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Acting ambassador in Beverly Hills
John Gavin, the actor who became ambassador to Mexico in 1981, and his wife, actress-singer Constance Towers, have sold their Century City villa for close to its asking price of $3.75 million.
The couple, both in their 70s, moved to a Beverly Hills-area home they have been remodeling since they bought it two years ago.
The home they sold is in the gated community of Century Woods. Gavin and Towers owned the villa since it was built in 1991. The house, designed by Peter Choate, has three bedrooms plus a maid’s quarters and 5 1/2 bathrooms in 5,500 square feet.
Towers studied music at Juilliard before appearing onstage and in numerous films, including “A Perfect Murder” (1998). One of her most memorable stage roles was as Anna in “The King and I,” costarring the late Yul Brynner. Later, she joined the cast of TV’s “General Hospital.”
Gavin, a 1952 Stanford graduate, spent years in government service before he became an ambassador. He was a special advisor to the secretary general of the Organization of American States from 1961 to ’74. As an actor, he appeared in such movies as “Psycho” (1960), “Spartacus” (1960), “Back Street” (1961) and “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (1967).
Annie Constantinesco of Westside Estate Agency, Beverly Hills, had the listing.
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Butterfly lands in West Hollywood
Christina Moore, who played Butterfly in the movie “Without a Paddle,” has become a first-time home buyer with her purchase of a West Hollywood condo for close to its $559,000 asking price.
The unit has two bedrooms and two bathrooms in about 1,200 square feet. The midcentury building has views from the Hollywood Hills to downtown L.A.
Moore, in her late 20s, is also known for her recurring TV roles on “That ‘70s Show” and Mad TV.
Leah Lail and Mary Brill of the Brill Group at Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills East, represented Moore in her purchase. Bettina Terramani and Michelle Nelson, DBL in Santa Monica, had the listing.
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‘General Hospital’ star to relocate
Kin Shriner, who created the role of Scotty Baldwin on the ABC daytime drama “General Hospital” in 1977 and has continued to play the character off and on through the years, has put his Bel-Air home on the market at just under $2.5 million. He plans to relocate to the East Coast.
His home has four bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms in about 3,500 square feet. It was built in 1991 and has an open floor plan with floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, a soaring ceiling and a granite kitchen.
The master suite has a balcony, fireplace, marble bathroom and a loft looking out on lush landscaping. Outside, there is a pool, deck, spa and fire pit.
Shriner, 51, also appeared in a recurring role on the series “Port Charles,” a spinoff of “General Hospital.” He has a twin brother, comedian Wil Shriner, and they are the sons of humorist Herb Shriner.
Sally Forster Jones of Coldwell Banker, Beverly Hills East, has the listing.
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Out of the Heat to Manhattan Beach
Caron Butler, acquired by the Lakers in July from the Miami Heat, has purchased a Manhattan Beach home for $980,000.
The 24-year-old Butler bought a home with three bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms in about 1,900 square feet. The property, behind gates, has a golf course view.
The 6-foot-7 forward from the University of Connecticut joined the Heat as a first-round pick under coach Pat Riley in 2002.
Phyllis Cohen-Edwards had the listing at Shorewood Realtors, Manhattan Beach.
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To see previous columns on celebrity transactions visit latimes.com/hotproperty.
