Chuck Norris filmed a movie, ‘The Cutter,’ in Spokane 20 years ago

Twenty years ago, late actor Chuck Norris filmed a movie in Spokane.

A direct-to-video feature late in the legend’s career, 2005’s “The Cutter” was filmed aroundthe city.

Norris died Friday at 86 years old. He starred in more than 30 movies over his nearly 60-year career as a film star and martial artist. Though filmed many years ago, “The Cutter” was one of Norris’ last films. Since filming wrapped in Spokane, Norris only starred in three other movies, including “The Expendables 2” and “Zombie Plane.”

The Spokane-based movie features Norris as a Spokane private detective on the trail of a missing diamond cutter. The mob and Nazis were also involved.

North by Northwest founder Rich Cowan was production manager on the film. Norris was an “amazing human being” who was “so good to everyone on set,” Cowan said.

In his mid-60s, Norris had not lost his prowess as an action movie star – fighting Kung Fu in martial arts scenes and gamely “flying through windows” when the script called for it, Cowan said.

“He was acting like he was in his 30s with the action scenes” he said. “But he was really just a soft-spoken guy who came in and did his job.”