How Chuck Norris Turned Conan O’Brien’s ‘Lever’ Into Late Night’s Best Moment
Even though Chuck Norris was best known for being a beloved action star, his career also sparked plenty of laughs thanks to the iconic jokes he inspired. While the "Chuck Norris Facts" were hilarious and shouldn't be forgotten, they don't hold a candle to a recurring late-night TV bit the actor helped inspire. Conan O'Brien's famous Walker, Texas Ranger lever stands out as one of the great moments in late-night TV history, and Norris was at the center of it all.
What Conan O'Brien's 'Walker, Texas Ranger' Lever Bit Was
Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images
On May 12, 2004, a major merger was finalized between General Electric's NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, which resulted in the formation of NBC Universal. Nobody could have predicted it would lead to one of late-night TV's most hilarious recurring bits ever
Thanks to that deal, the company Conan O'Brien was working for at the time became the owner of USA Network, which was the home of Chuck Norris' hit show, Walker, Texas Ranger. That gave Late Night with Conan O'Brien the ability to play a slew of clips from Walker, Texas Ranger without having to license them, and the famous lever was born.
During episodes of the talk show, a lever that looked like a red broomstick with a yellow handle would appear onstage. When O'Brien would pull on it, random clips of Walker, Texas Ranger would play completely out of context. Chuck Norris' show was extremely successful at the time, so the bit didn't feel like it was meant to throw shade at it or its star. Instead, it simply had fun with how bizarre some of the scenes from Walker, Texas Ranger felt when they played on their own.
O'Brien's staff did a great job finding the weirdest moments from Norris's show. The action star's dead serious reactions and line deliveries in many of the clips helped create comedy gold. The lever segments quickly became so popular that O'Brien's studio audience would sound overjoyed the moment it would appear. The reactions even became so big that O'Brien once playfully mocked studio audience members for practically begging him to pull the lever.
Why One 'Walker, Texas Ranger' Lever Moment Stood Out
After the Walker, Texas Ranger lever had been a recurring bit for while, Conan O'Brien told his audience that the show had been holding one clip back. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, as some of you may know, we here at Late Night often like to show clips from Walker, Texas Ranger. Well, folks, there is one clip from Walker, Texas Ranger that we've been holding back on. In fact, this is true, we've been afraid to show it. But it's spring cleaning, and I want to test just how good a crowd this is. So here it is. The one Walker clip we've never shown. Once you see it, you'll understand why."
Anyone who hasn't seen what happened next really should watch the clip below before continuing to scroll.
It's time for one last pull of Conan O'Brien's Walker, Texas Ranger Lever.
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) March 20, 2026
Rest in peace, Chuck Norris. pic.twitter.com/cl6byM1ukT
In the most famous Walker, Texas Ranker lever moment, a young Haley Joel Osment could be seen standing next to Chuck Norris. The clips showed Osment's character having a cheery conversation with several adults who all seemed to be very happy. Then, out of nowhere, Osment's character made a stunning remark. "Walker told me I had AIDS." While that topic is no laughing matter, the sheer randomness of the clip when taken out of context and O'Brien's stunned reaction created an all-time comedy moment.
Chuck Norris Joined in the 'Walker, Texas Ranger' Lever Fun
Before the Walker, Texas Ranger lever was retired, Chuck Norris made an appearance to have some fun with it. It was a perfect example of the action movie star having a sense of humor about himself.
As O'Brien reached to pull the lever, a gunshot sound effect could be heard. The show then cut to Norris standing among the studio audience, where he pulled a lever of his own, and a backstage clip of the action star and O'Brien engaging in a mock fight played. Of course, Norris completely dominated O'Brien. It was a great moment that showed that everyone was in on the joke.