Trivia - Walker Texas Ranger

When actress Sheree J. Wilson’s “Dallas” character, April Stevens, met her shocking demise in 1991, I—along with millions of devoted prime-time soap fans—was absolutely devastated. I was fully invested in her whirlwind romance with Bobby Ewing, and just when they were poised for their happily-ever-after on a Parisian honeymoon, no less… BANG! It was all over. Cue the ugly crying. 💔

Fast-forward a few years and—hallelujah!—a pilot for a brand-new series airs, reintroducing Sheree in a fresh role alongside action legend Chuck Norris in “Walker, Texas Ranger.” I was instantly hooked. Not only was Sheree back on my TV screen, but she was kicking butt, taking names, and anchoring a show that quickly became appointment viewing. Thus began my re-obsession with Sheree—and a full-blown love affair with Walker.

Now, nearly 25 years after the series rode off into the sunset, I somehow managed to convince Sheree to be a very special guest on my podcast (catch my fabulous conversation with her on Hollywood Obsessed, Episodes 153 & 154!). Our chat sent me straight down memory lane, and suddenly all things “Walker, Texas Ranger” came flooding back. So saddle up, partner—in honor of that fantastic conversation, I’ve rounded up some fun trivia and behind-the-scenes facts about the series. Consider this your cue to roundhouse-kick your nostalgia into high gear and dive right in.

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The series was inspired by the film “Lone Wolf McQuade,” with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division.

The majority of the series was filmed around Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Many locals were cast as extras, and some even had speaking roles.

Chuck Norris (Cordell Walker) is the only actor to appear in all 196 episodes of the series.

Over the course of the show, Alex (Sheree J Wilson) is abducted and held hostage 22 times, shot 3 times, and drugged once.

Cordell Walker was a contemporary Texas Ranger. In real life, Chuck Norris (along with his brother, Aaron) is also a Texas Ranger.

C.D. Parker (Noble Willingham) was the only character who refers to Walker by his first name consistently.

One storyline that ran during the series was that Walker's parents were murdered when he was young. In one episode, he finds and confronts the person responsible.

Walker's full last name is "Firewalker" (an inside-reference to Chuck Norris's 1986 movie of the same title). After Cordell's parents were killed, he went to an orphanage; there his fellow orphans teased him, because he didn't look like a Native American. Therefore, Cordell shortened his last name to Walker.

Noble Willingham was the only native Texan to have a starring role on the show

Chuck Norris was living in Dallas, Texas, when the show began, and didn't have to travel that far to film.

The exterior view of "C.D.'s Bar and Grill" is actually the legendary White Elephant Saloon located in Ft. Worth's Historic Stockyards District. When it was built, the White Elephant was owned and operated by wild west gambler and gunfighter Luke Short, a friend to such famous figures as Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and John Henry "Doc" Holliday.

Walker had an ancestor, Hayes Cooper (also played by Norris) who was also a Texas Ranger. Like Walker, his parents were also murdered when he was young.

In real life, Chuck Norris’ paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather were Cherokee Native Americans.

Sheree J. Wilson was pregnant at the end of Season 5. As a result, she missed a few episodes of Season 6.

Jimmy Trevette (Clarence Gilyard) dies three times during the series. Twice in dreams that Alex had, and the other in a flashback about Hayes Cooper.

In the show, the Rangers' headquarters are located in Dallas, but the Rangers' headquarters is actually in Austin. The building shown as the Rangers' headquarters is actually the Tarrant County Courthouse in Fort Worth. In real life, the Rangers' headquarters for Dallas-Fort Worth is the Company B headquarters in Garland.

Walker very rarely (if ever) touched a computer, and didn't even have one on his desk. He always relied on Jimmy Trevette (Clarence Gilyard) to do the computer research in a case.

Before he became a Ranger, Cordell Walker (Chuck Norris) won several titles as a professional kickboxer.

Dallas detective Carlos Sandoval (Marco Sanchez) and martial arts instructor and private detective Trent Malloy (Jimmy Wlcek) were with the show from 1997 to 1999 as regulars. Their names never appeared in the opening credits. They had a short lived spinoff series called “Sons of Thunder.”

Season 5 (1996-97) introduced a local law enforcement officer named Bobbi Hunt (Tammy Lauren) becoming a Texas Ranger. She appeared in two episodes in the 5th season, Episode 17, 99th Ranger (1997) and Season 5 Episode 23 (A Father's Image). After that, she was never mentioned, heard from, or seen again.

Compared to Clarence Gilyard, Jr.'s other character from his previous show, Matlock (1986), James Trivette has remained single for the entire series, despite occasional romantic attachments. He has a girlfriend in the series finale.

In the early episodes, Walker drove a GMC truck, in the later episodes, he drove a Dodge Ram.

Alex Cahill (Sheree J Wilson) drove an aqua Chrysler Sebring convertible.

Marshall R. Teague had the distinction of playing the antagonist in both the pilot and finale of the series. Teague played bank robber Orson Wade in the first episode 'One Riot, One Ranger' and he played a double role as Emile and Milos Lavocat in the last episode, 'The Final Showdown.' Leon Rippy appeared in the second episode of the series, 'Borderline', and in the series finale with Teague.

Throughout the show's 203 episodes, Cordell Walker beats up 889 bad guys...slightly more than 4 villains per episode.

Sheree J. Wilson's character, "Alex Cahill", is named after "J.D. Cahill" - John Wayne's title character from the 1973 Western epic "Cahill: U.S. Marshal."

During the final two seasons, two rookie Texas Rangers Francis Gage (Judson Mills) and Sydney Cooke (Nia Peeples) were assigned under Walker and Trivette's command.

Nia Peeples' vocal talent is featured on several episodes after she joined the cast as Sydney Cooke. Chuck Norris is not only the star, but he also sang the theme song.

In the show's finale, Walker and Alex welcome a daughter...whom they name Angela, their "little angel". This was inspired by Chuck Norris's 1988 movie "The Hero and the Terror", wherein Danny and Kay O'Brien welcome a daughter...whom they name Angela, their "little angel".

On December 2, 2010, Rick Perry the 47th Governor of Texas named the Norris brothers Honorary Texas Ranger Captains for their work on the series. In his speech he said that "together, they helped elevate our Texas Rangers to truly mythical status."

The series has been broadcast in over 100 countries and spawned a 2005 television film entitled “Trial by Fire.”

"Trial by Fire" ended with Sheree J. Wilson's character the victim of a courthouse shooting, leading many viewers to believe that there would be a follow-up movie. However, when CBS announced their fall 2006 prime-time schedule, they said that they would no longer be producing "Sunday Night Movie of the Week" projects, which severely impaired any hopes of Walker's return to television in the foreseeable future.

A reboot entitled “Walker”, starring Jared Padalecki, debuted on The CW in 2021, where it ran for four seasons.

A prequel series titled “Walker: Independence” premiered on October 6, 2022.

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Some facts in this post were sourced from IMDb and Wikipedia.

Whether you’re a lifelong “Walker, Texas Ranger” fan or discovering Cordell Walker’s world of justice, grit, and moral conviction for the very first time, there’s no denying the lasting impact this iconic series has had on television—and on viewers who never stopped loving it. The action, the heart, the lessons, and the larger-than-life storytelling still resonate decades later.

Do yourself a favor and tune in to my in-depth, fun, and nostalgia-packed conversation with the talented and insightful Sheree J. Wilson on Hollywood Obsessed (Episodes 153 & 154). She shares incredible behind-the-scenes stories from “Walker, Texas Ranger,” her memorable eight-year run on the series, her instant chemistry with Chuck Norris, and why the show’s strong moral compass continues to connect with audiences today.

It’s a conversation filled with heart, history, and classic TV magic—and one Walker fans won’t want to miss.

Listen to the full interview on Hollywood Obsessed Podcast click below.

Episode 153 - HERE

Episode 154 - HERE