Edward Norton
 |
Edward Norton |
Edward H Norton[
1] (born
August 18,
1969) is an
Oscar-nominated
American actor and
film director.
Norton was born in
Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in
Columbia, Maryland. His mother Robin, an English teacher, died of a
brain tumor in
1997; his father, Edward Sr. is an attorney and former federal prosecutor under the
Carter administration who now works for the
National Trust for Historic Preservation. Norton Jr. is the grandson of developer
James Rouse (also see
The Rouse Company), who designed the city of
Columbia, Maryland (where Norton grew up) and who also helped develop
Baltimore's
Inner Harbor and Boston's
Quincy Market. He has two younger siblings; his sister Molly Norton, who attended
Washington and Lee University and his brother Jim with whom he has collaborated professionally.
Norton graduated from
Wilde Lake High School in 1987, then from
Yale University in 1991 with a
B.A. in
history. It was at Yale that Norton became heavily involved in theater, taking as many classes as he could although never majoring in drama. Actor
Ron Livingston was a classmate and fellow collegiate actor.
After graduation Norton had a brief stint in Japan, teaching English at the popular English Language School,
NOVA Group.
Norton moved to
New York City and began his acting career Off-Broadway theater.
Moving into film, he was launched into the spotlight by 1996's
Primal Fear, in which he played
Aaron Stampler, a young man accused of a brutal murder, and for which he won a
Golden Globe and a nomination for the
Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
He earned numerous nominations, including an Academy Award for
Best Actor nomination, for his role as a reformed neo-
Nazi in 1998's
American History X, then in the
1998 card playing hit
Rounders with
Matt Damon, and he also starred in the 1999 adaptation of
Chuck Palahniuk's cult novel
Fight Club. More recently, he played himself in a cameo role in the experimental comedy show
Stella, and won critical acclaim for his role as the
leper king of
Jerusalem in
Kingdom of Heaven.
In
2000, he made his debut as a film director with
Keeping the Faith. He will also direct his film adaptation of the novel
Motherless Brooklyn.
Awards And Nominations
Filmography
Undaunted Courage (
2007) (mini) TV Series (announced) (produced)
Pride And Glory (
2007) - Ray (filming)
The Painted Veil (
2006) (post-production) - Walter Fane (also produced)
The Illusionist (
2006) - Eisenheim
Motherless Brooklyn (
2005) (announced) - Lionel Essrog (also wrote, directed, and produced)
Down in the Valley (
2005) - Harlan (also produced)
Kingdom of Heaven (
2005) - King Baldwin
National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth (
2004) (host)
*The Italian Job (2003) - Steve Frazelli
*25th Hour (2002) - Monty Brogan (also produced)
*Red Dragon (2002) - Will Graham
*Frida (2002) - Nelson Rockefeller
*Death to Smoochy (2002) - Sheldon Mopes/Smoochy the Rhino
*The Score (2001) - Jack Teller
*Catch Her In the Eye
(2001) - J.D. Caulfield
*Keeping the Faith (2000) - Father Brian Finn (also directed/produced)
*Fight Club (1999) - Jack (main character)
*American History X (1998) - Derek Vinyard
*Rounders (1998) - Lester 'Worm' Murphy
*Everyone Says I Love You (1996) - Holden Spence
*The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) - Alan Isaacman
*Primal Fear'' (
1996) -
Aaron StamplerNorton is generally known for his reluctance to embrace his
celebrity status.
He has put time and money toward
social activist causes, including improving the quality of living in
low-income communities. He is a member of the trustees of the Enterprise Foundation, a non-profit developer of affordable housing. He is also well-known for his support for environmental causes and
renewable energy projects, such as
BP's
Solar Neighbors program. [
2], [
3], [
4], [
5], [
6]
He has dated actresses
Salma Hayek and
Drew Barrymore, as well as musician/actress
Courtney Love, with whom he toured as a temporary guitarist for alternative band
Hole.[
7], [
8], [
9]
He is a self-proclaimed
Deadhead.
He has a private pilot license and discussed his flight training when interviewed on an episode of
The Late Show with David Letterman.
Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
The Italian Job (
2003): $1,000,000
25th Hour (
2002): $500,000
Red Dragon (
2002): $8,000,000
Death to Smoochy (
2002): $8,000,000
The Score (
2001): $6,500,000
Primal Fear (
1996): $50,000
*
Edward Norton.org
