Biography
Edward Norton
For the fictional character Ed Norton, see The Honeymooners.
Edward James Norton, Jr. (born August 18, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an Oscar-nominated American actor known for his reluctance to embrace celebrity status. 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. He 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. His sister, Molly Norton, attended Washington and Lee University.
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. He also had a brief stint in Japan, teaching English at the largely popular English Language School, NOVA Group [1]. Norton relocated to New York City where he began waiting tables and doing Off-Broadway theater.
Norton was launched into the spotlight by 1996's Primal Fear, in which he played a young sociopathic convict, and for which he won a Golden Globe and a nomination for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He earned numerous nominations, including an Best Actor nomination, for his role as a reformed neo-Nazi in 1998's American History X, and starred in the 1999 adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's cult hit 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 in Kingdom of Heaven.
Norton has put time and money toward social activist causes, including improving the quality of living in low-income communities.
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.
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) (post-production) - 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
The Italian Job (2003) - Steve Frezelli
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
Catcher In the Rye (2001) - J. D. Caulfield
Keeping the Faith (2000) - Father Brian Finn (also directed/produced)
Fight Club (1999) - Narrator
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 Stampler
Trivia
Edward Norton was listed at the Internet Movie Database to appear as John Bauer in Season 5 of 24 from 8:00-9:00 p.m., but his name has since been removed from IMDb's filmography. There had also been rumors that Edward Norton would replace Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer as 24's main protagonist, which have been denied by the show's producers.
