Edward Norton
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-
For the fictional character Ed Norton, see The Honeymooners.
| Edward Norton | |
| Birth name | Richard Johnson |
| Born | August 18, 1969 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Notable roles | Will Graham in Red Dragon Derek Vinyard in American History X Tyler Durden/Narrator in Fight Club Steve Frazelli in The Italian Job |
Edward H. Norton[1] (born August 18, 1969) is an Oscar-nominated American actor and film director.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
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 W. 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. Actors Ron Livingston and Paul Giamatti were classmates and fellow collegiate actors.
Following graduation, Norton worked in Osaka, Japan, consulting for his grandfather's company, Enterprise Foundation.
[edit] Career
Norton moved to New York City and began his acting career in 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 Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, 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. He played himself in a cameo role in the experimental comedy show Stella, and won critical acclaim for his uncredited role as the leper king of Jerusalem in Kingdom of Heaven. In 2006, he starred in the independent movie The Illusionist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later became a sleeper hit when it was released theatrically in August.
He has also done uncredited script work on some of the films he has appeared in, specifically Frida and The Score.
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.
[edit] Personal life
Norton 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 has been a particularly strong supporter of Eliot Spitzer, who was elected governor of New York in 2006. Norton has introduced Spitzer at several campaign events and also rode on his campaign bus.
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 is fluent in Japanese.
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)
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Group | Award | Won? | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Satellite Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama | No | Kingdom of Heaven |
| 2004 | Sant Jordi Awards | Best Foreign Actor (Mejor Actor Extranjero) | Yes | 25th Hour |
| 2003 | Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama | No | 25th Hour |
| 2001 | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical | No | Keeping the Faith | |
| 2000 | Street Film Festival, Milan | Best Feature Film | Yes | |
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight | No | Fight Club | |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actor | No | ||
| Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Action Team (with Brad Pitt) | No | ||
| 1999 | Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama | Yes | American History X |
| Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Yes | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actor | No | ||
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Actor | No | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | No | ||
| Academy Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | No | ||
| Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films | Best Actor | No | ||
| 1997 | Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Yes | Primal Fear |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Yes | ||
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Villain | No | ||
| Academy Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | No | ||
| Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films | Best Supporting Actor | No | ||
| BAFTA Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | No | ||
| Golden Globes | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion | Yes | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Most Promising Actor | Yes | Primal Fear, The People vs. Larry Flynt and Everyone Says I Love You | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Yes | ||
| 1996 | Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Yes | |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Yes | ||
| National Board of Review | Best Supporting Actor | Yes | Everyone Says I Love You | |
| Society of Texas Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Yes | Primal Fear and The People vs. Larry Flynt |
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Primal Fear | Aaron Stampler | |
| The People vs. Larry Flynt | Alan Isaacman | ||
| Everyone Says I Love You | Holden Spence | ||
| 1998 | Rounders | Lester 'Worm' Murphy | |
| American History X | Derek Vinyard | ||
| 1999 | Fight Club | The Narrator (main character) | |
| 2000 | Keeping the Faith | Father Brian Finn | Also Directed and Produced |
| 2001 | The Score | Brian/ Jack 'Jackie' Teller | |
| 2002 | Death to Smoochy | Sheldon Mopes/Smoochy the Rhino | |
| Frida | Nelson Rockefeller | ||
| Red Dragon | Will Graham | ||
| 25th Hour | Monty Brogan | Also Produced | |
| 2003 | The Italian Job | Steve Frazelli | |
| 2004 | National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth | Host | |
| 2005 | Kingdom of Heaven | Baldwin IV | |
| 2006 | Down in the Valley | Harlan | Also Produced |
| The Illusionist | Eisenheim | ||
| The Painted Veil | Walter Fane | In Post-Production; Also Produced | |
| Motherless Brooklyn | Lionel Essrog | Announced; Also Wrote, Directed, and Produced | |
| 2007 | Pride And Glory | Ray | Filming |
[edit] Director credits
- Keeping the Faith (2000)
[edit] Producer credits
- Undaunted Courage (2007) TV miniseries, announced
- Down in the Valley (2006)
- The Painted Veil (2006)
- Keeping the Faith(2000)
[edit] Music credits
Death to Smoochy (2002) song/ song performer ("My Stepdad's Not Mean (He's Just Adjusting)") Death to Smoochy (2002) Song Performer ("Smoochy's Methadone Song" "Smoochy's Magic Jungle Theme" "The Cookie Chant") Everyone Says I Love You (1996) Song Performer ("Just You Just Me" "My Baby Just Cares for Me" "I'm Thru With Love")
[edit] Salary
- 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
[edit] External links
