Edward Norton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Edward Norton | |
|---|---|
 Norton at the Gen Art Premiere and Party for "The Illusionist" |
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| Born | Edward Harrison Norton August 18, 1969 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | actor, producer, screenwriter, director |
| Years active | 1994 - present |
Edward "Ed" Harrison Norton[1] (born August 18, 1969) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning American film actor and director. His acting credits include roles in the films Primal Fear, The Illusionist, American History X, 25th Hour, Fight Club, The Incredible Hulk and Kingdom of Heaven.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Edward Norton was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Columbia, Maryland. His mother, Robin (née Rouse), an English teacher, died of a brain tumor in 1997; his father, Edward James Norton, Jr., is an environmental lawyer and conservation advocate working in Asia, as well as a former federal prosecutor under the Carter administration. His maternal grandfather was the developer James W. Rouse (also see The Rouse Company), who designed the city of Columbia, Maryland (where Norton grew up), helped develop Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Norfolk's Waterside Festival Marketplace, and Boston's Quincy Market, as well as co-founded the Enterprise Foundation with Norton's maternal stepgrandmother, Patricia. Norton has two younger siblings; his sister, Molly, and his brother, Jim, with whom he has collaborated professionally.
From 1981 to 1985, along with his brother, he attended Pasquaney, a camp in Hebron, New Hampshire. There, he won the acting cup in 1984 and later returned to the camp's council for two years, directing theater. He maintains close connections with the camp.
Norton graduated from Wilde Lake High School in 1987. He attended Yale University, where he acted in university productions alongside Ron Livingston and Paul Giamatti. He graduated in 1991 with a BA in History. Following graduation, Norton worked in Osaka, Japan, consulting for his grandfather's company, Enterprise Foundation. Norton speaks Japanese.[2][3] He also appeared in an ESL textbook, Only in America, used by Nova, a major English language school.[4]
[edit] Career
Norton moved to New York City and began his acting career in off-Broadway theater. His first major film was 1996's Primal Fear. In the film, he took on the role of Aaron Stampler, an innocent young man accused of a brutal murder, for which he won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1998, his portrayal of a reformed neo-Nazi in American History X earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He was also critically acclaimed for his role as a card shark in 1998's Rounders. He packed on 30 pounds (15 kg) of muscle for his role in American History X but did not maintain the physique after production. One of his more widely known roles is his performance in the adaptation of the cult novel Fight Club by director David Fincher, which co-starred Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter, and has been credited as a factor in expanding Norton's fan base.
In 2002, he starred as FBI profiler Will Graham in Brett Ratner's Red Dragon and in Spike Lee's 25th Hour. While Red Dragon received mixed reviews, it was commercially successful. 25th Hour was praised by critics, particularly for its examination of a post-9/11 New York City, but failed to break even.[5]
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 2006, he starred in the independent movie The Illusionist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later became a sleeper hit when it went on general release.
Norton has also done uncredited script work on some of the films he has appeared in, specifically Frida[6] and The Score. In 2000, he made his debut as a director with Keeping the Faith. He will also direct the film adaptation of the novel Motherless Brooklyn.
On April 16, 2007, it was confirmed that Norton will play the role of Bruce Banner in the upcoming movie adaptation of The Incredible Hulk (which he also co-wrote), to be released in 2008.[7]
[edit] Personal life
Norton is generally known for his reluctance to embrace his celebrity status, and has said, "If I ever have to stop taking the subway, I'm gonna have a heart attack."[8] Norton has stated in interviews that he is a fan of the Baltimore Orioles. He was involved in many of Cal Ripken Jr.'s retirement activities in 2001 when Norton was asked to be a part of Ripken's biography for MLB. He attended Ripken's ceremony at the Hall of Fame in July 2007.
Norton has a private pilot license and discussed his flight training when interviewed on episodes of The Late Show with David Letterman and Inside the Actor's Studio.
Norton was a strong supporter of former New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer. Norton 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.[9][10][11][12][13] He has also put time and money toward social activist causes, including improving the quality of living in low-income communities.
Norton dated Courtney Love from 1996 to 1999, and actress Salma Hayek between 1999 and 2003. He had broken engagements with both women.[14] Norton is 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, according to his interview on The Daily Show.[15]
[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 | |
| 2000 | Keeping the Faith | Father Brian Finn | Also Director, Producer |
| 2001 | The Score | Jack Teller | |
| 2002 | Death to Smoochy | Sheldon Mopes/Smoochy the Rhino | |
| Frida | Nelson Rockefeller | ||
| Red Dragon | Will Graham | ||
| 25th Hour | Monty Brogan | Also Producer | |
| 2003 | The Italian Job | Steve Frazelli | |
| 2004 | National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth | Host | |
| 2005 | Down in the Valley | Harlan | Also Producer |
| Kingdom of Heaven | Baldwin IV | Uncredited | |
| 2006 | The Illusionist | Eisenheim | |
| The Painted Veil | Walter Fane | Also Producer | |
| 2008 | The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat | The Grinch | voice actor |
| The Incredible Hulk | Bruce Banner / The Hulk | Also Screenwriter | |
| Pride and Glory | Ray Tierney | Also Producer | |
| 2009 | Motherless Brooklyn | Lionel Essrog | Also Producer, Writer, Director. |
Director credits
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Keeping the Faith |
Producer credits
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Keeping the Faith |
| 2006 | Down in the Valley |
| The Painted Veil |
[edit] Music credits
Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
- Song Performer ("Just You Just Me", "My Baby Just Cares for Me", "I'm Thru With Love")
Death to Smoochy (2002)
- Song/Song Performer ("My Stepdad's Not Mean (He's Just Adjusting)")
- Song Performer ("Smoochy's Methadone Song", "Smoochy's Magic Jungle Theme", "The Cookie Chant")
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Group | Award | Won | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Actor | No | The Painted Veil |
| 2005 | Satellite Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama | No | Kingdom of Heaven |
| 2004 | Sant Jordi Awards | Best Foreign Actor (Millor Actor Estranger) | Yes | 25th Hour |
| 2003 | Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama | No | 25th Hour |
| 2002 | Obie Award | Best Performance by an Actor in an off-Broadway play | Yes | Burn This |
| 2001 | Satellite Awards | 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 |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Brad Pitt for Twelve Monkeys |
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture 1997 for Primal Fear |
Succeeded by Burt Reynolds for Boogie Nights |
[edit] References
- ^ Edward Norton - Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
- ^ Vogue January 1997. Retrieved on 2008-04-27.
- ^ Norton has faith in directorial skills. Retrieved on 2008-04-27.
- ^ Edward Norton
- ^ Box Office/Business at the imdb. Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
- ^ Edward Norton - A.V. Club Interview. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
- ^ Tanya Hernandez. "Ed Norton To Play The Hulk!", Cinema Fusion, 2007-04-15. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- ^ Handelman, David (January 1997). Wanted: Edward Norton. Vogue. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
- ^ Ed Norton, BP Solar and the High Line at treehugger.com
- ^ Edward Norton at solarneighbors.com
- ^ Interview with Edward Norton at grist.org
- ^ Edward Norton at enterprisecommunity.org
- ^ Hollywood stars heat up solar power at CNN.com
- ^ Judd Apatow - Motion Pictures - Knocked Up - 40-Year-Old Virgin - New York Times
- ^ Ed Norton | The Daily Show | Comedy Central
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Norton, Edward |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 18, 1969 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
