Edward Norton

Edward H Norton^* (born August 18, 1969) is an Oscar-nominated American actor and film director.

Background

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 has 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.

Career

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 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 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 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

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	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	Keeping the Faith
	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

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 Stampler

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 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. ^*," target="_blank" >^*

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.^*

He is a self-proclaimed Deadhead.

Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m)

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

External links

Edward Norton.org