Edward Norton Biography:

A top actor who has awed audiences and critics alike in a variety of roles since his film debut, Edward Norton hit the big screen with a scene stealing role in 1996's legal thriller "Primal Fear". Amazingly mature and straight forward, the Yale educated Norton stayed away from discussing private information to the press, but when discussing his work proved a captivating interview subject. 

His well-known energy served his introduction film well, fooling the casting agents for "Primal Fear" and landing the role of the schizophrenic southerner by creating an accent (reportedly perfected by repeated viewings of 1980's "Coal Miner's Daughter") and inventing a Kentucky birthplace. A stranger to movie audiences, the actor's obscurity made his performance, as the altar boy turned executioner, all the more stirring and authentic. His flawless work in the convincing, if uneven film earned him a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination. 

That same year, he gave two other celebrated supporting performances portraying attorneys. In Woody Allen's curious musical "Everyone Says I Love You", Norton was featured as Drew Barrymore's preppy love interest. The attractive actor proved a talented comedic actor, even pulling off his unexpected singing role quite well. Norton rounded out the year with another good performance as lawyer Alan Isaacman in Milos Forman's biopic "The People vs. Larry Flynt". Honest and easygoing in this film, in what may be described as a slightly gullible role, his next work would be a definite divergence.

After adding 30 pounds of muscle to his formerly lean frame, and cutting off his medium brown hair, Norton changed his boy next door look into a shocking skinhead powerhouse for his starring debut as a clean yet remarkably brutal white supremacist in the controversy beleaguered "American History X" (1998). Playing Derek Vinyard, an active young leader of a neo-Nazi movement, Norton took the viewer on a voyage through the character's immoral acts, his uneasiness and shame, and his disgust that the heritage of his extreme hate had been passed on to an admiring younger brother (Edward Furlong). 

Norton showed a character who, despite his dreadful public speaking, and deplorable actions, is more human than evil, an even scarier force to be understood. The press surrounding the film (centered on the strange actions of young feature director Tony Kaye) threatened to obscure the power of Norton's performance. Insisting that his name be taken off of the credits, and accusing Norton of editing the film to serve his own self-centered purposes, Kaye, a British commercial director and self-described 'hype artist', may have tainted the film's reception, but his protests were unable to quite Norton's indisputable success in a performance that earned his second Oscar nomination, this time in the Best Actor category.

Also in 1998, Norton turned in another in a succession of first-rate performances, as Worm, the duly named oily poker ace in "Rounders". Fresh out of prison and down on his luck, Worm enlists the aid of a friend (Matt Damon) who has given up the underground gambling life to attend law school. Norton's quick acting con man all but takes over the movie, inserting plenty of shine into John Dahl's visually captivating, but somewhat predictable, moody piece. Next up for Norton was the drama "Fight Club" (1999), starring next to Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter in a unusual tale of self-help groups and underground vicious secret societies.

While now well known for his film work, Edward Norton started out with a dignified stage career that began in his childhood, making his professional entrance at age eight in a dinner theater production of "Annie Get Your Gun". Work in "Pippin", "Peter Pan" and "Godspell" followed. 

While attending Yale as a history major, Norton also performed on the university's stage. A relocation to New York led to some off-off-Broadway work and he later fixed the attention of renowned playwright Edward Albee, who was so overcome with the young actor that he cast him in a sought after role in the premiere of his play "Fragments" in 1994.

Charismatic and remarkably well-spoken, displaying little of the Hollywood stance that often accompany actors capable of his passion, Norton has in fact constantly praised the actors and directors with whom he has worked. Having such a affinity with, and respect for, the professionals in his business, it would seem only normal for him to add the actor-director title, and he set out to try his skill, developing the feature film "Keeping the Faith" (2000), and starring with fellow actor-director Ben Stiller. In the film, Norton and Stiller respectively played a Catholic priest and a rabbi who fall in love with the same woman. Norton next co-starred with Robert De Niro and Angela Basset in "The Score" (2001) where he portrayed a young con man. 

He appeared with his girlfriend Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas in "Frida" (2002) and had starring roles in both "Red Dragon" (2002) the prequel to "Silence Of The Lambs" (1991) as well as Spike Lee's crime drama "The 25th Hour" (2002). Edward finished out the year being cast in "Death to Smoochy" (2002) starring Robin Williams.

In 2003, Norton was hired and cast in the remake of the traditional 60s heist film "The Italian Job," which also co-starred Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron, based on a 1969 Michael Caine film of the same name, where thieves plan to pull of the heist of their lives by creating Los Angeles largest traffic jam ever. Next was the action adventure drama "Kingdom Of Heaven" (2005) with Orlando Bloom about a man who travels to Jerusalem during the crusades of the 12th century, and finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.

Edward next appeared in "Down In The Valley" (2005) with Evan Rachel Wood and set in the present-day San Fernando Valley, the film revolves around a delusional man who believes he's a cowboy and the relationship that he starts with a rebellious young woman. Norton then starred with Jessica Biel in mystery and romantic thriller "The Illusionist" (2006) about a magician (Edward Norton) who uses his abilities to secure the love of a woman far above his social standing. Next was a more romantic and dramatic role in "The Painted Veil" (2006) about a British medical doctor who fights a cholera outbreak in a small Chinese village, while also being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife.

Slated for 2008 is the starring role in "The Incredible Hulk" with Liv Tyler (2008), with Norton playing Bruce Banner in this film adaptation of the television series. Next up is "Motherless Brooklyn" (2008) a crime drama about Lionel Essrog, a detective with Tourette's Syndrome. When his mentor is murdered, he must go and find the killer. Next is the big-budget, big star crime drama "Pride And Glory" (2009) with Colin Farrell, a saga centered on a multi-generational family of New York City Police officers. Finishing the year will be "Leaves Of Grass" (2009) a Tim Blake Nelson comedy starring Norton.

• Also Credited As:
  Ed Norton, Edward Norton Jr.
• Born:
  on 08/18/1969 in Columbia, Maryland
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Assistant to casting director, Musician, Singer, Proofreader, Waiter, Writer

Family

• Brother: James Norton. younger
• Father: Edward Norton Sr. was Federal prosecutor under President Jimmy Carter; works for National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Grandfather: James Rouse. born in 1914; died in April 1996; designed Faneuil Hall marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts; with wife co-founded The Enterprise Foundation
• Grandmother: Patricia Rouse. with husband, co-founded The Enterprise Foundation
• Mother: Robin Norton. died of brain cancer on March 6, 1997
• Sister: Molly Norton. younger

Significant Others

• Companion: Brianna Bell.
• Companion: Courtney Love. dated from 1996 to 1998; both denied relationship although Norton made appearances with Love's band Hole, playing guitar and singing
• Companion: Salma Hayek. dating from late 1999; Norton and Hayek were rumored to be married as of January 2003

Education

• Columbia School for Theatrical Arts, Columbia, Maryland
• T Schreiber Studio, New York, New York