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Edward Norton is an American actor, filmmaker and an environmental and social activist, famous for his performance in the movies – “Primal Fear” (1996), “American History X” (1998) and “Birdman” (2014). Here are 50 interesting facts about the actor who received three Academy Award nominations.
- Born on August 18, 1969 as Edward Harrison Norton in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
- His father, Edward Mower Norton Jr, is a former Marine lieutenant who served in Vietnam. His mother Lydia Robinson, an English teacher, died of Brain Tumar in 1997. He has two siblings – Molly and Jim, both younger to him.
- James Rouse is Norton’s maternal grandfather, who developed Columbia City, Maryland, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Boston’s Quincy Market and many more. Norton grew up in Maryland.
- He graduated from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia in 1987, where New York City Council Member Mark Levine and famous author Robert Kolker were his classmates.
- He graduated with Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale University in 1991. During that time, he acted in University productions alongside Ron Livingston and Paul Giamatti.
- After graduation, he worked for his grandfather’s company in Osaka, Japan and leaned Japanese language.
- He got his acting breakthrough in 1993, when he was involved with the Signature Theatre Company’s production “Fragments.”
- His film debut in “Primal Fear” as Aaron Stampler alongside Richard Gere garnered praise from everywhere for his performance.
- He went for audition the audition in character, meeting the casting director Deborah Aquila as stuttering Aaron, and then suddenly turning into Roy.
- Alison Macor of The Austin Chronicle wrote in his film review, “Norton’s performance and the well paced tension preceding the movie’s climatic sequence provide an entertaining thriller.”
- He won a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards.
- He was also nominated for best actor at the Oscars for his performance as Derek Vinyard in “American History X” in 1998.
- Ironically, he turned down the role in “Saving Private Ryan,” another Oscar winner, the same year to do this movie.
- Norton along with co-star Edward Furlong had shaved their heads before the filming began. He even gained 30 pounds for the muscle mass.
- Norton established himself as a great actor much before the film’s success.
- In 1999, he played as the narrator in the movie “Fight Club,” based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. He underwent training in boxing, taekwondo and grappling for his role.
- In a scene, where he and his co-star Brad Pitt seen drunk while hitting golf balls, they were actually drunk while shooting the scene and the balls sailed into the back of catering truck.
- In another scene when Norton hits Brad Pitt in the ear, you can see him laughing while Pitt is in agony. Instead of faking the hit, Norton made it real on the director’s insistence.
- Both Norton and Pitt really learned to make soap for the movie.
- The movie did not meet the expectations at the box office. However it became a classic once the DVD’s were out. It was named as the 10th greatest movie of all times by Empire magazine.
- He played as Will Graham an FBI profiler in the movie “Red Dragon” alongside Anthony Hopkins in 2002. It was a commercial success.
- Norton claimed that each and every penny he earned from “Red Dragon” was used to finance his next movie “25th Hour.”
- Norton’s character in “25th Hour” mentions about wanting to become shadow cat from “X-Men” who can go through walls. Ironically his co-stars Anna Paquiin, Brian Cox, Aaron Stanford and Dania Ramirez have worked in “X-Men” franchise.
- He then starred in “The Italian Job” remake of the original of same name, alongside Mark Walhberg and Jason Strathom.
- He had rejected the offer but was forced to act by Paramount Studios as he had signed a 3 movie contract during his debut in “Primal Fear.”
- He played the character King Baldwin IV in the movie “Kingdom of Heaven.” He won critical acclaim for his role as the leper king of Jerusalem.
- He had requested not to credit his name, since the King appears behind the mask however the director inserted his name during video release. He was initially considered for the role of Guy.
- In 2008, he played the comic superhero Bruce Banner / The Hulk in “The Incredible Hulk.” Norton being a big fan of Hulk was initially unsure of the outcome and rejected it.
- Initially Mark Ruffalo was considered for the role of Bruce Banner by Louis Letterier. But Marvel Comics stood with Edward Norton. However Ruffalo went on to play the character in “The Avengers.”
- Norton in known to rewrite the script in which he stars and his rewritten script was satisfactory for Marvel Studios’ Rich Jones as side kick of Bruce Banner was removed when script was rewritten by Norton.
- When Norton is using the computer as a delivery boy, you see the antivirus program – Norton 360, installed in the computer.
- He won San Diego Film Critics Society Award’s Special Award for his work in the three films in 2006 – “The Illusionist,” “The Painted Veil,” and the “Down in the Valley.”
- Norton was seriously injured while filming “The Painted Veil,” when a horse threw him onto some rocks. He broke three of his vertebrae and claimed did not receive proper medical treatment until filming was finished.
- The various stage tricks performed by Norton in the movie “The Illusionist” are for real and without any CGI effect.
- He received intensive training in sleight of hand and other stage magic techniques from British magician James Freedman and American magician Ricky Jay. Freedman can be seen as hard double in many scenes.
- Norton stars in 2009 movie “Leaves of Grass” in a twin role of a Harvard professor and a drug dealer. The writer Tim Blake Nelson wrote the script keeping Norton in mind.
- Norton was also desperate to act in the movie “Leaves of Grass” that he accepted a pay cut. He later stated that he was paid half of what he usually makes.
- Norton spent some time with prisoners in Southern Michigan correctional facility to prepare for his character Stone in the movie “Stone” in 2010. He picked up their accent and cornrow hairstyle from them.
- He made an appearance in an Emmy Award winning TV series “Modern Family” in 2010, playing the real life character Spandau Ballet.
- Directorial debut of Norton was in 2000, with the movie “Keeping the Faith.” The movie is dedicated to his late Robin Norton.
- He got nominated for best supporting actor at the Academy Awards for his performance as Mike Shiner in the black comedy movie “Birdman.”
- He is married to Canadian Film producer Shauna Robertson since 2012. He had proposed to her in 2011 after dating her for six years. He has a son named Atlas born on March 18, 2013.
- He has a private pilot license and owns a modified Cessna 206.
- He is known for his support to environmental causes. He is part of Enterprise Green Communities Initiative and Solar Neighbors Program
- The proceeds from the sound track relating to the documentary he worked on “By the People: the Election of Barack Obama” went to Enterprise Community Partners.
- He formed a team of 30 members including David Blaine and Alanis Morissette to participate in New York City Marathon and raised over $1 million as funds for Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. He is the president of the Trust’s American branch.
- He has contributed his time and money towards developing the quality of life in low-income communities.
- He also launched a website called “Crowdrise” to raise funds for charity in 2010.
- He played the football match – “England Vs The Rest of the World” fundraiser, alongside James McAvoy and Woody Harrelson.
- In 2014, he acquired the film rights for “American Hippopotamus,” and article about meat shortage in US in 1990, and how the concept of transporting hippopotamus and convincing Americans to eat them was attempted.
