"I'm an actor and, each time out, I'm trying to convince the audience that I'm this character. Every little thing that people know about you as a person impedes your ability to achieve that kind of terrific suspension of disbelief that happens when an audience goes with an actor and character [he's] playing."
Edward Norton
Edward H. Norton was born on the 18th August 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Columbia, Maryland (both in the US, natch). He is the oldest of three siblings born to Edward James Norton (an attorney) and Robin Norton (a teacher), and he expressed an interest in the field of acting from a very young age. He would precociously asked his third grade teacher what were his motivations for scenes; you have to respect that kind of early dedication to a profession. Even if it does simultaneously want to make you want to smack him upside of the head and tell him to go outside and play on his bike.
I've specifically opened with that quote from Mr. Norton... Edward... Ed? Do I know him well enough to get away with Ed? I've just written 1700 words about him. I'll go with Ed. Anyway, I've opened with ol' Eddy there explaining in his own words why there is a dearth of information with regard to his life; he is a very private person, and unlike most celebrities, there's not that much in the public domain to know about him.
Expect a Christmas-release, best-selling autobiography in 2029.
Norton graduated from Wilde Lake High School in 1987, and he then went on to study at Yale. Whilst he attended various theatre classes and workshops throughout his life, and especially while at university, he actually graduated from Yale with a B.A. in History. After graduating from Yale, he spent a brief period of time in Osaka, Japan, where his grandfather's company, The Enterprise Foundation, was working to create affordable housing for low-income families. He picked up a bit of the lingo while he was out there, but eventually returned to the US to do the obligatory 'service industry' job that all actors seems to need to do before they're allowed to step in front of a camera.
While working as a waiter in New York, Norton crossed paths with Edward Albee, the playwright who penned 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' At the time, Albee was working with the Signature Theatre Company, which is an Off-Broadway venture that was formed in 1991 to give a season-long, in-depth exploration of a playwright's work. Edward Albee was the Playwright in Residence from 1993-1994; one audition later, Norton had landed himself a role in the new production of 'Fragments'. He also became a part of Signature's repertory company, and still has strong links with them to this day, serving on their Board of Trustees.
Treading the boards was all very well, but Norton wanted to see how far he could take his talent. At roughly the same time that he was appearing in 'Fragments', Paramount were looking for a talented unknown to play the role of an altar boy accused of murder opposite Richard Gere in the courtroom thriller, 'Primal Fear'. Wil Wheaton and Leonardo DiCaprio had already turned the part down, and 2100 other hopefuls applied (including Matt Damon); Norton clinched the part by turning up for the audition in character and giving an amazing, eventually Oscar-nominated performance.
So, an Oscar nomination for your first feature film isn't really a bad introduction to the world of movie making. 'Primal Fear' was released in 1996, and since then, Norton hasn't really looked back. He went on to star in 'The People vs. Larry Flynt' and 'Everyone Says I Love You' that same year. He has made many films since, and to discuss them all would make for a very long and protracted writeup, and his (very talented) performances are best reviewed within the individual film nodes. However, there are certain pieces of his work that just have to be mentioned. Similarly, while I have mentioned the two Academy Award nominations, he has been nominated for and won a large number of other awards, including a Golden Globe; rather than cut and paste, it would be best to refer to his [spits] Wiki article for the most up-to-date info.
American History X
This film earned him his second Academy Award nomination, and is simultaneously both moving and disturbing in content. Released in 1998, Norton plays the role of Derek Vinyard, a white supremacist jailed for the murder of two black men. He is released from prison a reformed and penitent man, but discovers that his brother, Danny (played by Edward Furlong), is now walking down the same path that he did. The film focuses on Derek's attempts to keep his family together, while he struggles against the lure of his neo-Nazi past. It's not an easy film to watch, and you don't really feel all that good about the world by the end of it. But Norton's talent is amazing; the difference between this role and all the other roles that I've ever seen him play is stark. You almost don't recognise him. It helps that he put on about 30lbs of muscle just to make the film; the man fair-on ripples his way through it.
Fight Club
So. I started this write up playing the mental game of 'how many paragraphs can I write without mentioning Fight Club,' but I think I've stretched it out now as about as much as I'm able to. 'Primal Fear' and 'American History X' are the films that brought Edward Norton to the attention of the mainstream movie watching population of the world, but it's 'Fight Club' that (as it currently stands) is going to be the film that he's best remembered for.
Which, let's face it, is nothing to be ashamed of. What a film.
I'm not going to even bother trying to put into words how much I love his performance in this movie. Released in 1999, and having lost the 30lbs that he put on for 'American History X' ("like letting air out of a balloon") and several more on top to give The Narrator that lean look that sums up the living-on-the-edge, sleep-deprived nature of the man who wants to be Tyler Durden, Norton gives a masterful performance that... just a second. Said I wasn't going to go on about this film. And I'm not. E2 has more than enough 'Fight Club' nodes out there for those who want to know more.
Keeping the Faith
Released in 2000, this is Norton's directorial debut, staring Ben Stiller, Jenna Elfman, and himself, and was dedicated to his mother, Robin, who died in 1997 from a brain tumour. It's a romantic comedy, but not a bad one by any means, and again, the stark difference between Norton in this role and his other roles is almost breathtaking. Seriously, this guy can act. Go watch 'The Score' as well to see what I mean. Oh, and 'Death to Smoochy'. God, I love that film. Then go look up the word 'range' in the dictionary, just to see his face smiling up at you.
Frida
Depiciting the life of Frida Kahlo, this film (released in 2002) starred Edward Norton, but movie lore has it that he also did a (uncreditied) rewrite of the script, which had been adapted from the book 'Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo' by Hayden Herrera.
Filmography
Other assorted pieces of trivia
He speaks fluent Spanish in addition to fluent Japanese
He was born on the same day as Christian Slater, and shares a birthday with Patrick Swayze, Denis Leary, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Robert Redford.
He lends his support to a number of social and environmental charitable organisations, including The Enterprise Foundation, Nature Conservancy New York Chapter, Doctors without Borders, the Grand Canyon Trust, EarthJustice, the Wilderness Society, the Southern Center for Human Rights, American Museum of Natural History, Credit Where Credit is Due, the American Visionary Arts Museum, the John Hopkins Neuro-oncology Research Lab, and Living Classrooms. Such a lovely lad. A credit to his mother, so he is.
