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Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American film actor, screenwriter and director. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. A year later, his lead role as a reformed neo-Nazi skinhead in American History X earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His other films include period dramas such as Kingdom of Heaven (2005) The Illusionist (2006), and The Painted Veil (2006); dramas such as 25th Hour (2002); and other notable films such as Fight Club (1999), and The Incredible Hulk (2008).
Aside from acting, Norton made his directorial debut with the film Keeping the Faith (2000) and is slated to direct the film adaptation of the novel, Motherless Brooklyn, set to be released in 2009.
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Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American film actor, screenwriter and director. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. A year later, his lead role as a reformed neo-Nazi skinhead in American History X earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His other films include period dramas such as Kingdom of Heaven (2005) The Illusionist (2006), and The Painted Veil (2006); dramas such as 25th Hour (2002); and other notable films such as Fight Club (1999), and The Incredible Hulk (2008).
Aside from acting, Norton made his directorial debut with the film Keeping the Faith (2000) and is slated to direct the film adaptation of the novel, Motherless Brooklyn, set to be released in 2009. He is a member of the board of trustees of Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit organization for developing affordable housing, as well as a social activist.
Biography
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, Sr., 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 (founder of The Rouse Company), who developed 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, Patty Rouse. Norton has two younger siblings—Molly and Jim, with whom he has professionally collaborated. From 1981—1985, along with his brother, he attended Camp Pasquaney, on the shores of Newfound Lake 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 Columbia's Wilde Lake High School in 1987. He attended Yale University, where he acted in university productions alongside Ron Livingston and Paul Giamatti, graduating in 1991 with a BA in History. Following graduation, Norton worked in Osaka, Japan, consulting for his grandfather's company, Enterprise Foundation. Norton can speak some Japanese. He appeared in an ESL textbook, Only in America, used by Nova, a formerly major English language school.
Career
Norton moved to New York City and began his acting career in off-Broadway theater, breaking through with his 1993 involvement in Edward Albee's Fragments at the Signature Theatre Company. His first major film was 1996's Primal Fear. In the film, he took on the role of Aaron Stampler, an altar boy accused of a brutal murder, for which he won a Golden Globe and a nomination for Academy Award 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.
He played himself in a cameo role in the experimental comedy show Stella, and won critical acclaim for his role as Baldwin IV, 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 into general release. Norton has also done uncredited script work on some of the films he has appeared in, specifically Frida 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. Norton portrayed Marvel comics superhero The Hulk in the second movie adaptation of The Incredible Hulk, released in 2008.
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." Norton has stated in interviews that he is a fan of the Baltimore Orioles, and was involved in many of Cal Ripken Jr.'s retirement activities in 2001 when he was asked to be a part of Ripken's biography for Major League Baseball (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 board of 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. He also put time and money toward social activist causes, including improving the quality of living in low-income communities.
He dated singer Courtney Love from 1996 to 1999, and actress Salma Hayek from 1999 to 2003. He had broken engagements with both women. He is currently dating Hollywood producer Shauna Robertson. Norton is tall, according to his interview on The Daily Show. He lives in New York City.
Filmography
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