Edward Norton

Born August 18, 1969 - Boston, Massachusetts

When I think of Edward Norton, "intensity" is the first word that comes to mind. From his Academy Award-nominated performance in Primal Fear to his critically acclaimed turn in Fight Club, Norton has made a career out of psychologically demanding roles, which has earned him comparisons to Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

Norton was born in Boston in 1969 and grew up in Columbia, Maryland. His father was a lawyer and environmental advocate, his mother a teacher. A trip to a local musical when he was 5 sparked an interest in acting and led to his taking classes and performing in grade school. He stopped acting during the first part of high school, but as Norton told Vanity Fair in 1999, his passion was reawakened when he saw a one-man show by Ian McKellen.

After graduating from Yale, Norton moved to New York to try his luck professionally. Roles in off-Broadway theater followed (as well as less glamorous work as a waiter, office temp, and other classic fallbacks). Fortunately, Star Trek's Wil Wheaton and Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the role of Aaron Stampler in 1996's Primal Fear, and the role would prove Norton's big-screen breakthrough. His excellent reviews in the part led to other offers, and Norton has consistently picked parts that cement his status as a top character actor, most notably in American History X, as a reformed neo-Nazi, and in Fight Club, as a disillusioned white-collar worker who co-founds a violent movement.

Norton has directed one film to date, the romantic comedy Keeping the Faith, and produced several of his most recent films. His production company, Class 5 Films, is preparing a documentary about Barack Obama's presidential campaign for 2009 release. An environmental advocate like his father, Norton narrated the 2005 PBS series Strange Days on Planet Earth, and supports solar-energy research as well as other charities.

EDWARD NORTON MOVIE REVIEWS

Fight Club (1999) - It isn't pretty by any means ... (Fight Club review)
The Illusionist (2006) - More drama than thriller ... (The Illusionist review)
Primal Fear (1996) - The cast continually delivers in this legal thriller ... (Primal Fear review)
Rounders (1998) - Rounders is like a low-risk, low-key poker player ... (Rounders review)

EDWARD NORTON - Other Movie and TV Roles

The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Painted Veil (2006)
Strange Days on Planet Earth (2005)
Down in the Valley (2005)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
The Italian Job (2003)
25th Hour (2002)
Red Dragon (2002)
Frida (2002)
Death to Smoochy (2002)
The Score (2001)
Keeping the Faith (2000)
American History X (1998)
Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
Only in America (1994)

-- A. Wu