James Norton (actor)

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James Norton
James Norton filming TV series Grantchester on Clare College Bridge in Cambridge in 205
Norton in 2015
Born
James Geoffrey Ian Norton

(1985-07-18) 18 July 1985 (age 38)
London, England[1]
EducationFitzwilliam College, Cambridge (BA)
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active2007–present

James Geoffrey Ian Norton[2] (born 18 July 1985) is an English film, television, and stage actor. He is known for roles in the television series Happy Valley, Grantchester, War & Peace and McMafia. He played the title role in the 2019 film Mr. Jones. He earned a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2015 for his performance as Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley.

Early life and education[edit]

Norton was born in Lambeth, London,[1] the son of Hugh Biddulph Norton and Lavinia Jane Norman.[3] His parents were both teachers; his father, who was born in Tanzania, was a lecturer at Hull School of Art and Design.[4][5] Though originally from London, Norton's family lived in the town of Malton in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire.[6][7] Norton, who grew up at the edge of the Howardian Hills in North Yorkshire, has described his childhood as "idyllic".[8] His grandfather, Ian Norton, MBE (1923–2003), a colonial official in Tanganyika,[9] was son of Hugh Ross Norton, OBE, Archdeacon of Sudbury from 1945 to 1962; Ian's wife, Jean (1923–2016), was daughter of Colonel Francis John Biddulph, of the Royal Engineers. The Biddulphs were a branch of an Irish landed gentry family.[10]

Norton was educated at Bramcote Prep School (Scarborough College) in Scarborough until the age of 13 and Ampleforth College,[2][11] an independent Roman Catholic (Benedictine) boarding school in the village of Ampleforth in North Yorkshire. He did work experience at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough when he was 15.[5]

Starting in 2004,[12] Norton read theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, graduating in 2007 with First Class Honours.[11] Norton received a Fitzwilliam Travel Grant to travel to Northern India, to teach and perform for schoolchildren at 16 schools.[11] He has said his studies were principally focused on Hinduism and Buddhism.[2]

Norton was a member of The Marlowe Society theatre club at Cambridge, and in 2007 he played Posthumus in a production of Cymbeline directed by Trevor Nunn for the society's centenary.[13] Norton has said that he performed in many theatre productions while at university.[14][15] Norton then attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London for three years, but left in 2010 six months before graduation to take an acting assignment.[4][16]

Career[edit]

Norton appeared as a classmate of Jenn in the film An Education, starring Carey Mulligan, in 2009.[16] In 2010 he was an original cast member of Posh at the Royal Court Theatre.[17] At the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2010, Norton starred in That Face as Henry, an 18-year-old who has dropped out of school to care for his mentally disturbed and drug-dependent mother, played by Frances Barber. Lynne Walker of The Independent wrote of his performance: "At the centre of it all is Henry who, in James Norton's striking portrayal, is like a young caged animal."[18] In 2011, Norton starred as Captain Stanhope in the First World War drama Journey's End.[19] The production toured the UK from March to June and transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End from July to September.[7] Norton then took the role of Geoffrey in The Lion in Winter at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket directed by Trevor Nunn, with whom Norton had worked at Cambridge in Cymbeline.[16]

In the 2012 film Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, Norton played Owen, the would-be groom of a conflicted bride.[20] He appeared in the 2013 film Rush as Formula One driver Guy Edwards. In the 2013 film Belle, he played a suitor of the title character, a mixed-race woman in 18th-century English society.[21] Norton's television appearances include the Doctor Who episode "Cold War", in which he played a crewman on a Soviet submarine during the Cold War, and Death Comes to Pemberley, based on the P. D. James novel involving characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice caught up in a murder mystery. Norton was acclaimed for his role as Tommy Lee Royce, the villain of the hit crime drama Happy Valley. Michael Hogan of The Telegraph wrote: "...the breakout star, seen in only a few small parts before this, has been the devilishly handsome James Norton, 29, as the heinous killer Royce, whom he has played with impressive depth."[22] As the first series came to its dramatic conclusion, Norton commented, "8 million people are currently wishing me dead."[22] Norton confirmed he would be appearing in the second series of Happy Valley at the 2015 BAFTAs[23] and continued in the role in the third series.

From 2014 to 2018 Norton played crime-solving vicar Sidney Chambers alongside Robson Green as Police Inspector Geordie Keating in the ITV series Grantchester, based on the stories by James Runcie.[24][25] Grantchester was his first starring role.[26] A second series was broadcast in early 2016. A third series went into production in autumn 2016, and aired in both the UK and the U.S. in late spring and early summer 2017.[27][28] A fourth series began filming in June 2018, and it was confirmed that this would be Norton's final series.[29]

He also appeared in the 2014 films Northmen: A Viking Saga and Mr. Turner, a biographical drama on the life of the artist J. M. W. Turner by director Mike Leigh.[30] In 2015 Norton played Duncan Grant in the BBC Two mini-series about the Bloomsbury Group, Life in Squares.[30][31][32] In 2016, Norton appeared as Prince Andrei Bolkonsky in the BBC miniseries of Andrew Davies' production of War & Peace.[4][33] The mini-series, a co-production with The Weinstein Company, allowed the cast to film in Russia.[34]

Between March and May 2016 Norton appeared in Tracy LettsBug in London's West End.[35] In 2016, he appeared in "Nosedive", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror.[36] Between December 2017 and February 2018 he appeared in Amy Herzog’s Belleville at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre.[37] As part of his preparation for his role in McMafia, Norton studied the Russian martial art and health system Systema.[38] In 2019, Norton portrayed John Brooke in Greta Gerwig's film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women.[39][40]

Personal life[edit]

When asked if he was religious, in the context of portraying a vicar in Grantchester, Norton said: "Obviously I have a relationship with religion, because I went to a Catholic school and studied theology. I can't call myself religious, but I'm definitely fascinated by it".[15]

In 2015, Norton was made a trustee of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust.[41] Norton has type 1 diabetes.[2][42]

He was in a romantic relationship with actress Jessie Buckley between 2015 and 2017.[43] Norton was in a relationship with actress Imogen Poots from 2018 until breaking up before Christmas 2023.[44] They had been engaged since 2022.[45]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2009 An Education Student
2012 Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Owen
2013 Rush Guy Edwards
Belle Oliver Ashford
2014 Mr. Turner Francis Willoughby
Bonobo Ralph
Northmen: A Viking Saga Bjorn
2017 Hampstead Philip
Flatliners Jamie
2018 Hero Young Charles Short
2019 Mr Jones Gareth Jones
Little Women John Brooke
2020 Nowhere Special John
2021 Things Heard & Seen George Claire
2022 Rogue Agent[46] Robert Hendy-Freegard
2023 Ex-Husbands Nick Pearce
2023 A Little Life Jude St. Francis Recording of West End production
2024 Bob Marley: One Love Christopher Blackwell
TBA Joy Robert Edwards Post-production [47]

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2012 Inspector George Gently James Blackstone Episode: "Gently with Class"
Restless Kolia Miniseries
2013 Blandings Jimmy Belford Episode: "Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey"
Doctor Who Onegin Episode: "Cold War"
By Any Means Michael Prence Episode: "Episode 1"
Death Comes to Pemberley Henry Alveston 3 episodes
2014–2023 Happy Valley Tommy Lee Royce Main role
2014–2019 Grantchester Sidney Chambers Main role
2015 Life in Squares Young Duncan Grant 3 episodes
Lady Chatterley's Lover Sir Clifford Chatterley Television film
2016 War & Peace Prince Andrei Bolkonsky Main role
Black Mirror Ryan Episode: "Nosedive"
To Walk Invisible Duke of Wellington Television film
Wild West: America's Great Frontier Narrator 3 episodes
2018 McMafia Alex Godman Main role
2019–2020 The Trial of Christine Keeler Stephen Ward Miniseries
2021–2023 The Nevers Hugo Swan Main role
2024 Playing Nice Pete In production[48]
TBA King and Conqueror Harold Godwinson In production

Video games[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Dragon Age: Inquisition Cole Voice

Theatre[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Cymbeline Posthumus Cambridge Arts Theatre (1–6 October 2007)
2010 Posh Miles Richards Royal Court Theatre, London (9 April – 22 May 2010)
That Face Henry Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (7–24 July 2010)
2011 Journey's End Captain Stanhope UK national tour (March–June 2011)
Duke of York's Theatre, London (19 July – 3 September 2011)
2011–2012 The Lion in Winter Geoffrey Theatre Royal Haymarket, London (5 November 2011 – 28 January 2012)
2016 Bug Peter Found111, London (24 March – 14 May 2016)
2017–2018 Belleville Zack Donmar Warehouse, London (7 December 2017 – 3 February 2018)
2023 A Little Life Jude St Francis Richmond Theatre, Harold Pinter Theatre and Savoy Theatre, London[49]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2014 Crime Thriller Awards Best Supporting Actor Happy Valley Won [50]
2015 British Academy Television Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated [51]
2021 British Independent Film Awards Best Actor Nowhere Special Nominated
2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Performer in a Play A Little Life Won [52]
Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actor Nominated [53]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales confirms name and birthdate and lists birthplace as Lambeth. Publisher: General Register Office. Retrieved: 30 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Godwin, Richard. "The Rise of Mr. James Norton". Mr. Porter. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Hugh Norton & Lavinia Norton Engagement, Children, Joint Family Tree & History – FameChain". Famechain.com. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Norton, Graham Norton (2 January 2016). "James Norton, Graham Norton — BBC Radio 2". BBC Radio 2. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  5. ^ a b Williams, Andrew (1 June 2014). "'I admire Michael Fassbender enormously,' says Happy Valley's James Norton". The Sunday Express. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  6. ^ "How James Norton went from killer to clergyman". The Yorkshire Post. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  7. ^ a b Hutchinson, Charles (19 May 2011). "Review: Journey's End, Leeds Grand Theatre". The Press (York). Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  8. ^ Shattuck, Kathryn (9 January 2015). "Easily Channeling a Vulnerable Vicar: James Norton in 'Grantchester' on PBS 'Masterpiece'". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  9. ^ Tanganyika Territory Blue Book for the year ended 31 December 1946, printed and published by the Government Printer, Dar Es Salaam, 1946, p. 115
  10. ^ Burke's Irish Family Records, ed. Hugh Montgomery Massingberd, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1976, p. 108
  11. ^ a b c "All the world's a stage (page 13)" (PDF). Optima (13). Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge: 13. Autumn 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  12. ^ "James Norton British Actor: Know Everything About Him". Arts Tribune. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  13. ^ Christiansen, Rupert (24 September 2007). "The Marlowe Society: Talent show for theatre's brightest stars". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  14. ^ "James Norton". The Artists Partnership. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  15. ^ a b Merry, Elspeth (28 April 2014). "James Norton". 1883 Magazine. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  16. ^ a b c Watson, Jonathan (4 November 2011). "James Norton: Joining the big league". The Stage. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  17. ^ Billington, Michael (16 April 2010). "'Posh' – Royal Court, London". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  18. ^ Walker, Lynne (9 July 2010). "'That Face, Crucible Studio, Sheffield". The Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  19. ^ "Best of British: James Norton". ShortList. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  20. ^ Holden, Stephen (6 December 2012). "There Will Always Be a Fantasy England: 'Cheerful Weather for the Wedding' With Elizabeth McGovern". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  21. ^ Darling, Cary (21 May 2014). "Movie Review: 'Belle'". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  22. ^ a b Hogan, Michael (3 June 2014). "Happy Valley's James Norton: '8 million people are currently wishing me dead'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  23. ^ Goodacre, Kate; Jeffery, Morgan (10 May 2015). "James Norton will return to Happy Valley for series 2". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  24. ^ "ITV announces the cast of new six-part drama Grantchester". ITV Press Centre. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  25. ^ Debnath, Neela (20 October 2014). "Grantchester star Robson Green: 'We're going to lose James Norton quickly'". The Independent. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  26. ^ "Grantchester: James Norton talks about playing heavy-drinking vicar in new detective drama". Nottingham Post. 7 October 2014. Archived from the original on 16 May 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  27. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (26 November 2014). "ITV Has Faith In 'Grantchester', Orders 2nd Season Of Period Mystery Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  28. ^ Hughes, Sarah (3 March 2016). "Grantchester, TV review: It took less than two minutes for James Norton to strip to his swimming trunks". The Independent. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  29. ^ "Grantchester series 4 confirmed – but it's set to be James Norton's last". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  30. ^ a b Fisher, Alice (5 October 2014). "Fashion: James Norton under cover". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  31. ^ Molloy, Antonia (18 August 2014). "New BBC drama Life in Squares to track lives of Bloomsbury Set". The Independent. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  32. ^ Kelly, Guy (25 July 2015). "Life In Squares star James Norton: 'acting is a neurotic profession, I always need to get away'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  33. ^ "James Norton: 'Weirdly, I read War & Peace while filming Happy Valley!' (Video)". What's on TV. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  34. ^ Brown, Emma (14 January 2016). "The Russian Prince". Interview. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  35. ^ Shenton, Mark (12 February 2016). "Tracy Letts's Bug To Be Revived at West End's Found111 with TV Star James Norton and Kate Fleetwood". Playbill. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  36. ^ "'Black Mirror' Season 3 Trailer: "No One Is This Happy'". Deadline Hollywood. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  37. ^ Hetrick, Adam (13 November 2017). "James Norton and Imogen Poots Cast in Amy Herzog's Belleville at the Donmar". playbill.com. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  38. ^ Systema GB Intuitive Self Defence (5 January 2018), James Norton talks about Systema training for his role in McMafia, retrieved 9 January 2018
  39. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2 August 2018). "Sony's 'Little Women' Adaptation Adds 'Flatliners' Actor James Norton". Deadline Hollywood.
  40. ^ James, Caryn (16 December 2019). "Why Little Women is a Triumph". BBC Online.
  41. ^ "James Norton on Twitter". Twitter.
  42. ^ Ross, Jonathan (30 January 2016). "Series 10 – Episode 4". The Jonathan Ross Show. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  43. ^ Lamont, Tom (20 March 2021). "Jessie Buckley on Covid filming: 'The world's greatest love scene – and we couldn't touch!'". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  44. ^ Crosbie, Eve (22 January 2021). "Who is actor James Norton dating? All the details". Hello!. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  45. ^ Greenstreet, Rosanna (30 July 2022). "James Norton: 'My greatest fear? Rats. We had one swim up our loo recently. It was horrific'". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  46. ^ "'Rogue Agent' Trailer: Gemma Arterton Is On The Hunt For Conman James Norton In A New Spy Thriller". theplaylist.net. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  47. ^ Dalton, Ben; Leffler, Rebecca (23 September 2023). "Bill Nighy, James Norton, Thomasin McKenzie lead Ben Taylor's IVF film 'Joy' for Netflix, Pathe; first look with production underway (exclusive)". Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  48. ^ Kanter, Jake (21 November 2023). "'Happy Valley' Star James Norton To Headline ITV, StudioCanal Baby Swap Series 'Playing Nice'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  49. ^ Wood, Alex (23 November 2022). "A Little Life to run in the West End with James Norton, Omari Douglas, Luke Thompson and Zach Wyatt". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  50. ^ "Winners unmasked at Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards 2014 on ITV3". ITV. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  51. ^ "BAFTA TV awards 2015: Nominations in full". BBC. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  52. ^ Millward, Tom (7 December 2023). "James Norton and Luke Thompson win WhatsOnStage Awards for A Little Life". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  53. ^ "Olivier awards 2024: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. 12 March 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 March 2024.

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