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English actor (born 1985) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
James Norton | |
|---|---|
Norton in 2015 | |
| Born | James Geoffrey Ian Norton 18 July 1985 Lambeth, London, England[1] |
| Education | Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (BA) Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2007–present |
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]
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 Letts’ Bug 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]
He was ranked 31 on the Radio Times's TV 100 power list in 2024.[41]
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 became a trustee of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust.[42] Norton has type 1 diabetes.[2][43]
He was in a romantic relationship with actress Jessie Buckley between 2015 and 2017.[44] Norton was in a relationship with actress Imogen Poots from 2018 until breaking up before Christmas 2023.[45] They had been engaged since 2022.[46]
| 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 | ||
| 2019 | Mr Jones | Gareth Jones | |
| Little Women | John Brooke | ||
| 2020 | Nowhere Special | John | |
| 2021 | Things Heard & Seen | George Claire | |
| 2022 | Rogue Agent | Robert Hendy-Freegard | [47] |
| 2023 | Ex-Husbands | Nick Pearce | |
| A Little Life | Jude St. Francis | Recording of West End production | |
| 2024 | Bob Marley: One Love | Christopher Blackwell | |
| Joy | Robert Edwards | Post-production[48] |
| 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 | |
| 2014–2019 | Grantchester | Sidney Chambers | Main role |
| 2014–2023 | Happy Valley | Tommy Lee Royce | 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[49] |
| TBA | King and Conqueror | Harold Godwinson | In production |
| TBA | House of Guinness | TBA | In production[50] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dragon Age: Inquisition | Cole | Voice |
| 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[51] |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Crime Thriller Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Happy Valley | Won | [52] |
| 2015 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | [53] | |
| 2021 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Actor | Nowhere Special | Nominated | |
| 2024 | WhatsOnStage Awards | Best Performer in a Play | A Little Life | Won | [54] |
| Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | [55] | ||
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