Quiz

His grandfather, James Rouse, is credited with being the inventor of the modern shopping mall, and designed the planned community Edward was raised in, Columbia, Maryland.

His character Aaron Stampler in Schegge di paura (1996), which was based on a book, did not have a stutter, but when he auditioned he gave him one.

Norton already had two Oscar nominations before he was 30.

During filming Fight Club (1999), he and co-star Brad Pitt took soap-making classes.

Turned down the role of Private Ryan in Salvate il soldato Ryan (1998).

His father, Edward Norton Sr. was an attorney for president Jimmy Carter.

His character, Worm, in Il giocatore - Rounders (1998) was originally supposed to smoke but being avid non-smoker, he refused and the part rewritten as a non-smoker.

He treasures his private life and being able to live a normal life - and can't imagine not being able to take the New York subway if he gets too famous.

Following graduation, he worked in Osaka, Japan, consulting for his grandfather's company, Enterprise Foundation, which works to create decent, affordable housing for low-income families.

Got the role for Fight Club (1999) because director David Fincher enjoyed his performance in Larry Flynt - Oltre lo scandalo (1996), which was the only film of the actor that he had seen.

Specializes in characters with multiple personalities, be it as a mental defect or a disguise. He has played people with several identities in Schegge di paura (1996), Fight Club (1999), The Score (2001), L'incredibile Hulk (2008) and arguably in American History X (1998) in which his character turns 180° during the course of the story and in Eliminate Smoochy (2002) in which he portrayed a professional actor and his character Smoochie the Rhino.

When Norton met with the director for Schegge di paura (1996), he told them that he, like Aaron, came from eastern Kentucky. Norton even spoke with the twang (which he prepared by watching La ragazza di Nashville (1980)).

Says if he wasn't an actor he would be a pilot.

Producers of American Psycho (2000) wanted him to play Patrick Bateman.

Received a B.A. in history from Yale in 1991, but took many theater and Japanese courses as an undergraduate. He has said in interviews that he took as many theater courses as he could without majoring in theater.

Turned down the role of Bruce Banner in Hulk (2003), but took the part in L'incredibile Hulk (2008).

While a precocious 8-year-old actor, he asked a surprised director of a play, "What is my objective here?" The director was startled by his interest in acting.

He played guitar with Courtney Love's band, Hole, in two gigs in Los Angeles, in December 1998.

Has a son named Atlas with wife, producer Shauna Robertson, born in March 2013.

He and Il giocatore - Rounders (1998) co-star Matt Damon competed in the World Series of Poker at Las Vegas on May 1998 with the movie studio Miramax paying the $10,000 per person entrance fee.

As a young struggling actor in New York, Edward studied with the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mark Ruffalo and Bobby Cannavale.

Speaks some Japanese, which helped when he worked, briefly, for his grandfather's company, The Enterprise Foundation. He was assigned to the Osaka, Japan branch until he quit the desk job grind at his grandfather's suggestion and decided to try to break into acting in New York.

College buddies with Ron Livingston and Paul Giamatti at Yale University.

Credits legendary acting coach Terry Schreiber as being a major reason behind his success as an actor. The story was that Norton, who speaks Japanese, worked a deal with Schreiber to trade acting lessons for Norton teaching Schreiber Japanese. Schreiber was to direct a play in Japan at the time, and agreed to the deal. Norton studied with Schreiber for about three years in the early 90s in New York, and his career subsequently took off.

Norton wrote the introduction to Schreiber's 2005 acting text "Acting: Advanced Techniques for the Actor, Director, and Teacher".

Married fiance of six years, Shauna Robertson, in a secret wedding ceremony in 2012.

He was one of the few celebrities invited to Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's Malibu wedding on June 29, 2000.

Holds benefit screenings of his films mostly at The Senator Theatre in Baltimore, MD to benefit some charities that includes the Living Classroooms Foundation and the St. Frances Academy Robin Norton Scholarship Fund in honor of his late mother.

Ran the New York City Marathon in November 2009 in an effort to raise money for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.

On his return to New York, it took less than two years of waiting tables before the young thespian to capture the eye of Edward Albee, one of the most celebrated playwrights of the 20th century. Albee was working with the Signature Theater Company on a new production of Fragments. One audition and Norton landed the role, as well as a slot in Signature's repertory company. He currently serves on its board of directors.

His 5 favorite films are: 1. The Cruise (1998), 2. Re per una notte (1982), 3. Tampopo (1985), 4. Chi ha paura di Virginia Woolf? (1966) and 5. Il maggiordomo (1935).

Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland, where Edward graduated in 1987, built a new auditorium for the performing arts several years ago. He revisited his alma mater and gave a lecture on the day of the dedication. It is named after Edward's grandfather, James Wilson Rouse.

Dedicated his directoral debut, Tentazioni d'amore (2000), to his late mother, Robin.

Stuart Blumberg, Edward's friend from his Yale college days, wrote most of what was to become the basis for Tentazioni d'amore (2000). Edward starred, produced, and directed the romantic comedy, but he also assisted Stuart in writing the original story.

As a response to the events of September 11th and the increasing conflict in the Middle East, he contributed to establish the Middle East Peacemakers Fund at Yale University.

He worked as a waiter, a proofreader, and a director's assistant to try to get his foot in the door in New York City. He applied to be a New York City cab driver, but he was rejected for the license because he didn't meet the age requirement.

Was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was raised in Columbia, Maryland.

Did NOT attend the famed Yale Drama School, as reported in many news paper articles. He attended Yale merely as an undergraduate.

Studied with renowned Hollywood Gun Coach Thell Reed, who taught other actors as: Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Ben Foster and Girard Swan.

His babysitter, Betsy True, went on to perform as Cosette in a Broadway version of Les Miserables. She was the one who originally piqued Edward's interest in acting, taking him to see his first play, If I Were A Princess, at age six.

Played "The Captain" in a VH1 Captain & Tennille Behind the Music skit on Il Saturday Night Live (1975) with Drew Barrymore. The show aired the night before the 1999 Oscars where he was a nominee for American History X (1998). Barrymore accompanied Edward to the Oscars.

Speaks some French and said he really liked the work of François Truffaut, a French director.

Was considered for the role of Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon (1999). Director Milos Forman could not decide between him and Jim Carrey and left the decision up to the studio. The studio decided to go with Carrey.

He often works out daily, mainly weight-lifting, before he's on set.

He has appeared in three films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Birdman o (L'imprevedibile virtù dell'ignoranza) (2014) and A Complete Unknown (2024). Birdman won in the category.

Auditioned for roles in 110 e lode (1994), Hackers (1995), and Qualcosa di personale (1996) before his film debut in Schegge di paura (1996).

Was 33 years old when he played Will Graham in Red Dragon (2002). His predecessor, William Petersen, was also 33 years old when he played the same role in Manhunter - Frammenti di un omicidio (1986).

Auditioned for the role of 'Rudy Baylor' in the movie L'uomo della pioggia (1997). The role eventually went to Matt Damon.

Has a tabby cat named Maggie, named after the character from Cat in a Hot Tin Roof.

Is an active member of Friends of The High Line, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and reuse of the High Line - a 1.5 mile elevated railway that runs along the West Side of Manhattan. Norton appears in a video made by Good Mag about the conversion of the old rail line into a multi-use trail.

Did an uncredited rewrite of the script of Frida (2002).