American, actor, director, writer and producer known for his incredible dramatic range. Edward (not Ed!) was raised in an affluent family. His father was an attorney and his mother an English teacher. He was the oldest of three siblings and has a brother, James, and a sister, Molly. Edward grew up in Columbia MD, a town designed by his grandfather, James Rouse who was a well-known social planner-architect. His grandfather died in 1996 and his mother died the following year after surgery for a brain tumor. These family tragedies occurred during the same years he achieved professional success.
Edward began acting in plays when he was only five years old and later attended a school for theatrical arts in Baltimore. He majored in history at Yale but retained his interest in acting and performed in live theater through his college years. Following graduation from college, Edward worked briefly for the Enterprise Foundation in Japan, which was founded by his grandfather to develop low-income housing internationally. When he returned to the United States it was with the intention of working on the legitimate stage in Manhattan. He supported himself with part time waiter jobs and took acting classes. Edward was noticed by famous playwright Edward Albee who cast him in his play, “Fragments.”
Edward has appeared in seven films through the year 2000. His movie debut in “Primal Fear,” 1996, gained him nominations for a Golden Globe and an Oscar. He received another nomination for Best Actor for “American History,” 1998. Edward’s developed an interest in becoming a director. In 1999 he directed and starred in “Keeping the Faith”, a lighthearted film about interfaith romance. Edward prefers to reveal little about his private life. When queried, he frequently launches into a discourse on the public’s need to know about the lives of celebrities. He has been romantically linked with actress Salma Hayek and with singer Courtney Love after they played together in “The People vs. Larry Flynt.” Edward is said to be uncomfortable with his fame, reserved about his private life and unaccustomed to the personal questions that are part of an interview.
After six years of dating, Norton proposed to Canadian film producer Shauna Robertson in 2011 and they married in 2012. They have one son (born 2013).
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