Trivia

During filming El club de la pelea (1999), he and co-star Brad Pitt took soap-making classes.

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 La raíz del miedo (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.

Turned down the role of Private Ryan in Rescatando al soldado Ryan (1998).

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

His character, Worm, in Apuesta final (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.

Specializes in characters with multiple personalities, be it as a mental defect or a disguise. He has played people with several identities in La raíz del miedo (1996), El club de la pelea (1999), Cuenta final (2001), Hulk, el hombre increible (2008) and arguably in Historia americana X (1998) in which his character turns 180° during the course of the story and in Death to Smoochy (2002) in which he portrayed a professional actor and his character Smoochie the Rhino.

Got the role for El club de la pelea (1999) because director David Fincher enjoyed his performance in Larry Flynt. El nombre del escándalo (1996), which was the only film of the actor that he had seen.

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

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.

When Norton met with the director for La raíz del miedo (1996), he told them that he, like Aaron, came from eastern Kentucky. Norton even spoke with the twang (which he prepared by watching La hija del minero (1980)).

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.

Producers of Psicópata americano (2000) wanted him to play Patrick Bateman.

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

Turned down the role of Bruce Banner in Hulk (2003), but took the part in Hulk, el hombre increible (2008).

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

He and Apuesta final (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.

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".

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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. El rey de la comedia (1982), 3. Tampopo (1985), 4. ¿Quién le teme a Virginia Woolf? (1966) and 5. Ruggles of Red Gap (1935).

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.

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, Divinas tentaciones (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 Divinas tentaciones (2000). Edward starred, produced, and directed the romantic comedy, but he also assisted Stuart in writing the original story.

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.

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

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.

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

He has appeared in three films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: El gran hotel Budapest (2014), Birdman o (La inesperada virtud de la ignorancia) (2014) and Un completo desconocido (2024). Birdman won in the category.

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

Was considered for the role of Andy Kaufman in El lunático (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.

Auditioned for the role of 'Rudy Baylor' in the movie El poder de la justicia (1997). The role eventually went to Matt Damon.

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

Auditioned for roles in Con honores (1994), Hackers (1995), and La Fuerza Del Destino (1996) before his film debut in La raíz del miedo (1996).

Friends with Brad Pitt.

Was 33 years old when he played Will Graham in Dragón rojo (2002). His predecessor, William Petersen, was also 33 years old when he played the same role in El sabueso (1986).

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