99-536: Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. After graduating from Yale College in 1991 with a degree in history, he worked for a few months in Japan before moving to Manhattan to pursue an acting career. He gained recognition and critical acclaim for his debut in Primal Fear (1996), which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination in
198-621: A Marine lieutenant before becoming an environmental lawyer and conservation advocate working in Asia and a federal prosecutor in the Carter administration . His mother, Lydia Robinson "Robin" Rouse, was an English teacher who died of a brain tumor in 1997. Norton's maternal grandfather, James Rouse , was the founder of The Rouse Company and co-founder of the real estate corporation Enterprise Community Partners . He has two younger siblings, Molly and James. At age five, Norton and his parents saw
297-491: A departmental major in their sophomore year. The most distinctive feature of undergraduate life is the school's system of residential colleges , established in 1932, and modeled after the constituent colleges of English universities . Undergraduates live in these colleges after their freshman year, when most live on the school's Old Campus . The Collegiate School was founded in 1701 by a charter drawn by ten Congregationalist ministers led by James Pierpont and approved by
396-485: A "prickly perfectionist ", which diminishes his reputation. Nevertheless, a few collaborators with whom Norton had disputes have expressed their respect for him: Kaye wanted to feature Norton in some of his other ventures, and Ratner offered to help with production of Norton's film Motherless Brooklyn and got along well with Norton. Some publications interpreted Norton's performance in Birdman (2014), in which he portrays
495-436: A 2006 interview to their past relationship. She said that Norton had been a "mediator" and "communicator" between her and her daughter Frances Bean Cobain , calling him a "force of good". After Norton had ended his relationship with Love in 1999, he started dating Salma Hayek , with whom he later appeared in the 2002 biopic Frida . Norton absented himself from the premiere of The Italian Job , in which he starred, to attend
594-617: A cappella in the United States. The earliest choral group, the Beethoven Society, dates to 1812 and emerged in the mid-nineteenth century as the Yale Glee Club . Although glee clubs around the country had spawned small collegiate ensembles since that time, the all-senior, all-male Whiffenpoofs , formed in 1909, are often considered to be the oldest collegiate a cappella society in the United States. Formalizing
693-681: A cowboy. While the film was criticized for its narrative, Norton was praised for his performance. Norton had two major film roles in 2006, starring as Eisenheim the magician in The Illusionist and bacteriologist Walter Fane in The Painted Veil . Set in 19th-century Austria-Hungary , The Illusionist was loosely based on novelist Steven Millhauser 's short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist" and received generally positive critical reviews. The San Francisco Chronicle dubbed
792-418: A crime drama based on the acclaimed 1999 novel by Jonathan Lethem . Norton had wanted to work on the project since 1999 but did not begin until Brett Ratner, director of 2002's Red Dragon , joined in to help production. Released in 2019, the film received mixed reviews. Toronto Star 's Peter Howell praised Norton's direction, but thought the film was complex and too long. Norton had voice-acting roles in
891-459: A degree from the college. Until the rediscovery of Green's ethnic descent in 2014, physicist Edward Bouchet , who stayed at Yale to become the first African-American PhD recipient, was believed to also be the first African-American graduate of Yale College. In the early 20th century, the student body was predominantly "old-stock, high-status Protestants, especially Episcopalians, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians"—a group later called WASPs . By
990-493: A dining hall, library, and student facilities ranging from printing presses to darkrooms. Each is led by a Head of College, a faculty member who serves as its chief administrator, and a Dean, who oversees student academic affairs. University faculty and distinguished affiliates are associated with the colleges as fellows. Unlike their English forerunners, the colleges do not administer academic degree programs or courses of study, but they do sponsor academic seminars that fall outside
1089-508: A film about a drug dealer in post- 9/11 New York City. Paramount Pictures forced Norton to star in the heist film The Italian Job (2003), threatening to sue him for violating a three-film contract he had signed; the studio had previously distributed 1996's Primal Fear and 2001's The Score . Norton, accordingly, refused to promote the film's release. His performance was well received by critics, with The New Yorker calling him "intelligent and incisive ... one of those rare actors who hold
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#17327911702031188-469: A huge debt. The film and Norton's performance received a lukewarm response; Entertainment Weekly wrote that his acting "never really goes anywhere", while the Chicago Reader observed that his character was not good enough to make the film interesting. His role in the crime drama American History X , released later that year, earned him widespread acclaim. In it, Norton portrays Derek Vinyard,
1287-444: A judgement on you and your own life, but it's a judgement on the history of this country. It needs to be acknowledged first and foremost, and then it needs to be contended with. When you go away from census counts and you personalise things, you're talking about, possibly, a husband and wife with five girls – and these girls are slaves. Born into slavery. ... When you read 'slave aged eight,' you just want to die." Norton also learned he
1386-406: A keen eye to furthering their personal brand," citing his involvements in community planning and social entrepreneurship even before his film career. Norton has a strict work ethic and a high desire for professionalism. He is selective in choosing his roles, explaining that, "You don't want to do anything just ... to work with somebody. There are many actors I would like to work with but it has to be
1485-480: A musical related to Cinderella at the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts (CCTA), starring his babysitter, which ignited his interest in the theater. He enjoyed watching films with his father as a pre-teen, but later reflected that he was fascinated with the cinematography rather than the acting. Norton recalled that it was theater and not films that inspired him to act. He made his professional debut at
1584-650: A play in Tokyo. Norton described him as a great teacher who encouraged students to become "multilingual actors" with different techniques for versatile roles. Norton also wrote scripts for plays at the Signature Theatre Company and starred in off-Broadway theater. His performance in Brian Friel 's Lovers brought him to the attention of playwright Edward Albee , whose one-act plays Norton enjoyed. In 1994, Norton auditioned for Albee's Finding
1683-401: A reformed neo-Nazi , who abandons his preconceived ideology after three years in prison. During production, Norton was allegedly dissatisfied with director Tony Kaye 's first screening. Consequently, he took over the editing (uncredited) and finished the final cut, which was 40 minutes longer than Kaye's version. The New Yorker wrote that he gave Derek an "ambiguous erotic allure" which made
1782-475: A representative for his grandfather's company, Enterprise Community Partners, in Osaka, Japan. After five months in Japan, Norton moved to New York City, where he supported himself working odd jobs. He took six months researching different acting techniques, focusing on method acting . He later took lessons from acting coach Terry Schreiber after discovering he was looking for a Japanese translator to help direct
1881-498: A reputation for being difficult to work with. Incidents include Norton's editing the final cut of American History X (1998), which is 40 minutes longer than director Tony Kaye's version; conflicts with director Brett Ratner on the set of Red Dragon (2002); refusing to promote The Italian Job (2003); and uncredited rewriting of the screenplay for The Incredible Hulk (2008), which angered screenwriter Zak Penn. The Los Angeles Times opined that these incidents led to Norton's image as
1980-606: A school to train ministers, original curriculum included only coursework in theology and sacred languages . Although early faculty, including Jonathan Edwards and Elisha Williams , maintained strict Congregational orthodoxy, by the time of the American Revolution subsequent rectors, especially Ezra Stiles , relaxed the curriculum to include humanities and limited natural science education. Scientific courses introduced by chemist Benjamin Silliman in 1801, made
2079-591: A social-networking framework to help raise funds for charity. In July 2010, the then- Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) named Norton the Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity and a spokesperson for the Convention on Biological Diversity . At his designation ceremony, Norton said that biodiversity is an issue that "transcends national boundaries", with people "having lost sight" of
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#17327911702032178-599: A solar energy-powered home in Los Angeles and switched to a hybrid car . In 2003, he collaborated with oil company BP to develop the Solar Neighbors program, which aimed to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops of households in Los Angeles. The initiative was welcomed by many of Norton's fellow celebrities, notably Salma Hayek, Brad Pitt , Danny DeVito , Alicia Silverstone and Robin Williams . Norton
2277-412: A studio space near The Public Theater and presented his auditions of Shakespearean works to her. Impressed by his acting, she introduced Norton to the executives of the noir drama Primal Fear , an adaptation of William Diehl 's 1993 novel . He was selected for the part over two thousand other prospects. Released in 1996, Primal Fear features Norton in the role of Aaron Stampler, an altar boy who
2376-540: A style pioneered by black barbershop groups in New Haven, their repertoire was amplified by the founding of similar groups across the country. Coeducation in 1969 made possible all-women's groups and mixed groups. In all, there are now at least eighteen undergraduate a cappella groups in Yale College, ranging from a Slavic chorus to Christian a cappella. Student publications at Yale date back as far as 1806, but
2475-1019: A talented but volatile actor, as a self-referential nod to his image. According to the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes , Norton's most critically acclaimed films are Primal Fear (1996), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), American History X (1998), Fight Club (1999), The Score (2001), Frida (2002), 25th Hour (2002), The Illusionist (2006), The Painted Veil (2006), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Birdman (2014), Sausage Party (2016) and Isle of Dogs (2018). His biggest commercial successes are Red Dragon (2002), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Incredible Hulk (2008), and The Bourne Legacy (2012), all of which grossed over $ 200 million worldwide. Norton has been nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Primal Fear and Birdman , and Best Actor for American History X . He also has two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Primal Fear and Birdman , winning for
2574-431: A template for collegiate life across the United States. By 1870, Yale was the largest undergraduate institution in the country. The growth of the student body prompted major growth in the college's physical campus, the greatest expansion of which occurred in 1933, when a gift of Edward S. Harkness created and endowed eight residential colleges . Modeled after the college system of Oxford and Cambridge Universities ,
2673-513: A tight deadline," including "a rewrite of the script, with no additional payment, or writer's credit" before he would make the film. In 2011, Norton proposed to Canadian film producer Shauna Robertson after dating for six years. The pair married in 2012. The couple have a child. Norton appeared on the PBS genealogy series Finding Your Roots in January 2023, where it was confirmed that Pocahontas
2772-423: A week. Some of the oldest society buildings are enclosed and windowless; members refer to them as "tombs." Their activities have varied over time and across societies, but most societies meet for dinners, discussion, drinking, and long-form disclosure of members' life history. Despite a long history of social exclusion—of Jews and women in particular—many of these societies have prioritized membership diversity in
2871-412: A wide range of roles and found it impossible to simply characterize him as a leading man , a villain , or a character actor . Despite critical plaudits, Norton is scornful of being seen as a Hollywood A-lister . He feels it necessary to keep his off-screen life to himself and opts for a "normal life." As soon as his career took off in the late 1990s, Norton asserted that, "If I ever have to stop taking
2970-468: Is a distant cousin of fellow actors Eric and Julia Roberts . Norton's father is an environmental lawyer and conservationist; Norton is an environmentalist . He narrated the four-part National Geographic documentary Strange Days on Planet Earth (2005), which examines earth system science. He is an advocate for renewable energy , specifically solar energy and is currently an Advisory Council Member for GoodLeap . After rising to stardom, Norton bought
3069-452: Is a fugitive story". He provided rewrites of the script every day of filming. Director Louis Leterrier welcomed his contributions, saying that, "Edward's script has given Bruce's story real gravitas". However, screenwriter Zak Penn was displeased with Norton's changes. The Writers Guild of America credited Penn as the sole writer, arguing that Norton had not contributed significantly to the screenplay. Norton did not participate in promoting
Edward Norton - Misplaced Pages Continue
3168-532: Is a planned city built in the 1960s and home to a diverse population. Norton believes celebrities should "participate quietly" in discussions on politics and social issues as, "Having a public forum tends to make people offer too casual a commentary". During the 2004 presidential election , Norton urged college students to vote against the Republican nominee George W. Bush , further criticizing his plans to cut college financing and his support of tax breaks for
3267-632: Is a supporter of the African Wildlife Foundation and its "Say No" campaign which raises awareness and fights against illegal poaching of elephants and rhinoceroses for ivory and horn. He is the president of the American branch of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. The organization aims to preserve the ecosystems and biodiversity of East Africa through conservation which directly benefits
3366-606: Is charged with the murder of a Roman Catholic archbishop and is defended by Martin Vail ( Richard Gere ). His performance was lauded by critics; Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised Norton's character as "completely convincing", while Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle dubbed the actor "the one to watch" after his debut. Norton won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and
3465-554: The Trump administration 's position regarding climate change. In 2020 Norton donated $ 8,400 to the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign . In November 2020, Norton criticized then-US President Donald Trump for his unfounded claims of election fraud at the 2020 United States presidential election , as a "contemptible, treasonous, seditious assault on the stability of the country and its institutions." Norton has been regarded as one of
3564-690: The coming-of-age film Moonrise Kingdom , directed by Wes Anderson . The film was acclaimed by critics and grossed over $ 68 million. His other lead role was in the action thriller The Bourne Legacy , the fourth installment in the Bourne series . In the film, Norton portrayed retired Air Force colonel Eric Byer, who decides to terminate an illegal operation after it is exposed to the FBI and kill everyone involved. The Bourne Legacy received lukewarm reviews but has been Norton's highest-grossing venture so far, earning over $ 276 million worldwide. Norton also produced
3663-522: The subway , I'm gonna have a heart attack." AllMovie remarked that Norton attained "almost instant stardom" following his 1996 film debut in Primal Fear and could have risen to even greater fame. The Daily Telegraph attributed Norton's lack of interest in celebrity status to his family of "distinguished political and social activists." Sharing the same sentiment, Forbes complimented Norton as "a far cry" from celebrities who do charity works "with
3762-427: The "secrecy" of these senior societies is dubious; their existence is widely known and membership rolls for most are published yearly. Ten present-day societies— Skull and Bones , Scroll and Key , Book and Snake , Wolf's Head , Elihu , Berzelius , St. Elmo , Manuscript , Shabtai , and Mace and Chain —have private buildings near campus; many other societies have a fixed on-campus meeting space where they meet twice
3861-413: The 1970s, it was much more diverse. Enrollment at Yale only became competitive in the early 20th century, requiring the college to set up an admissions process. As late as the 1950s, tests and demographic questionnaires for admission to the college worked to exclude non-Christian men, especially Jews, as well as non-white men. By the mid-1960s, these processes were becoming more meritocratic, allowing for
3960-529: The 2009 documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama , which chronicles Obama's political activities from 2006 to his 2008 election victory. Norton spoke highly of Obama, citing him as "a perfect framework" to explore contemporary U.S. politics. He produced a campaign video for Obama's 2012 presidential race with Bennett Miller ; the video featured voters from diverse economic and racial backgrounds. He also expressed "grave concerns" over
4059-594: The 2018 stop motion film Isle of Dogs , in which he voiced Rex, a member of a pack of five dogs. In 2022, Norton portrayed New York tech billionaire Miles Bron in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery . Norton will next portray Pete Seeger in the biopic A Complete Unknown , directed by James Mangold . Since coming to fame in the mid-1990s, Norton has opted not to discuss his personal life in public, saying that he "believes that excessive media coverage can distract him from fulfilling his role as an actor". Following
Edward Norton - Misplaced Pages Continue
4158-742: The American branch of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. He is also the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. Edward Harrison Norton was born into a progressive Episcopal family in Boston, Massachusetts , on August 18, 1969. He is descended from John Norton , a British architect of the Victorian Gothic revival style. He was raised in Columbia, Maryland . His father, Edward Mower Norton Jr., served in Vietnam as
4257-571: The Council of the Heads of College, composed of the Heads of College of the fourteen colleges. The most distinctive feature of Yale College undergraduate life is the residential college system. The system was established in 1933, through a gift by Yale graduate Edward S. Harkness , who admired the college systems at Oxford University and Cambridge University . Each college consists of dormitory buildings surrounding an enclosed courtyard, and features
4356-650: The General Court of the Colony of Connecticut . Originally situated in Abraham Pierson's home in Killingworth, Connecticut , the college moved to Old Saybrook, Connecticut in 1703, when Nathaniel Lynde, the first treasurer of Yale, donated land and a building. The college moved again to New Haven in 1718, and was renamed for Elihu Yale , an early benefactor, merchant, and philanthropist. Founded as
4455-575: The Rhino", in the black comedy Death to Smoochy . It received negative critical feedback for its plot. He also portrayed Nelson Rockefeller in the biopic film Frida , which depicts the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo ( Salma Hayek ). Norton rewrote the script several times without credit, focusing on the historical context and adding some humor while retaining Kahlo's real-life personality. The final screenplay, with Norton's contribution, received positive reviews from critics as well as admiration from
4554-604: The Sun but did not get the part. Albee found a new role for him instead and had Norton read for Fragments . The playwright was impressed with Norton's rehearsal performance and cast him for its world premiere. Albee remarked that Norton was a rare actor "who really knocked me out". Norton recalled that he was inspired by Al Pacino , who also began his career in theater while struggling to establish himself in New York. In 1995, casting agent Shirley Rich discovered Norton. He then rented
4653-466: The United States. Originally established to train Congregationalist ministers, the college began teaching humanities and natural sciences by the late 18th century. At the same time, students began organizing extracurricular organizations: first literary societies , and later publications, sports teams, and singing groups. By the middle of the 19th century, it was the largest college in
4752-500: The United States. In 1847, it was joined by another undergraduate school at Yale, the Sheffield Scientific School , which was absorbed into the college in 1956. These merged curricula became the basis of the modern-day liberal arts curriculum, which requires students to take courses in a broad range of subjects, including foreign language, composition, sciences, and quantitative reasoning, in addition to electing
4851-521: The Yale Corporation to oversee the affairs of each college. Residential college deans, who are supervised by the Dean of Yale College, are in charge of undergraduate academic oversight. Each residential college is governed by its Head of College, Dean, and Fellows, and has a college council of students with limited jurisdiction over student affairs. Issues affecting multiple colleges are governed by
4950-658: The age of eight in the musical Annie Get Your Gun at his hometown's Toby's Dinner Theatre . At the CCTA, he acted in several theatrical productions directed by Toby Orenstein . In 1984, Norton won the acting cup at Pasquaney, an annual summer camp for boys in Hebron, New Hampshire , where he later returned as a theater director. He subsequently immersed himself in films, naming Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro as two of his early inspirations because "the ones [he] liked were also
5049-525: The animated features Sausage Party (2016) and The Guardian Brothers —the English-dubbed version of the Chinese animated film Little Door Gods (2017). He played Whit Yardsham, an estranged friend and business partner of Howard Inlet ( Will Smith ) in the 2016 drama Collateral Beauty . The film was panned by critics for its incoherent screenplay. Norton worked again with director Anderson for
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#17327911702035148-562: The audience's attention with everything they say". Rolling Stone praised his character as "perversely magnetic" despite giving the film a negative review. During this time, Norton co-founded a production company, Class 5 Films, with Yale classmate Stuart Blumberg and film producer Bill Migliore. Norton was cast as Baldwin IV , the leper king of Jerusalem , in Ridley Scott 's 2005 historical film Kingdom of Heaven . Reviewers criticized
5247-464: The black comedy Birdman (2014), Norton earned another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He has since directed and acted in the crime film Motherless Brooklyn (2019), and starred in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022). Norton is an environmental activist and social entrepreneur . He is a trustee of Enterprise Community Partners , a non-profit organization that advocates for affordable housing, and serves as president of
5346-689: The black comedy Birdman , Norton played Broadway method actor Mike Shiner, who is talented but hard to work with. The film, as well as Norton's performance, was well received by critics. The Los Angeles Times lauded him for successfully portraying the volatility of the character, and Newsday complimented his "truly moving" poetic delivery. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and earned Norton his third Academy nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Besides acting, Norton announced in February 2014 that he would direct Motherless Brooklyn ,
5445-411: The century, William Graham Sumner , the first professor of sociology in the United States, introduced studies in the social sciences. These expanding fields of study were integrated with graduate schools of the university and amalgamated into a course of liberal arts education , which presaged the advent of divisional majors in the twentieth century. The relaxation of curriculum came with expansion of
5544-466: The college an early hub of scientific education, a curriculum which was grafted into Yale's Sheffield Scientific School in 1847. As in many of Yale's sister institutions, debates about the expansiveness of the undergraduate curriculum were waged throughout the early 19th century, with statements like the Yale Report of 1828 re-asserting Yale's conservative theological heritage and faculty. Later in
5643-470: The colleges were intended to be the social and residential centers of undergraduate life while leaving academic programs under the oversight of university's departments. Two additional colleges were built by 1940, two more ( Ezra Stiles College and Morse College ) opened in 1962, and two more ( Pauli Murray College and Benjamin Franklin College ) in 2017. For most of its history, study at Yale
5742-435: The comedy Leaves of Grass , and convicted arsonist Gerald "Stone" Creeson in the crime film Stone . Both received weak reviews; Leaves of Grass was praised for Norton's performance but criticized for its conflicting tonal shifts, while Stone was panned because of a clumsy plot with excessive twists. Norton had two lead film roles in 2012. He starred as scoutmaster Randy Ward in charge of finding his missing camper in
5841-563: The comedy-drama Thanks for Sharing (2012) under his company Class 5 Films. This production venture received a mixed response. The Guardian panned the film as "smug and humourless," while The Washington Post called it "surprisingly wise, funny and affecting". In 2014, Norton played in two Academy Award-winning films, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) . He collaborated again with director Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel , which featured an ensemble cast and won four Academy Awards. In
5940-554: The earliest still in print, the Yale Literary Magazine , was founded in 1836 and is believed to be the oldest surviving literary review in the United States. Undergraduate publications like the Yale Banner , a yearbook, and The Yale Record , a humor magazine, followed suit, often around the same time similar publications were established at Harvard and Princeton. The Yale Daily News , established in 1878,
6039-503: The extracurriculum. Student literary societies emerged as early as 1750, singing groups and student publications in the early 1800s, fraternities and secret societies in the mid-nineteenth century, and intercollegiate athletics by the century's end. Participation and leadership in these groups was an important social signifier and a route to induction into prestigious senior societies. Thus extracurricular participation became central to student life and social advancement, an ethos that became
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#17327911702036138-539: The film "rich and elegant" and wrote of Norton's character: "he doesn't just seduce the on-screen audience but the audience watching in the movie theater". The Houston Chronicle similarly lauded the film for its vibrant plot and described Norton's performance as "mysterious and understated". Norton co-produced The Painted Veil , in which he starred with Naomi Watts , who portrayed his character's unfaithful wife. Like his previous venture, The Painted Veil garnered positive feedback from reviewers. The Guardian applauded
6237-400: The film and went to Africa for humanitarian activities instead, leading to rumors that Norton was sparking conflicts with the film's producers. He dismissed the accusations and said that the media had misrepresented the "healthy" collaborations for headlines. The Incredible Hulk received generally favorable reviews upon release. The Wall Street Journal felt that Norton's presence improved
6336-404: The film as "faultless" and "powerful" as well as Norton's "genuinely affecting" performance. Entertainment Weekly appreciated that Norton's production effort did not affect his acting. Norton appeared in two documentaries in 2007: Brando , which chronicles the life and career of screen legend Marlon Brando, with whom Norton co-starred in 2001's The Score , and Man from Plains , which depicts
6435-559: The film divided contemporary critics, Norton's role was widely applauded. Time magazine labeled him "excellent", and Variety magazine was impressed by his embracing a range of techniques needed for his character. For his performance, Norton was nominated for Best Actor by the Online Film Critics Society . Despite under-performing at the box office, Fight Club became a cult classic after its DVD release in 2000. In 2000, Norton made his directorial debut with
6534-579: The film for its cliched plot. In 2009, Norton produced the documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama , which follows former U.S. president Barack Obama 's campaigns leading to his 2008 election victory . Norton planned for this project in 2006, when Obama was a senator from Illinois, elaborating that Obama was "an interesting prism through which to examine politics". He had two lead film roles in 2010. He portrayed Brown University Professor Bill and his identical twin Brady Kincaid in
6633-505: The film memorable, while the Chicago Tribune deemed his performance an immediate contender for an Oscar. Norton received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor , and won a Golden Satellite Award in the same category. In the 1999 David Fincher -directed film Fight Club , Norton played an unnamed unreliable narrator who feels trapped in his white-collar job. The film is based on Chuck Palahniuk 's 1996 novel . To prepare for
6732-471: The film to "a thunderously efficient enterprise" from the 2003 version. Conversely, the Los Angeles Times , while recognizing Norton's decent performance, opined that the film lacked a solid script. It was a box office success, grossing over $ 263 million. Norton was expected to reprise his role in future Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures, including the 2012 blockbuster The Avengers . However, he
6831-467: The film's co-stars including Hayek and Alfred Molina , who portrayed Kahlo's husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera . In the horror film Red Dragon , Norton starred as retired FBI profiler Will Graham , who consults with cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter ( Anthony Hopkins ) to catch Francis Dolarhyde ( Ralph Fiennes ), a serial killer who murders entire families. During production, Norton and director Brett Ratner argued frequently over
6930-522: The film's lack of depth, while praising the cinematography. Jack Moore described Norton's performance in Kingdom of Heaven as "phenomenal", and "so far removed from anything that he has ever done that we see the true complexities of his talent". It grossed over $ 211 million worldwide. Norton's next lead role was in the neo-western film Down in the Valley (2005), playing a delusional man who claims to be
7029-410: The first secret society at the university, Skull and Bones . Skull and Bones "tapped" select juniors for membership as seniors, a ritual later adopted by all undergraduate senior societies. Since then, senior societies have proliferated at Yale, with recent estimates of 41 existing societies and senior class membership ranging from ten to fifty percent of each class. Although once carefully guarded,
7128-399: The first Jew to graduate from Yale. Though his maternal ancestry is disputed, he may have also been the first person of African-American descent to graduate from any American college. In 1854, Yung Wing graduated from the college and became the first student from China to graduate from an American university, and in 1857, Richard Henry Green became the first African-American man to receive
7227-413: The former. Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University . Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, when its schools were confederated and the institution was renamed Yale University. It is ranked as one of the top colleges in
7326-518: The fraction of international students admitted between 1993 and 2013. Yale College is a constituent school of Yale University and contains a dependent system of residential colleges . Its executive officer is the Dean of Yale College, who is appointed to a five-year term by the Yale Corporation . The dean oversees undergraduate academic curriculum, extracurricular activities, and student discipline, but does not have direct control over
7425-731: The local Maasai communities. To raise money for the trust, Norton fielded a team of thirty runners for the New York City Marathon on November 1, 2009; the team included himself, three Maasai tribesmen, and fellow celebrity musician Alanis Morissette . He raised over $ 1.2 million for the Trust after completing his run. After the successful fundraising for the Maasai Conservation, Norton launched an online fundraising platform called Crowdrise in May 2010. The website uses
7524-613: The most talented actors of his generation. The Daily Telegraph observed that "the tag 'finest actor of his generation' clings to him wherever he goes". In The Observer , Peter Preston noted that his image was unlike that of conventional screen "stars" because his most memorable characters are unlikeable, specifically a neo-Nazi in American History X . Preston likened his characters to those played by Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro , whom Norton admires. Interview magazine commented that Norton has successfully portrayed
7623-557: The need for environmental protection. As part of his job as a UN Ambassador, Norton has embarked on trips to Africa and participated in programs organized by UN bodies including the Development and Environment Programmes . He also played soccer ( football ) for Soccer Aid in May 2012; the event raised over £ 4.9 million for UNICEF to assist children worldwide. Norton is a general aviation pilot who flies people in need of access to healthcare in his Cessna 206 aircraft through
7722-455: The normal departmental structure of the university, and the Heads of College host lectures and teas for the colleges that attract high-profile visitors. Harkness' gift built and endowed eight colleges, completed from 1932 to 1934. Additional colleges were opened in 1935 ( Timothy Dwight College ), 1940 ( Silliman College ), 1962 ( Morse College and Ezra Stiles College ), and 2017 ( Pauli Murray College and Benjamin Franklin College ), bringing
7821-515: The ones who made [him] think [he] could do it because they weren't the most handsome guys". He graduated from Wilde Lake High School in 1987. He attended Yale College , where he earned a BA in History. While there, he also studied Japanese , acted in university productions, and was a competitive rower . After graduating from Yale in 1991, conversant in Japanese, Norton worked not-for-profit as
7920-724: The organization Angel Flight West . Norton has served since 1998 as a member of the board of trustees of Enterprise Community Partners , a non-profit developer of affordable housing founded by his grandparents. The company has invested $ 9 billion in equity capital, pre-development lending, mortgage financing, and house building for low-income Americans. In 2008, Norton initiated the company's plan to embark on green affordable housing . This originated with his concerns over environmental issues and sustainable development in addition to housing problems. He attributed his involvement in community building to his upbringing in Columbia, Maryland, which
8019-405: The post-presidency endeavors of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter . His next lead film role was Marvel Cinematic Universe 's Bruce Banner , and the accompanying alter ego Hulk in the big-budget superhero film The Incredible Hulk , released in 2008. Norton initially turned down the part as he felt the 2003 version Hulk "strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, ... which
8118-442: The premiere of The Maldonado Miracle , Hayek's directorial debut. The two broke up in 2003. Hayek still remains friends with Norton. Hayek recalled in a 2017 piece for The New York Times that Norton "beautifully rewrote the script [of Frida ] several times and appallingly never got credit" after she had rejected Harvey Weinstein 's sexual demands and Weinstein, in retaliation, had given her "a list of [four] impossible tasks with
8217-734: The present-day number to fourteen. The first ten colleges were designed in Collegiate Gothic and Georgian Revival styles; the two colleges built in the 1960s are Modernist reinventions of the college plan. In 2007, Yale announced the construction of two additional Collegiate Gothic residential colleges near Science Hill , which opened in 2017. Residential colleges are named for important figures or places in university history or notable alumni; they are deliberately not named for benefactors. Yale College has been called "the epicenter of college singing," both for its long history of singing groups and its centrality in establishing collegiate
8316-711: The purview of academic departments , divisions of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences which offer undergraduate and graduate curricula. In addition, the faculties of three Yale professional schools , the School of Art , School of Architecture and School of Forestry & Environmental Studies , also offer undergraduate programs. Residential colleges, which are funded and controlled by the university, have separate administration and limited self-governance. The Heads of College (before 2016 called Masters ), usually tenured faculty members, are appointed to renewable, five-year terms by
8415-414: The recruitment of a racially, economically, and geographically diverse student body. This meritocratic transition encouraged the university to establish the first need-blind admissions policy in the United States. After several decades of debate about coeducation , Yale College admitted its first class of women in 1969. In recent years, the college has focused on international recruitment, quadrupling
8514-419: The release of The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), tabloids spread rumors that Norton and his onscreen co-star Courtney Love were dating. Norton insisted that he was not romantically involved with Love, and the two were only friends and colleagues. Nevertheless, appearing on an episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson , Love stated they had dated for four years. It was in addition to her references in
8613-670: The residential colleges. The position is currently held by Pericles Lewis , professor of comparative literature . All of the college's faculty are members of the Yale Faculty of Arts and Sciences and are thereby jointly affiliated with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences . Tenured members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences constitute the Board of Permanent Officers, who govern the school's curriculum and programs. Most undergraduate courses and majors are offered under
8712-537: The rich . He also made speeches to encourage voters to support Democratic nominee John Kerry . Norton was a supporter of Democrat Eliot Spitzer , former New York governor . During the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections , Norton supported but did not actively campaign for the Democratic nominee Barack Obama , saying that "it's much more interesting to encourage people to engage than to suggest that people should model themselves on me and my views". He produced
8811-419: The right role." Drew Barrymore , his co-star in the 1996 musical Everyone Says I Love You , recalled that he was "on the set every day" and "never compromised for a second." He also expects different approaches to projects with different collaborators and wishes for "happy" working situations as long as "the boundaries of the collaboration are well-established in the beginning." Due to this, Norton has garnered
8910-435: The role, Norton took lessons in boxing , taekwondo and grappling . Fight Club premiered at the 1999 Venice International Film Festival . During promotion for the film, Norton explained that Fight Club examines the value conflicts of Generation X as the first generation raised on television, by probing "the despair and paralysis that people feel in the face of having inherited this value system out of advertising". While
9009-710: The romantic comedy Keeping the Faith , starring as a priest named Brian Finn. The film received mixed critical reviews. The Dallas Morning News praised his acting and labeled the film "a smart directorial debut". Entertainment Weekly remarked that Norton's emergence as a director was decent, but criticized the plot because it "proposes heavy theological aims, then disavows any such thing". In 2001's heist film The Score , Norton plays Jack Teller, an ambitious young thief caught in an unlikely alliance with career criminal Nick Wells ( Robert De Niro ) arranged by his fence , Max ( Marlon Brando ). The Score and Norton's performance
9108-914: The same category . His role as a redeemed neo-Nazi in American History X (1998) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor . He also starred in the film Fight Club (1999), which garnered a cult following . Norton established the production company Class 5 Films in 2003, and was director or producer of the films Keeping the Faith (2000), Down in the Valley (2005), and The Painted Veil (2006). He continued to receive praise for his acting roles in films such as The Score (2001), 25th Hour (2002), The Italian Job (2003), The Illusionist (2006), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). His biggest commercial successes have been Red Dragon (2002), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Incredible Hulk (2008), and The Bourne Legacy (2012). For his role in
9207-431: The script. "He likes to challenge the director. It's all about intellectual debate," Ratner told The Times in 2003. "... Edward's instinct is going to be, 'I have to take over this film.' He's going to try to rescue the film. That's both a blessing and a curse." Despite mixed reviews, Red Dragon was Norton's most profitable venture in 2002, grossing over $ 200 million. Norton also co-produced and starred in 25th Hour ,
9306-476: Was a relative latecomer but became the flagship campus daily, and continues to publish during every weekday of the undergraduate academic term. These publications have been joined by many 20th-century debuts, including The Yale Herald and The New Journal . In 1832, a rift over Phi Beta Kappa inductions between the college's two debating societies, Linonia and Brothers in Unity , caused seniors to establish
9405-439: Was almost exclusively restricted to white Protestant men, often the children of alumni. Documented exceptions to this paradigm include Hawaiian native Henry ʻŌpūkahaʻia , who became a student of Yale President Timothy Dwight in 1809, and black abolitionist James W. C. Pennington , who was allowed to audit theology courses in 1837. Moses Simons , a descendant of a slave-holding South Carolinian family, has been suggested to be
9504-465: Was his 12th great-grandmother. Norton, whose family had known of possible relation to Pocahontas and her husband John Rolfe for years, replied to the findings: "It makes you realize what a small piece of the human story you are". Norton expressed discomfort upon learning his ancestors owned a family of slaves: "The short answer is these things are uncomfortable, and you should be uncomfortable with them. Everybody should be uncomfortable with it. It's not
9603-650: Was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category for his role in the film. Norton starred in two other films released in 1996; he played Larry Flynt 's lawyer Alan Isaacman in Milos Forman 's biographical drama The People vs. Larry Flynt and Holden Spence in Woody Allen 's musical film Everyone Says I Love You . In 1998, Norton starred alongside Matt Damon in Rounders , which follows two friends who urgently need cash and play poker to pay off
9702-438: Was replaced by Mark Ruffalo , allegedly due to Norton's "disputes" with Marvel. Norton later claimed that he chose not to play Hulk again because he "wanted more diversity" and opted against associating himself with one character throughout his career. He also starred in the crime drama Pride and Glory (2008) as Ray Tierney, an honest detective assigned to investigate the precinct run by his older brother. Reviewers criticized
9801-430: Was well received. The San Francisco Chronicle stated that despite starring with screen legends De Niro and Brando, Norton's acting "outdoes even that of Brando". The Los Angeles Times also lauded him as an "enormously gifted young actor" who pulled off the character successfully. Norton appeared in four films released in 2002. He played kids show host Sheldon Mopes, who quickly rises to fame for his character "Smoochy
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