Edward H. Norton (born August 18, 1969) is a critically acclaimed two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning American film actor and director.

Norton was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in a "privileged" family in Columbia, Maryland. His mother Robin Rouse, an English teacher, died of a brain tumor in 1997; his father, Edward Norton, Sr., is an attorney and former federal prosecutor under the Carter administration who now works for the Nature Conservancy. His maternal grandfather was the developer James W. Rouse (also see The Rouse Company), who designed the city of Columbia, Maryland (where Norton grew up), helped develop Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Norfolk's Waterside Festival Marketplace, and Boston's Quincy Market, as well as co-founded the Enterprise Foundation with Norton's maternal grandmother, Patricia. Norton has two younger siblings; his sister Molly Norton, who attended Washington and Lee University and his brother Jim, who attended Bowdoin College and with whom he has collaborated professionally.

Norton graduated from Wilde Lake High School in 1987, then from Yale University in 1991 with a B.A. in history. It was at Yale that Norton became heavily involved in theater, taking as many classes as he could although never majoring in drama. Actors Ron Livingston and Paul Giamatti were classmates and fellow collegiate actors. Following graduation, Norton worked in Osaka, Japan, consulting for his grandfather's company, Enterprise Foundation. He also appeared in an ESL textbook, Only in America, used by Nova, a major Japanese language school.

Norton moved to New York City and began his acting career in Off-Broadway theater. Moving into film, Norton cut his teeth playing a series of dark, grotesque characters, quickly launching him into the spotlight, beginning with 1996's Primal Fear. In the film, he took on the role of Aaron Stampler, a deeply disturbed young man accused of a brutal murder, for which he won a Golden Globe and a nomination for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. In 1998, his portrayal of a reformed neo-Nazi in American History X earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and his role as a card shark pitted him opposite Matt Damon in 1998's poker-playing hit Rounders. He packed on 30 pounds (15 kg) of muscle for his role in American History X but neglected to maintain the physique after production. His blockbuster performance alongside Brad Pitt as the misanthropic narrator in the 1999 adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's cult novel Fight Club, however, exponentially expanded his growing cult fan base.

He played himself in a cameo role in the experimental comedy show Stella, and won critical acclaim for his uncredited role as the leper king of Jerusalem in Kingdom of Heaven. In 2006, he starred in the independent movie The Illusionist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later became a sleeper hit when it was released theatrically in August.

Norton has also done uncredited script work on some of the films he has appeared in, specifically Frida, which he claims to have written entirely, and The Score. In 2000, he made his debut as a director with Keeping the Faith. He will also direct his film adaptation of the novel Motherless Brooklyn. In 2006, the Academy Awards ceased offering gift baskets (containing items often valued at anywhere from $35,000 to $100,000 per basket) to performers and hosts at the ceremony, due to an IRS decision to audit actors and actresses who did not report these gifts as income on their tax returns. Norton spoke out in favor of this change, calling the baskets "obscene" and suggesting that money be donated to a charity of the winner's choice.

On April 16, 2007, it was confirmed that Norton will play the role of Bruce Banner in the upcoming movie adaptation of the Incredible Hulk in 2008.

Norton is generally known for his reluctance to embrace his celebrity status, and has said, "If I ever have to stop taking the subway, I'm gonna have a heart attack." Norton has stated in interviews that he is a fan of the Baltimore Orioles.

He has a Black Flag tattoo on his upper back. Norton has a private pilot license and discussed his flight training when interviewed on an episode of The Late Show with David Letterman. He is a self-proclaimed Deadhead.[citation needed]

Norton has been a strong supporter of Eliot Spitzer, who was elected governor of New York in 2006. He has introduced Spitzer at several campaign events and also rode on his campaign bus. Norton is a member of the trustees of the Enterprise Foundation, a non-profit developer of affordable housing. He is also well-known for his support for environmental causes and renewable energy projects, such as BP's Solar Neighbors program.[10][11][12] He has also put time and money toward social activist causes, including improving the quality of living in low-income communities.