James Norton Affirms Enduring Connection to North Yorkshire Roots

Actor James Norton has affirmed that North Yorkshire remains his home, despite his successful television and film career being based in London. The star of “Happy Valley” spent his formative years in Malton, attending a prep school in Scarborough before continuing his education at Ampleforth College. Speaking with BBC Radio York, Norton stated, “My family are still there, my parents and my sister live near the York and Malton area, so I’m often up.” He further expressed, “I’m a Yorkshireman – I don’t sound like it anymore – but I’m a Yorkshireman through and through, so to come home is always a pleasure.” Last year, Norton became the new patron of Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre (SJT), the very place where he completed his work experience as a teenager. Earlier this month, he returned to the town to host an “in conversation” event at the venue, discussing his life. Norton remarked, “I did my work experience there when I was 15, so to come back full circle was really nice.” He characterized the venue as a “really important” part of his journey into “this mad industry.” He added, “They’re actually the only producing theatre in North Yorkshire, which is a sad reflection on the state of regional theatre,” but concluded, “But, it is an amazing building, with amazing heritage and history. I love it.” Reflecting on the evening, which his parents attended, Norton noted the audience was “very supportive” and humorously commented that it was “great” to speak about himself for an hour and a half. Addressing his acting achievements, the 39-year-old Norton characterized his profession as “storytelling,” which he has “never taken too seriously.” He elaborated, “I often realise that what I’m doing for a living is basically just what I did as a child, getting dressed up in make-believe and creating worlds – I just didn’t ever grow up.” He stated, “My sister and her husband are doctors, so around our kitchen table they talk about lives they’ve saved, and there’s me saying I put on a fake moustache a prance around.” In response to a question about the role that most significantly impacted his life, Norton replied, “A Little Life was the scariest thing I’ve ever done and the hardest thing I’ve ever done – and probably will ever do.” In this stage adaptation, Norton portrayed Jude, a character who engages in self-harm following severe childhood abuse. He commented, “At the beginning I didn’t want to do it – I said no initially, but then it turned into the most incredibly rewarding special experience.” Although critics largely commended his performance, some found the extensive depiction of trauma over the 3-hour 40-minute runtime to be off-putting. However, Norton mentioned that he would not be spending Christmas in Malton this year, opting instead to be in Oxfordshire.