TV star James Norton is back on our screens in the new psychological thriller Playing Nice. He stars alongside The Virtues actress Niamh Algar who discovers his three year old son was swapped at birth with another couple’s child due to a hospital mix-up in Cornwall.
The two couples strike a deal but how long will it be before this intricate arrangement unravels?
It’s the latest TV drama from the 39-year-old actor known for his roles in Grantchester, War and Peace and McMafia. His chilling portrayal of baddie Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley earned him a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2015, reports Cornwall Live.
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Away from the screen, James Norton leads a content life despite facing some personal challenges. What are James Norton’s biggest roles?
Born in Lambeth and brought up in Malton in North Yorkshire, James Norton is the offspring of two teachers, reports the Mirror.
James Norton studied theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in the 2000s and performed in various productions before enrolling at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London for three years. James Norton made various appearances in dramas and films including Journey’s End, Belle, Rush, Doctor Who and Death Comes to Pemberley.
James Norton, known for his role as Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley, has had quite the journey since his breakout performance. He portrayed the man who assaulted Catherine Cawood’s daughter and fathered her grandchild, casting a shadow over the series which culminated in an intense final confrontation with Sarah Lancashire’s character.
Beyond the gritty drama, Norton has showcased his versatility in Grantchester, War and Peace, McMafia, and on the big screen in Little Women, Joy, and Bob Marley: One Love. The actor is set to grace our screens again as Harold Godwinson in the upcoming historical BBC drama King and Conqueror later this year.
Delving into James Norton’s personal life, the 39 year old battles type 1 diabetes, a condition that sometimes necessitates him injecting insulin up to 15 times daily. He has openly described the ailment as a “complete b***h” and shared the “traumatic” nature of his diagnosis, especially as he considers himself “a terrible hypochondriac anyway”.
It’s a family affair, with both James’ little sister and mother also living with type 1 diabetes, leaving his father as the sole member without the autoimmune disease, which affects around 400,000 individuals across the UK.
Norton first began noticing symptoms like unexpected weight loss and fatigue around the age of 22, leading to a blood test that confirmed his condition as a type 1 diabetic.
James once shared, “It was traumatic, because I’m a terrible hypochondriac anyway,” He found solace in his sister, who was his polar opposite: “But it was also manageable because I had the best role model in my sister, who was training to be a doctor. I called her so many times, worrying about things, which was strange, because I’d always been the protective older brother, keeping an eye on Jessie at parties.”
When reflecting on those tougher teenage years, he remarked, “Having type 1 was particularly hard for her through her teenage years when she had so many other things to contend with. But then, when it was my turn, she got me through it, too,” speaking to Good Health at a significant family conference on type 1 diabetes in 2019.
In the following year’s discussion, James opened up about his daily life with type 1 diabetes, emphasizing that “being diabetic does not hold you back”.
On his personal life front, James Norton has moved on romantically and is now dating 25 year old model Charlotte Rose Smith. She’s graced campaigns for Prada, Bulgari, and Coach, and pursues art in her spare time.
Previously, in 2022, the actor was engaged to actress Imogen Poots, but the pair went their separate ways by late 2023.