Alex Norton
Alex Norton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 (age 74–75) or 1951 (age 73–74) |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Spouse |
Sally Kinghorn (m. 2001) |
| Children | 3 |
Alex Norton (born 1950/1951)[1] is a Scottish actor. He is known for his roles as DCI Matt Burke in the STV detective drama series Taggart, Eric Baird in BBC Two sitcom Two Doors Down, DCS Wallace in Extremely Dangerous, Gerard Findlay in Waterloo Road and Eddie in the Renford Rejects. He has also had roles in internationally successful films including Braveheart, Local Hero and Les Misérables.
Early life
[edit]Norton spent part of his childhood in Moffat Street in the Gorbals before moving to Pollokshaws. He was educated at Shawlands Academy,[2] Glasgow. Norton's very first TV appearance was in the early 1960s on STV's live lunchtime show The One O' Clock Gang,[3] He discovered acting at the age of fourteen via an out-of-school drama group. This led to his part in the TV series Dr. Finlay's Casebook and with it the decision that acting was the career for him. Because of his background and his father's lack of approval of his chosen career, Norton decided to avoid the traditional route into acting and instead worked from part-to-part.
Career
[edit]In 1973, he became one of the founder members of the 7:84 company, touring Scotland with The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil.
He has appeared in numerous films including Bill Forsyth's Gregory's Girl (1981), Local Hero (1983) and Comfort and Joy (1984), A Sense of Freedom (1981), Comrades (1986),[4] Hidden City (1987), Scandal (1989), Countdown to War (1989), Robin Hood (1991), Chernobyl: The Final Warning (1991), Blame It on the Bellboy (1992), Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994), Little Voice (1998), Orphans (1998) and Beautiful Creatures (2000), as well as Hollywood blockbusters such as White Hunter, Black Heart (1990) with Clint Eastwood, Patriot Games (1992) with Harrison Ford, Braveheart (1995) starring Mel Gibson and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) with Johnny Depp. Norton also voiced Thurston McCondry in the animated shorts Haunted Hogmanay and Glendogie Bogey.
He appeared in The Black Adder in the episode "Born to be King" as Dougal McAngus, 4th Duke of Argyll.
In addition to his role as DCI Matt Burke in Taggart, he had previously appeared in the same series as murder suspect George Bryce in the episode "Knife Edge" in 1986.
Norton also provided the voice-overs for the ill-fated channel Sky Scottish that only ran for 18 months from November 1996 before closing down in May 1998 He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 2003 when he was surprised by Michael Aspel. In 2005, Norton was presented with the opportunity to play a part in Peter Jackson's King Kong; however, he could not accept the offer because it happened to interfere with the TV project he was working on at the time.
Norton hosted the STV crime show Unsolved.
He has also done voice over work on Medieval Total War II as the voice of some of the Scottish characters in the game, along with voicing Gaunter O'Dimm in Hearts of Stone, an expansion pack for the video game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Lord Robert in Dragon Quest XI . He provided additional vocals on "The Song of Mor'du" in Brave, which also featured his wife Sally Kinghorn. He also appeared on The Weakest Link TV Drama Characters Edition. He was the first one voted off. Norton also plays Grandad in the CBeebies programme Woolly and Tig.
Norton has also won two awards for writing.[citation needed] "Extras", an episode of First Sight for Channel 4 and Waiting for Elvis for STV. He also has an interest in directing. He directed the first production of Tony Roper's The Steamie, as well as directing Glasgow's King's Theatre's pantomimes for a five-year period.
From August to September 2012, he played the role of Gerard Findlay in Waterloo Road, a hot-headed, villainous headteacher from rival school Havelock High School.
Since 2013, Norton has played Eric in the sitcom Two Doors Down.
In March 2014, he played Cameron Watts in the "Dead Water" episodes of the BBC One crime drama series Shetland.
In 2014, Norton appeared in the documentary I Belong To Glasgow, a BBC Scotland production in which he guest starred alongside Karen Dunbar.
Personal life
[edit]In the 1970s he met his wife, Sally Kinghorn. They met on the set of a BBC Schools series. The couple have three sons, Jamie, Rory and Jock.[5]
In 2014, at the time of the Scottish independence referendum, Norton endorsed a "No" vote in opposition to independence. He has, however, confirmed his support for Scottish independence since the referendum.[6]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Hunch | Ian | |
| 1981 | Gregory's Girl | Alec | |
| 1981 | A Sense of Freedom | Malkie | |
| 1983 | Local Hero | Watt | |
| 1983 | Dead on Time | Foreigner | |
| 1984 | Bless My Soul | Guest | [7] |
| 1984 | Comfort and Joy | Trevor | |
| 1984 | Every Picture Tells a Story | William Scott Sr. | |
| 1986 | Comrades | Diorama Showman / Lanternist / Laughing Cavalier / Sgt. Bell / Mr Wetham (scene cut) / Usher / Wollaston / Ranger / Tramp / Captain / McCallum / Silhouettist / Mad Photographer / Witch | |
| 1987 | Hidden City | Hillcombe | |
| 1989 | Scandal | Detective Inspector | |
| 1989 | Countdown to War | Joseph Stalin | TV Movie |
| 1989 | Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale | Harry | |
| 1990 | White Hunter Black Heart | Zibelinsky | |
| 1991 | Chernobyl: The Final Warning | Dr. Andreyev | TV Movie |
| 1991 | Robin Hood | Harry | |
| 1991 | Under Suspicion | Prosecuting Attorney | |
| 1992 | Blame It on the Bellboy | Alfio | |
| 1992 | Patriot Games | Dennis Cooley | |
| 1992 | An Ungentlemanly Act | Chief of Police Ronnie Lamb | TV Movie |
| 1994 | Squanto: A Warrior's Tale | Harding (voice) | |
| 1995 | Braveheart | Bride's Father | |
| 1997 | Deacon Brodie | Alisdair Gilzean | Screen One Special |
| 1998 | Les Misérables | General | |
| 1998 | Orphans | Hanson | |
| 1998 | Little Voice | Bunnie Morris | |
| 2000 | Complicity | Kenny Garnet | |
| 2000 | Beautiful Creatures | Detective Inspector Hepburn | |
| 2001 | The Fabulous Bagel Boys | Lionel Rose | |
| 2002 | The Count of Monte Cristo | Napoleon | |
| 2006 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | Captain Bellamy | |
| 2006 | Haunted Hogmanay | Thurston McCondry (voice) | Short Film |
| 2008 | Glendogie Bogey | Thurston McCondry (voice) | Short Film |
| 2012 | Sir Billi | Baron McToff (Voice) | |
| 2012 | Brave | Additional Voices | |
| 2013 | Underdogs | Captain Gregor (Voice) | |
| 2022 | The Sea Beast | — | ADR Group |
| 2023 | Shoshana | Tennant (CID) |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-1967 | This Man Craig | Macrae, Davy, Fisher, Bob, Alec | 5 episodes |
| 1967-1968 | The Revenue Men | Willie, Benny | 3 episodes |
| 1969 | The Borderers | Sawney Johnstone | 1 episode |
| 1965-1970 | Dr. Finlay's Casebook | Tommy, Boy, Alex Milne, Alister Daker | 5 episodes |
| 1973 | The View from Daniel Pike | Adam | 1 episode |
| 1973 | Scotch on the Rocks | Chappie Chapman | 2 episodes |
| 1971-1977 | Play for Today | 3 episodes | |
| 1973 | Sutherland's Law | Lane | 1 episode |
| 1978 | The Sweeney | Gibson | 1 episode |
| 1979 | ITV Playhouse | Donald | 1 episode |
| 1979 | The Mourning Brooch | Hughie | 1 episode |
| 1980 | A Question of Guilt | Malkie | 6 episodes |
| 1981 | Strangers | Cooper | 1 episode |
| 1981 | Bergerac | Acupuntrist | 1 episode |
| 1982 | BBC2 Playhouse | Max Beerbohm | 1 episode |
| 1982 | Fame Is the Spur | Keir Hardie | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | No Excuses | Howard | 4 episodes |
| 1983 | The Black Adder | McAngus, Duke of Argyll | 1 episode |
| 1978-1984 | Crown Court | Dr Allan, Joseph McGoldrick | 4 episodes |
| 1985 | Juliet Bravo | Ian Doward | 1 episode |
| 1986 | Taggart | George Bryce | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | The One Game | The Conjuror | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | The Laughter Show | Various Characters | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | The Campbells | Sheriff Black | 2 episodes |
| 1988-1989 | Screen Two | Tommy, Des Organ | 2 episodes |
| 1988-1999 | Rab C. Nesbitt | Alec, Dobie | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Stay Lucky | Angus | 1 episode |
| 1993 | The Chief | Gordon Mackie | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Lovejoy | Murray McNally | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Comics | Haggis | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Screen One | Dan Gibbons | 1 episode |
| 1994 | The High Life | Hal | 1 episode |
| 1994 | Headhunters | Sammy | 1 episode |
| 1994 | Signs and Wonders | William Gimble | 3 episodes |
| 1993 | Blood & Peaches | Outsider | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Hamish Macbeth | Duncan Soutar | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Backup | PC Iain 'Jock' MacRae | 8 episodes |
| 1995-96 | Bad Boys | Malky and Tissue Mulherron | 7 episodes |
| 1996 | The Crow Road | Lachlan Watt | 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Turning World | Barry | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | Soldier Soldier | Col Jim Walker | 1 episode |
| 1998-2001 | Renford Rejects | Eddie McAvoy | 52 episodes |
| 1999 | The Scarlet Pimpernel | Carnot | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Extremely Dangerous | DCS Wallace | 4 episodes |
| 2001 | The Bill | Terry Barlow | 1 episode |
| 2002-2010 | Taggart | DCI Matt Burke | 59 episodes |
| 2012 | Waterloo Road | Gerald Findlay | 6 episodes |
| 2014 | Silent Witness | David Preston | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Shetland | Cameron Watt | 2 episodes |
| 2013-2014 | Bob Servant | Hendo | 3 episodes |
| 2013–present | Two Doors Down | Eric Baird | 47 episodes |
| 2014 | Woolly and Tig | Grandad | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Mountain Goats | Ken | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Hatton Garden | Kenny Collins | 4 episodes |
| 2023 | Good Omens | Tulloch | 2 episodes |
Video games
[edit]| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Additional Voices |
| 2006 | Medieval II: Total War | Additional Voices |
| 2008 | Age of Conan | Additional Voices |
| 2011 | The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings | Additional Voices |
| 2015 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Gaunter O'Dimm |
| 2017 | Dragon Quest XI | Rab |
| 2018 | Sea of Thieves | Emerick |
| 2023 | Diablo IV | Additional Voices |
References
[edit]- ^ "Famed Scottish actors call action on pensioner poverty". The Herald Scotland. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Heroes, heroin and the ghost from Alex Norton past". Herald Scotland. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ "History Of Scottish Television - STV - By The Transdiffusion Organisation | Hi everyone, thanks for allowing me to join the group". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ Young, Andrew (21 April 1987). "Alex Norton, Man of many parts". The Herald. p. 4. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
- ^ Christie, Janet (7 December 2014). "Actor Alex Norton: From the Gorbals to Hollywood". The Scotsman. Johnston Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ Fulton, Rick (8 December 2021). "Actor Alex Norton: Veteran actor Alex Norton says he will return to Scotland if it votes for independence". The Daily Record. Reach Scotland Ltd. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ "Bless My Soul cast and crew credits". British Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
External links
[edit]- Alex Norton at IMDb
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