Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American film actor and director. In 1997, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. A year later, his lead role as a reformed neo-Nazi skinhead in American History X earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His other films include period dramas such as The Illusionist and Kingdom of Heaven; dramas such as 25th Hour; Fight Club, a mystery-thriller satirizing vi.