Happy Valley season 3 continues on BBC One, and the notorious Tommy Lee Royce – played by James Norton – is as terrifying as ever.
From kidnapping Ann Gallagher to running over a young policewoman, Tommy has committed some horrendous crimes throughout the series.
And we’re pretty sure season 3 is building to the mother of all showdowns between Tommy and his nemesis Catherine Cawood.
But, what else has James Norton been up to besides playing the terrifying psychopath in Happy Valley?
James Norton plays Tommy in Happy Valley
Actor James Norton took on the role of Tommy Lee Royce in the BBC crime drama series, Happy Valley.
Tommy Lee Royce is a convict who’s currently serving time in prison after the horrible crimes he committed in season 1.
Talking about his character, James told the BBC: “For any actor, it’s a great privilege to play a character that is very distant from yourself.
“Luckily I’m not a psychopath! Although this is a cop drama, it’s not necessarily cop driven, and the characters are at the heart of it. It’s totally plausible.
“It’s a complete joy to play someone so complex and Sally has written a character that you hopefully feel for as the series goes on.”
Who is James Norton?
James Norton is a British film, television and stage actor who is best known for his roles in Grantchester, War & Peace, and McMafia.
He also earned a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2015.
James started acting in 2009 when he appeared as a classmate of Jenn in the film An Education alongside Carey Mulligan.
Actor James also performs on stage and, in 2010, he became a member of the original cast of Posh at the Royal Court Theatre.
How old is James Norton?
James Norton was born on July 18, 1985.
This means that he is currently 37 years old.
Where is James Norton from? Was he bullied?
BAFTA-nominated actor James grew up near Howardian Hills in North Yorkshire.
He has described his childhood as happy and “idyllic” and admits he loved acting and performing from a young age.
Sadly he has opened up about being bullied as a teen at an all-boys school.
He told the Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential: “It’s only now, in my later life as an adult, that I’m recognising that effect and what it has done to me.
“With the help of a therapist untying some of that stuff which really wasn’t pleasant, in a weird, perverse way I’m kind of grateful for it.
“It’s definitely formed a part of me and allowed me maybe to access characters and people that I’m playing in a certain way and certain empathy.”
He went on to study at Cambridge University, where he became a member of the prestigious the Marlowe Society theatre club.
Why did James Norton leave Grantchester?
James Norton played Grantchester‘s leading character Reverend Sidney Chambers.
Reverend Sidney served as a Scots Guard officer during World War II and worked alongside Detective Inspector Geordie Keating to solve various criminal cases.
However, James unfortunately left the series after season 3.
His character Sidney Chambers was seen leaving Grantchester after making the decision to spread the word of God elsewhere.
James opened up about his decision to leave the show in an interview with Radio Times.
He said: “The Amanda storyline tying up the way it did with her and Sidney breaking up and him choosing the church in the third series felt like a natural conclusion to Sidney’s story.
“Then when the possibility of a fourth series came along, the decision was whether or not to start a whole new journey for Sidney. It felt like it would be better to hand over the baton to someone else and give Grantchester a fresh injection of energy.”
Actor Tom Brittney replaced James, when he took on the role of Will Davenport.
Can Happy Valley star James Norton speak Russian?
In the series McMafia, James plays Alex Godman who frequently talks in Russian with his family members.
But can James actually speak fluent Russian in real life?
Talking to Radio Times, James joked: “I’m a very committed actor and have learnt to speak Russian.
“No, we learn bits. We have these extraordinary Russian actors [playing Alex’s parents], so we have translators on set.”
Is Happy Valley star James Norton married?
James has been in a relationship with actress Imogen Poots, 33, for more than five years.
You may recognise her from her roles in the likes of A Long Way Down, 28 Weeks Later, Green Room and French Exit.
The pair confirmed their romance in December 2017, after appearing alongside each other in the West End production of Belleville at the Donmar Warehouse.
The couple reportedly got engaged earlier this year.
An insider told Eden Confidential’s Stephanie Takyi: “They’re over the moon about their engagement and have only told close friends and family.
“Imogen was totally surprised and is looking forward to being Mrs Norton.”
As both in-demand actors, they sometimes have to live a long-distance relationship.
But Imogen said it’s no bother at all – in fact she says she’s used to it!
While speaking to ES Magazine, she explained: “It’s all I’ve ever known.
“I’ve never known something to fall apart because of distance.”
Previously, James was in a relationship with The Woman in White actress Jessie Buckley for two years.
However, the couple ended their relationship in 2017.
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Does James Norton have diabetes?
James Norton has type 1 diabetes, but he insists he’s never let it hold him back in life.
While supporting diabetes charity JDRF, he said: “I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2010 when I was near the start of my acting career.
“Managing the condition is a challenge, but I haven’t let it get in my way!”
Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood to become too high.
Her has previously revealed that he needs to have “sweet things […] scattered around the stage just in case I go hypoglycaemic”.
On World Diabetes Day in November 2022, he shared an impassioned post about his diagnosis in a bid to raise awareness.
He described the condition as a “complete [bleep]”, and shared two photos of his two insulin pens and Dexcom sensor, which monitors glucose in the blood.
He wrote: “Today is World Diabetes Day.
“It’s a day to raise awareness about diabetes.
“But also to simply show some love and support for all the diabetic warriors out there.
“At its best, our condition is a constant faff.
“At its worst, it’s a complete [bleep] that can be potentially life-threatening on a daily basis, if it’s not looked after properly.
“These two insulin pens I’m holding, as well as the @dexcom sensor on my bum, keep me alive every single day.”
James has also revealed he has to inject “up to 15 times a day” because of his type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
Both Norton’s sister and mother are also diabetic.
What else has Happy Valley star James Norton been in?
James Norton has a appeared in a variety of popular films.
In 2011, James took on the role of Captain Stanhope in the First World War drama Journey’s End.
He then featured in the films Rush and Belle in 2013.
In 2020, James then played a dying father of a three-year-old boy in the film Nowhere Special.
In an interview with BBC, James explained his relationship with Daniel Lamont, who played his son, Michael.
He said: “The most important piece of preparation was finding the relationship with Daniel, and making sure there was a true affection, so weirdly it was a lot of just playing and having fun and gaining trust from him.
“We got on really well. It was just making sure he really wanted to come to work, and that the love we wanted to capture on film was real.”
Recently, the star has appeared in the Netflix film Things Heard & Seen.
In the film, he starred alongside Stranger Things star Natalia Dyer and Amanda Seyfriend.
He also played Mr John Brooke in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women opposite Emma Watson.
You can also spot James Norton in an episode of Doctor Who.
In the episode, James played a crewman on a Soviet submarine during the Cold War.
Is James Norton the next James Bond?
The next actor to play James Bond has yet to be officially confirmed.
And James remains one of the top contenders to replace Daniel Craig.
While promoting his Netflix movie Things Seen & Heard, he admitted the rumours are flattering.
He told Man About Town: “For that younger version of me inside of me, it’s fun and flattering and ridiculous and great.”
But in another interview he joked that he’d be too busy filming sequels for his new Netflix film.
He teased: “No, I’m doing Things Heard & Seen 2, 3, and 4.”
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Happy Valley season 3 continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Sundays.
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