Norton has been acting for over fifty years in theatre, television, and film, and frequently plays clergymen, most notably
Bishop Brennan in the sitcom
Father Ted, as well as roles in
The Sweeney (1975),
Peak Practice (1993),
Sunset Heights (1997),
A Love Divided (1999),
Rebus: Black and Blue (2000),
Mad About Mambo (2000),
Boxed (2003) and ''
Jimmy's Hall'' (2014). Norton starred as Finian McLonergan in the critically acclaimed New York City Center's 2009 production of ''
Finian's Rainbow'', and in October 2009 reprised the role in the
Broadway revival at the
St. James Theatre. His co-stars were
Cheyenne Jackson (Woody) and
Kate Baldwin (Sharon).
Television As well as
Bishop Brennan in
Father Ted, Norton also played:
Albert Einstein in two episodes of
Star Trek: The Next Generation (namely "
The Nth Degree" and "
Descent"); the librarian Lieutenant James Porteous in the highly acclaimed 1970s British television drama series
Colditz; Phil Harrister, a criminal involved in an intricate bank robbery, in
The Sweeney episode
"Contact Breaker"; O'Brady in the
Minder episode "
National Pelmet"; and Rory, a roguish but genteel Irishman who is diagnosed with
cirrhosis of the liver, in
The Royal episode
"Beggars and Choosers". Norton also played the role of theatre director, Jeremy Williams, in the 1973 episode of
Crown Court (TV series) called "Public Lives". Norton has appeared in two episodes of
Van der Valk. On
Babylon 5 he appeared in a number of roles, including that of
Ombuds Wellington in the 1994 episodes "
Grail" and "
The Quality of Mercy"; a
Narn in "
Dust to Dust" (1996); and Dr. Lazarenn, a
Markab doctor, in "
Confessions and Lamentations" (1995). In
Fall of Eagles he played
Alexander Kerensky. Other television work includes:
1990, ''
Agatha Christie's Poirot; Waking the Dead; Cheers; Frasier; Midsomer Murders; Maigret and Rumpole of the Bailey as Fig Newton, Stan Laurel in the BBC drama Stan
(2006) and Larry Joyce in the 2013 television drama Deception, Silas Mitton, Brendan Robinson and Digger in the stop motion series The Treacle People'' (1996–1997) and as the timid Gardener in the first series of the long-running
CITV children's series
T-Bag: "Wonders in Letterland" (1985) He also appeared as a prison psychiatrist in "The Bill" titled Karma (Season 12, Episode 109) (1996)
Films 1960s Norton made his film debut with a small role in the 1965 thriller
The Face of Fu Manchu starring
Christopher Lee, and later appeared in the 1969 epic film
Alfred the Great as Thanet.
1970s Norton played the part of Pongo in the screen version of
Spike Milligan's war-time memoir
Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall. In 1971 he played Chris Cawsey (aka "The Rat Man"), one of several villains in the controversial
Sam Peckinpah film
Straw Dogs starring
Dustin Hoffman. His character had a deviously infectious, deliberately irritating laugh that helped build tension throughout the film.
1990s Norton appeared in the movie
Memoirs of an Invisible Man alongside
Chevy Chase in 1992. In the same year he also appeared in the Irish-made film
Into the West.He also appeared in the hit comedy sitcom Father Ted where he played his famous role as Bishop Brennan
2000s Norton appeared in the comedy
On the Nose as Patrick Cassidy, along with Dan Aykroyd and Robbie Coltrane, in 2001. He appeared in a cameo in
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002 as Mr. Mason. He played an Irish immigrant in the 2005 Australian/UK co-production,
The Oyster Farmer. He played title role of Stan Laurel in the 2006 TV movie
Stan, based on
Neil Brand's radio play of the same name. He played Herr Liszt in the 2008
holocaust film
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
2010s In 2011 Norton appeared as the character Old Mr Black in the film
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close directed by
Stephen Daldry. He appeared in the 2011 film
Water for Elephants, in which he portrays a circus worker called "Camel" who befriends a character played by
Robert Pattinson. In 2012 he appeared as the character Tommy in the short film
Homemade written by Matthew Roche and directed by
Luke McManus. He was in the
Ken Loach film ''
Jimmy's Hall which was released in 2014. He plays the role of Mr. Heelshire in 2016 film The Boy. In 2018 he played the role of Mr. Binnacle in Mary Poppins Returns. In 2019 he played the role of the plane passenger Padraig whose death instigates the plan to bury him next to his brother in The Last Right''.
Theatre Norton has a longtime partnership with playwright Conor McPherson, having originated roles in six of his plays in Dublin, London and New York, and for which he has won both the Tony and Olivier Award. Norton played Jack in
The Weir (1997), Joe in
Port Authority (2001), Matthew in
Come on Over (2001), Richard in
The Seafarer (2006–7), Reverend Berkeley in
The Veil (2011), and Maurice in
The Night Alive (2013). In 1990 he appeared in the original production of
Frank McGuinness's
The Bread Man at the
Gate Theatre. In 2004 he took part in the touring production of
Martin McDonagh's
The Pillowman. In 2006/7 he appeared in
Conor McPherson's
The Seafarer at
The National Theatre, and reprised the same role in the 2008 Broadway theatre production of the play. In 2012, he performed as The Chairman in a Broadway adaptation of
The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In 2013/2014 he played Maurice in Conor McPherson's
The Night Alive, a Donmar Warehouse production, transferred to the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York. Norton starred as Candy in the 2014 Broadway revival of John Steinbeck's
Of Mice and Men (alongside James Franco and fellow Irishman Chris O'Dowd) at the
Longacre Theatre. In 2016, he played
Giles Corey in
Ivo van Hove's production of
Arthur Miller's
The Crucible at the
Walter Kerr Theatre. In 2022/2023, he portrayed Judge Taylor in
To Kill A Mockingbird in London's
West End.
Audio work Norton voiced Major Kennet in the 2003
Doctor Who animated serial,
Scream of the Shalka. Norton has recorded the whole of
James Joyce's
Ulysses (with Marcella Riordan),
Dubliners,
Finnegans Wake (abridged with Marcella Riordan) and
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man for
Naxos Records, released in 2004.
The Third Policeman by
Flann O'Brien 2009. Thorndyke: Forensic Investigator: for
BBC Radio 4 Extra 2011.
BBC Radio production of 'The Mustard Seed' by
Nick Warburton The House on the Borderland by
William Hope Hodgson: BBC Radio 4 Extra, May 2012 Mr Deasy in
Ulysses:
BBC Radio 4 production for
Bloomsday 16 June 2012 Narrator: The Stack, short story by
Rose Tremain, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra, 24 September 2012. Death in
BBC Radio 4 production of
Good Omens by
Terry Pratchett and
Neil Gaiman, December 2014. Silas Mitton and Brendan Robinson in The Treacle People: Still Sticky, April 2025. ==Awards and honours==