James Norton says he felt “gratified” by the backlash to the leaked photos that showed him during nude scenes in the stage adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara’s controversial novel A Little Life.
The British actor, 40, starred in the lead role as Jude, a character who suffers unrelenting abuse and misfortune both as a child and in adulthood.
Critics were divided over the West End production – which ran for three hours and 40 minutes – with some praising Norton’s “dedicated performance” and others calling the play “deeply unsettling” due to its prolonged depictions of trauma.
Following the show’s opening at the Richmond Theatre in London in March 2023, illicit photos of the actor during his nude scenes were published by the Daily Mail in print and online.
Following an immediate and fierce backlash, the publication removed the images as it was pointed out that the theatre had placed stickers over phone cameras and shared materials telling audience members that filming and photography was prohibited.
“Violated is probably too strong [a word],” Norton told The Guardian when asked how he felt about the leaks.
“My strongest memory is that it was just a bit sad, a bit gross, this idea that it would be framed in a titillating way when the subject matter was so clearly vicious and upsetting. But I think the reaction, generally, was that it was misjudged, which was gratifying.”
The Happy Valley actor is next starring in new BBC historical drama King & Conqueror, about the battle between Harold Godwinson (Norton) and William, Duke of Normandy (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) for the English crown.
He is also starring in Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight’s new Netflix drama House of Guinness, about the dynasty behind the Irish stout.
In the same interview, he appeared to express some regret at speaking publicly about his split from former fiancée and fellow actor Imogen Poots during a panel at Glastonbury Festival in June.
“I lost the person,” he told the audience after Annie Mac asked him whether he had been through any big life changes, “but I also lost the life I was about to lead, the kids we had named, all that kind of stuff.”
“If I’d known there was a journalist in the audience, I probably wouldn’t have been so honest,” Norton said.
Addressing speculation surrounding his current romantic life, which has linked him to stylist Flora Huddart and pop singer and actor Lily Allen, he remarked: “Look, I’m a man in London going on occasional dates, meeting people, living my life, and it’s kind of no one’s business really.”
King & Conqueror airs on BBC One and iPlayer from 24 August, while House of Guinness is scheduled for release on Netflix in September.
