He has played a variety of roles from a crime-solving vicar to terrifying villain Tommy-Lee Royce in Happy Valley, but James Norton‘s latest part may be his worthiest role to date.
For the British acting heartthrob – born and bred in North Yorkshire – went back to his roots at the cinema he went to as he was growing up and was happy to muck in.
He chose The Palace Independent Cinema in his idyllic home town Malton for a private charity screening of one of his new projects for family and friends before Christmas.
And he showed his northern grit and humility had not left him by picking up a broom and helping to clean the auditorium before the lights went down.
Cinema goers were astonished to spot the acclaimed actor, currently starring in primetime ITV baby swap drama Playing Nice, patiently waiting inside the cinema as they filed out of their film.
And he stopped to chat and happily posed for selfies before his screening in aid of baby loss charity Tommy’s and impressed the historic cinema’s owner Jeremy Powell with his hands-on approach.
Speaking exclusively to the Mail on Sunday, Jeremy said: ‘We donated the cinema screen to a showing of one of his films for a private family charity night for 86 of James’s family and friends.
‘He was an absolutely charming chap as you’d imagine. He used to come to the cinema when he was growing up.
British acting heartthrob James Norton chose The Palace Independent Cinema in Malton for a private charity screening for family and friends before Christmas
Cinema goers were astonished to spot the acclaimed actor, currently starring in primetime ITV baby swap drama Playing Nice, patiently waiting inside the cinema as they filed out of their film
‘When he arrived, the audience of Wicked was coming out of Screen Two at the same time.
‘They spotted him, and he got mugged by the audience at the door with people having selfies taken with him and all sorts. He was super about the whole thing.
‘My wife Caroline decided to usher him into Screen One where it was empty and he kept asking ‘anything I can do to help?’ and Holly who was in there sweeping up, said ‘if you fancy it?’
‘So he picked up the dustpan and brush and just got on with it. It was a comic moment and out came the phones and pictures were taken.
‘We weren’t expecting that, but I have to say he did a good job of the sweeping up.
‘He is a lovely man and an absolute pleasure to have him and his family here.’
Jeremy revealed he previously hosted James’s family for a screening of his first big feature film, An Education, in 2009.
‘We ran An Education, and his family came to see that and there was a great uproar of cheering when he appeared on screen.
The actor showed his northern grit and humility had not left him by picking up a broom and helping to clean the auditorium before the lights went down
Norton is currently starring in ITV baby swap drama Playing Nice
James McArdle plays Miles Lambert, while Jessica Brown Findlay plays his wife Lucy
‘His family do come to the cinema quite regularly.’
A self-confessed proud Yorkshireman, he recently told Radio York that he regularly travels home to see his parents and his sister, proclaiming:
‘I’m a Yorkshireman – I don’t sound like it anymore – but I’m a Yorkshireman through and through, so to come home is always a pleasure.’
He is also the patron of Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre where he did work experience as a teenager, further developing his love of the stage and screen.