| Jim Norton | |
|---|---|
 Norton in 2011 | |
| Birth name | James Joseph Norton |
| Born | (1968-07-19)July 19, 1968 (age 56)[1] Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Medium |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) | |
| Spouse | Nikki (m. 2023) |
| Website | jimnorton |
James Joseph Norton (born July 19, 1968)[1][2][3][4][5] is an American comedian, radio personality, actor, author, and television and podcast host. Norton has been the co-host of the podcastUFC Unfiltered withMatt Serra since 2016, and the host ofJim Norton Can't Save You since January 2025. He is well-known for co-hosting morning radio showsOpie and Anthony,Opie with Jim Norton, andJim Norton & Sam Roberts onSiriusXM Radio from 2004 until 2025, andThe Chip Chipperson Podcast (Chip being one of Norton's on-air characters) from 2017 until 2023.
He gained initial prominence as third mic[6][7][8][9] on the radio showOpie and Anthony, withGregg "Opie" Hughes andAnthony Cumia, from 2001 to 2014.
After becoming a stand-up comedian in 1990, Norton spent his early years developing his act. His appearances onThe Louie Show caught the attention of comedianAndrew Dice Clay in 1997, who chose Norton to open for him for his shows. In 2000, Norton made his debut onOpie and Anthony and joined the show as a third mic in 2001 which increased his national exposure. He went on to have arecurring role on the sitcomLucky Louie and featured as a regular panellist onTough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Since he joined SiriusXM withOpie and Anthony in 2004, Norton hostedOpie with Jim Norton from 2014 to 2016, andThe Jim Norton Advice Show.
Since 2003, Norton has released four comedy albums and seven comedy specials, including three onEpix and one onNetflix. In 2014, Norton hostedThe Jim Norton Show, a talk show onVice. He has written two books:Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch andI Hate Your Guts.
James Joseph Norton was born inBayonne, New Jersey.[10][11] He is ofIrish descent.[12] His mother was a librarian and his father was a formerUS Marine and army reservist who later worked as a driver for the US postal service.[13][14] Norton grew up inNorth Brunswick, New Jersey with his sister Tracy.[15][16]
Norton attendedNorth Brunswick High School, from which he dropped out in his senior year.[17] During this time, at age 13, Norton started to drink heavily, "mostly vodka and grain alcohol" because it got him drunk quicker. "That feeling of discomfort that was always there, wasn't there when I drank. It was just a way of feeling comfortable ... I was horribly insecure, horribly shy, always feeling ugly and weak."[14] At 16, Norton started to cut himself with a razor blade in an attempt at "attention-seeking ... It was "notice me!" crap. I was 16, 17, and drunk. I never did that stuff sober."[18] He then missed some schooling, including his graduation from high school, after his alarmed parents sent him to a rehab facility inPrinceton, New Jersey for one month, where he continued to sneak in alcohol but changed his thinking and completed the course at 18. When he was away, his class had voted him as class clown.[18] Norton had his last drink at New Year's Eve 1985 going into 1986, and has been alcohol and drug free since.[19][14] Norton's addictive personality began to direct towards sex after he got sober.[20][21]
After being sober for around three years, Norton obtained hisGED[22] and attendedMiddlesex County College with the aim of pursuing aJuris Doctor degree and becoming a lawyer, but quit after one month.[23] He earned a B grade in English and failing grades in Problems and Statistics, Science, and Western Civilization.[18][24] At 18, he took up work in a copper company, operating a forklift to unload boxed tubes of copper from trucks, which he remembered as being "awful." He was fired from the job at age 23.[25] Norton collected unemployment benefits for several years, pretending to look for work while doing sets in local comedy venues, before he decided to pursue comedy full-time.[25]
Norton wished to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian when he was 12.[21] He took an interest to comedy after his mother brought home comedy albums from work, and namesRichard Pryor,George Carlin,Woody Allen, andRobert Klein as his influences.[26][27] Norton performed his first stand-up routine in April 1990 at anopen mic night at Varsity, a pub inSayreville, New Jersey, when he was 21.[14][26] He later described his performance as "awful."[28] Norton credited Pat Gaynor for putting him on stage that night, and Ward and John Magnuson of Rascals comedy club as being "instrumental" in his early development.[29] Following his debut, Norton spent five years working on his stand-up traveling to New York, New Jersey, Boston, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida with comediansJim Florentine andBob Levy, who were coming up at the same time.[28][26] Norton developed an act based on self-deprecating humor, which came naturally to him and gained encouragement when other comedians told him they enjoyed it.[24] Around ten years into stand-up, Norton felt he had found his voice and felt comfortable enough on stage.[28]
Norton had a breakthrough in 1997 after comedianAndrew Dice Clay noticed his appearance onThe Louie Show and asked him to be his opening act on his tours when his original pick cancelled at the last minute.[23][26] The two first met at theComedy Store in Los Angeles where Norton was doing his first gig at the venue, and learned Clay wished to go on stage after him.[25] Norton went on to open for Clay in the course of the following three years,[26] playing large venues includingMadison Square Garden in New York City in 2000.[29]
The absence ofOpie and Anthony from the airwaves between August 2002 and October 2004 encouraged Norton to write and develop his stand-up act. Soon after the show's cancellation, he underwent his Yellow Discipline Tour.[30] In 2003, he had assembled a new 45-minute set and assembled his first comedy album,Yellow Discipline, which was followed byTrinkets I Own Made from Gorilla Hands, in April 2005. Soon after, Norton filmed his first half-hourHBO comedy special as part of the network'sOne Night Stand series, at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts after his manager informed him of the chance to perform a showcase in the New York City area.[31] In 2004, Norton was voted best comedian and breakthrough performer of the year on Cringe Humor. Following his return to radio in 2004, Norton began a weekday routine of doing radio in the morning and performing short sets in a New York City comedy club, mostly theComedy Cellar, in the evening to work on new material.[32][33][21] From 2006 to 2008, Norton featured on every show of the annualOpie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour. In 2008, Norton hosted a four-part show on HBO titledDown and Dirty with Jim Norton that featuredLemmy as its musical director.[34] He hadAmy Schumer be his opening act in her early career.[35][36]
Norton had a productive start in the 2010s, writing and releasing three hour long specials in three and a half years.[33] He released his first,Please Be Offended on the television channelEpix in June 2012, and featuresOzzy Osbourne sitting on a toilet introducing Norton.[37][38] He chose the network as they allowed him complete creative freedom and were willing to promote his product.[39] Norton followed it withAmerican Degenerate, his second for Epix, which aired in August 2013 before it was released onNetflix that November.[40][20] In April 2015, Norton released his fourth Epix special,Contextually Inadequate.[41] Within three months of its release, Norton was touring with a new hour of material.[42] In the following year, Norton described his career as "stagnant... there's nothing happening."[32]
In 2017, Norton's specialA Mouthful of Shame debuted on Netflix. He promoted it with the 31-date Mouthful of Shame Tour, his first nationwide theatre tour as headliner, throughout 2016.[32][43] The special includes an opening withRobert De Niro spanking Norton's bare bottom.[44] Later in 2017, Norton embarked on his first stand-up tour of Europe. He signed with WME to pitch ideas for his own series on Netflix.[45][46] He appeared in Season 2, Episode 1 of the Netflix standup comedy series "The Degenerates," released on December 31, 2019.[47]
In early 2001, Norton was hired as the third mic on theOpie and Anthony radio show onWNEW in New York City, with hostsGregg "Opie" Hughes andAnthony Cumia. He resisted calling himself a "host" of the show as he believes his strongest performances were when he was "an outsider looking in."[32] He first appeared on the show in 2000 with Clay during his time opening for him on tour and became a regular guest and sat in on some shows. In November 2000, Norton was arrested with comedianLewis Black and show producerRick Del Gado during their live reports on board the Teen Voyeur Bus, a transparent bus of topless women driving around the city. It so happened that the bus' route was also the route that PresidentBill Clinton was taking that day, but the show was not informed of the news. Norton spent the night in jail.[27][48] In August 2002, the show was cancelled following thecontroversial Sex for Sam 3 segment and remained off the air for two years. Norton returned to the radio with Hughes and Cumia onXM Satellite Radio, an uncensoredsatellite radio service, in October 2004. Cumia said Norton contributed a "dark and perverse" side to the show.[18]
In October 2008, Norton was sued by New York City attorney Roy Den Hollander over his treatment during a phone interview onOpie and Anthony.[49] In August 2009,The New York Post reported that Hollander was willing to drop his suit if Norton would also drop his motion to have Hollander sanctioned for filing a baseless claim, as well as being forced to pay Norton's legal fees.[50]
On December 2, 2009, Norton had an on-air argument withJesse Ventura about theSeptember 11 attacks and measures against illegal immigration. Ventura was arguing against what Norton claimed was theBorder Patrol practice of stopping individuals and asking them to produce ID deep within US borders, claiming that such actions were unconstitutional. At some point, when Norton disagreed with him on this, Ventura suggested that Norton did not believe in theConstitution to which Norton strongly objected. Soon after, as the argument became more heated, Ventura walked off the air and the two exchanged explicit comments towards each other.[51]
In May 2010,The Jim Norton Show premiered on theRaw Dog Comedy channel on SiriusXM. The show featured Norton as the host with other comedians plus clips of live stand-up.[52]
After Cumia was fired from SiriusXM in July 2014, Hughes and Norton continued to broadcast and became the hosts ofOpie with Jim Norton, during which time the channel was renamedOpie Radio. Norton quickly missed working with Cumia, disliked the title of the re-branded program, and felt that he had not taken over the vacant spot left by Cumia, but rather was a voice on a show hosted by Hughes.[53] The show ended in September 2016.[54][55] During this time, Norton also hosted a weekly advice show on SiriusXM namedThe Jim Norton Advice Show.[56][32]
In October 2016, Norton became the host ofJim Norton & Sam Roberts with formerOpie and Anthony intern and producerSam Roberts. Norton also hosted a nightly one-hour playlist segment on Ozzy's Boneyard, a channel on SiriusXM, named Obsessed that aired some of Norton's favorite tracks.[57][34] In January 2025, Norton revealed that he and SiriusXM had parted ways after failing to come to terms on a contract renewal, ending his tenure with SiriusXM after more than 20 years.[58]
In mid-2016, Norton ended an online crowdfunding campaign viaIndiegogo for the production ofThe Chip Chipperson Show, an animated web series based on the same titled character that he does on the radio. He started the character as a way of hassling his girlfriend.[35] He had received many requests to have the concept animated, and launched the project to have five full episodes made by Big Hug Productions.[59][35] Norton voiced the character in the series that also featured his other characters, including Uncle Paul Harghis, Jelly, Edgar Mellencamp, and Ted Scheckler. The fund raised over $61,000 from 724 donators.[59]
In May 2016, Norton became the co-host ofUFC Unfiltered, the firstUltimate Fighting Championship audio podcast, with former fighterMatt Serra. The pair record two episodes each week.[60][61] The first episode launched on June 21, 2016, and has since run for over 550 episodes.[60] Norton then launched his own weekly audio and video podcast based on his Chip Chipperson character, on theRiotcast network.The Chip Chipperson Podacast launched on April 9, 2017.[62] In May 2020, Norton debuted theDoug Bellcast, a new podcast based on his new character, Doug Bell.
In 1997, Norton appeared onThe Louie Show starringLouie Anderson.[26] From 2002 to 2004, Norton was a regular performer on the comedy seriesTough Crowd with Colin Quinn.[29] He then lost his place on the second season ofLast Comic Standing in 2004 because of a contractual obligation to film pilot episodes forMTV which he had secured following the success of hisOne Night Stand special.[28][31] The two pilots wereCamp Cool, filmed inCancun forMTV Spring Break, also starringAl Shearer about helping men meet women, andStupid Bets.[23][24] His manager advised him not to compete inLast Comic Standing as it was a reality show, but he agreed as he was depressed and frustrated with the uncertainty of his career asOpie and Anthony had been cancelled.[24] Norton had a contract withViacom during this time.[24]
In September 2004, Norton made his first appearance onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno,[63] and appeared twice more by mid-2006.[64] He has appeared many times since, including as a correspondent named "The Uninvited Guest."[65] In April 2005, Norton starred in a pilot episode forLouis C.K.'s HBO sitcomLucky Louie, playing as Louie's friend Rich.[28] He landed the role after the series was picked up by the network and aired through 2006.[64] In 2007, Norton co-hosted theAVN Awards withJessica Drake.[21] In June 2008, Norton appeared in several episodes ofThe Gong Show with Dave Attell as one of the celebrity judges. Since mid-2007, Norton has been a regular guest onRed Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld onFox News which he later credited as a contributor in boosting turnouts to his comedy shows.[40] In 2010, Norton guest-hostedRed Eye. Starting in 2010, Norton began appearing inLouis C.K.'sFX sitcomLouie. In 2010, Norton's role inBored to Death was tailored by its creatorJonathan Ames, a fan of his.[10] In 2013, Norton said he had pitched a television show about a sex addict radio show host, but it was not picked up.[20]
In July 2014, Norton debuted his four-episode talk show,The Jim Norton Show, on Vice a first for the network.[66] The show featured opening monologues, pre-recorded bits, and guest interviews including co-hostBailey Jay, comediansDave Attell,Whitney Cummings, andGilbert Gottfried; andMike Tyson,Dana White, and"Freeway" Rick Ross.[67] Norton had assistance with the writing from comediansKurt Metzger andJesse Joyce.[66] Vice had expressed an interest in filming more episodes, but Norton became unsure because he wasn't paid for the first season.[33] Looking back on the project, Norton was pleased with its outcome and entered talks with regard to continuing the format with other networks.[39] In 2015, Norton starred in an episode of Quinn's parody television seriesCop Show.[68] In April 2016, Norton revealed that he had shot two pilot episodes for a potential comedy series on theAMC channel. Though it was not picked up, the show was reworked into a discussion program where he hosts a panel who talk about a single subject for thirty minutes.[69]
In early 2007, Norton announced the near completion of his first book, a collection of stories of his life with anecdotes from his childhood and his comedy career.Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch was released on July 10, 2007.[70] It reached No. 4 onThe New York Times Best Seller list under hardcover non-fiction,[71] and entered theAmazon.com Top 10 for books the day it was released, peaking at No. 7.
Norton released his second book,I Hate Your Guts, on November 4, 2008. It reached No. 13 onThe New York Times Best Seller list under hardcover non-fiction.[72] He criticizes people in the book, includingAl Sharpton,Keith Olbermann, andSteve Martin, which includes a rant that Norton later regretted and has since apologized for to Martin.[73]
In 2002, Norton appeared on the short filmCrooks, a straight to video release about postal workers stealing stamps.[10] Norton has had variouscameo appearances such as in the 2002 filmSpider-Man and the 2008 filmZack and Miri Make a Porno. He has also appeared in the filmsFurry Vengeance,Cop Out, andSpecial Correspondents. Norton recalled around 2003 being a time when his acting career had gained some momentum.[74]
In 2016, Norton landed a role inFrom Nowhere, a critically acclaimed independent film about three teenagers from the Bronx.[32] This was followed by an appearance inPitching Tents.[74] Norton had a pivotal role in the 2008 filmCourting Condi, counselingDevin Ratray on how to win the heart ofCondoleezza Rice.[75]
Norton starred in the crime filmThe Irishman as a youngDon Rickles who tells jokes to a crowd withRobert De Niro andJoe Pesci present. He landed the part without an audition, and De Niro requested that Norton perform his own material after using jokes from Rickles's act from the 1970s.[44]
In 2007, Norton bought an apartment on theUpper West Side ofNew York City.[76] He is a longtime fan ofOzzy Osbourne,Black Sabbath, andKiss[77] and is a close family friend of Osbourne and his wifeSharon.[44] Norton is a supporter ofprostitution[78] andtransgender people.[44]
On the October 23, 2023, episode of radio showJim Norton & Sam Roberts, Norton announced that he had married a Norwegian, transgender male-to-female webcam model named Nikki.[79]
Albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Yellow Discipline | Recorded at The Stress Factory inNew Brunswick, New Jersey |
| 2005 | Trinkets I Own Made from Gorilla Hands | Recorded at The Stress Factory |
| 2011 | Despicable | Recorded at The Stress Factory |
| 2012 | No Baby For You! | Recorded in Boston in 2007 |
DVDs/Specials
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | One Night Stand: Jim Norton | 30 minute HBO special |
| 2007 | Monster Rain | Recorded at The Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C. |
| 2009 | Down and Dirty with Jim Norton | Stand-up showcase, hosted by Norton |
| 2012 | Please Be Offended | 1 hrEPIX special recorded at Ohio Theatre inCleveland |
| 2013 | American Degenerate | 1 hr EPIX special recorded in Boston |
| 2015 | Contextually Inadequate | 1 hr EPIX special recorded in Boston |
| 2017 | A Mouthful of Shame | 1 hour Netflix special recorded in New York |
| 2019 | The Degenerates: Jim Norton | 20 minute Netflix special |
Books
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch | Foreword byColin Quinn |
| 2008 | I Hate Your Guts | A collection of 35 venomous essays |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Brokers | Homeless Guy | |
| 2000 | Sidesplitters: The Burt & Dick Story | Dick | Short film |
| 2000 | Ed | Ernie | Two episodes |
| 2002 | Run Ronnie Run! | Police Officer | Uncredited |
| 2002 | American Dummy | Eddie Barnum | Short film |
| 2002 | Errors, Freaks & Oddities | Paul | |
| 2002 | Spider-Man | Surly Truck Driver | |
| 2002 | Rock Bottom | Diesel | |
| 2002 | Crooks | Paul | Short film featuring Norton as Paul, Jessica Alexander as Carmela, and Rozie Bacchi as Maggie Bagley |
| 2003 | The Gynecologists | Sheldrake | Short film |
| 2006 | Bully | Officer Morrison (Voice) | Video game |
| 2006–07 | Lucky Louie | Rich | 13 episodes |
| 2008 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | Auditioner | |
| 2008 | Grand Theft Auto IV | Joseph Kaplan, Chuck Williams-Jones (Just or Unjust) (voice) | Video game |
| 2008 | Courting Condi | Himself | |
| 2009 | Z Rock | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Cop Out | George | |
| 2010 | Furry Vengeance | Hank | |
| 2010 | Bored to Death | Jim | Episode: "The Gowanus Canal Has Gonorrhea!" |
| 2010–15 | Louie | Jim / Pig | 10 episodes |
| 2012 | True Bromance | Best Bro | |
| 2012 | Who Is Tara Thomas? | Himself | Short film |
| 2013–16 | Inside Amy Schumer | Various | 5 episodes |
| 2014 | Teachers Lounge | Head of Security | |
| 2014 | Top Five | Himself | |
| 2015 | Deadbeat | Carl | Episode: "The Spank Job" |
| 2015 | Benders | Brian Beale | Episode: "Wake 'Em Up" |
| 2015 | The Knick | Camera Man | Episode: "Williams and Walker" |
| 2015 | Trainwreck | Carriage Driver | |
| 2016 | From Nowhere | Louis | |
| 2016 | Special Correspondents | Rent Boy | |
| 2016 | Nightcap | Himself | Episode: "A-List Thief" |
| 2016 | The Comedian | Himself | |
| 2016 | Pitching Tents | Mr. Mulligan | |
| 2016–2017 | Power | Father Callahan | 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Crashing | Himself | Episode: "The Baptism" |
| 2019 | The Irishman | Don Rickles | |
| 2020 | NOS4A2 | Ernie Hicks | Episode: "Good Father" |
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | One Night Stand | |
| 2007 | Jim Norton: Monster Rain | Stand-up special |
| 2012 | Jim Norton: Please Be Offended | Stand-up special |
| 2012 | Jim Norton: American Degenerate | Stand-up special |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | TheJim Breuer Show | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1998 | White Chicks, Incorporated | |
| 2002 | Comedian | Documentary |
| 2002-2004 | Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn | |
| 2004 | Meet The Creeps Vol. 1 | |
| 2004 | Last Comic Standing | Episode: "Las Vegas Finals: Part 2" |
| 2004–11 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | |
| 2005 | One Night Stand | Episode: "Jim Norton" |
| 2006 | Al Franken: God Spoke | Documentary |
| 2006–09 | Late Show with David Letterman | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Lucky Louie: A Week In The Life | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Jim Norton: Monster Rain | Stand-up special |
| 2007–12 | Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld | |
| 2008 | The Gong Show with Dave Attell | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Down and Dirty with Jim Norton | 4 episodes |
| 2008 | The Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget | |
| 2009 | Impaled: Painfully Blunt! | Documentary |
| 2009 | The Tragic Side of Comedy | TV documentary |
| 2009–13 | Hannity | |
| 2009–14 | Chelsea Lately | 8 episodes |
| 2010 | Just for Laughs | 1 episode |
| 2011 | That Metal Show | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Looking for Lenny | Documentary |
| 2011 | Dave's Old Porn | Episode: "Jim Norton/Seka" |
| 2011 | Imagine | Episode: "The Art of Stand-Up – Part Two" |
| 2011– | The Joe Rogan Experience | 8 episodes |
| 2012 | The Rock & Roll Roast of Zakk Wylde | |
| 2012 | Jim Norton: Please Be Offended | Stand-up special |
| 2012 | Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | 1 episode |
| 2012 | The Burn with Jeff Ross | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Love You, Mean It with Whitney Cummings | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Rock and Roll Roast of Dee Snider | |
| 2013 | Four Courses with J.B. Smoove | |
| 2013 | The Jeselnik Offensive | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Insane Clown Posse Theater | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Jim Norton: American Degenerate | Stand-up special |
| 2013–14 | Kevin Pollak's Chat Show | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | I Am Road Comic | Documentary |
| 2014 | Comedy Underground with Dave Attell | 1 episode |
| 2014 | The Jim Norton Show | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | @midnight | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Misery Loves Comedy | Documentary |
| 2015 | Jim Norton: Contextually Inadequate | Stand-up special |
| 2016 | The Eric Andre Show | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Gilbert | Documentary |
| 2018– | Louder with Crowder | 8 episodes |
| 2019 | Bar Rescue | Recon spy; Episode: "Doreen's Dilemma" |
| 2023 | The Adam Friedland Show | 1 episode |
July 19, 1968. It is hard to believe that on Monday I turned 36 years old.
The newly minted 50-year-old, who celebrated his birthday on July 19, just entered his 28th year on the comedy circuit this past April...
Norton, 47...
Norton: "I had a confirmation name [...] James Joseph Norton [...] My confirmation name was Christopher."
Books
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
