Congratulations to JIM NORTON, who is appearing in Port Authority (which closes 6/22), for his TONY AWARD for Best Featured Actor in a Play-Conor McPherson's The Seafarer (you can read the Celticcafe.com review by clicking on the link below).
The win is particularly noteworthy because the show has been closed for months. We loved the way Norton shouted "I love New York!" when he accepted his award. Here are some of Norton's comments in the Press Room:
Q: How is it different from wining Olivier? For same role?
NORTON: ...it's 2 for the price of one.
The Oliviers are understated and quiet, as you'd expect in London, not televised.... Here people in the street are shouting at me!
I didn't expect to win, didn't have an elegant speech prepared, don't know what I said up there.
Q: The character you play has so many specific character elements, blind, drunk, adorable...
What was the most difficult thing about developing it.?
NORTON: Playing someone who's blind, I didn't know where to begin.
I record a lot of books for RNIB, that's the royal national institue for the blind... I went in there and asked around and is it ok to ask questions about it. I met people who had gone blind, explained to me what process was like. I did a huge amount of research.
When I got back to study the play, all those elements were in the play anyway. Everything he wrote from his heart intuitively was correct.
(Usually) You have fellow actors to look at to respond to, interrelated world... When you're blind, you can't look at anybody. I'd go onstage and de-focus and not look at anybody. The fact that he was a drunk as well and fell down again...I spent a lot of time at tha gym and with physical therapist....
Port authority (also by McPherson) is very gentle play and doesn't require any physical hijinks.
I'm in pain...I've been working since last September without a break.. Next, I'm going back to London to see my grandkids and daughters, have a late celebration of Fathers Day.
I've done 5 of Conor's plays now... He has written a movie which he's asked me to be in
In addition, I will record whole of Finnegan's Wake... I have a contract to do all of James Joyce, this is the last.
But first of all, I'm going to lie down for a week and recover.
Author: Gwen Orel
