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Dean Norris
American actor (born 1963) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Dean Joseph Norris (born April 8, 1963)[1][2][3] is an American actor. He is known for playing Hank Schrader on the AMC series Breaking Bad (2008–2013), James "Big Jim" Rennie on the CBS series Under the Dome (2013–2015),[4] Clay "Uncle Daddy" Husser on the TNT series Claws (2017–2022), and Randall Stabler on the NBC series Law & Order: Organized Crime (2023–present). Throughout his career, he has amassed over 154 credits across film and television, including over 40 law enforcement roles.
Norris has appeared in films such as Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Hard to Kill (1990), Total Recall (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Firm (1993), Starship Troopers (1997), The Cell (2000), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Evan Almighty (2007), Sons of Liberty (2015), The Book of Henry (2017), Death Wish (2018), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) and Carry-On (2024).
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Early life and education
Dean Joseph Norris was born in South Bend, Indiana,[5][1] in a family of Hungarian descent; his grandfather lived in Tiszadob.[6] He graduated from Clay High School in 1981, where he was the class valedictorian.[3][7] While in high school, he was a member of the award-winning student-produced comedy show Beyond Our Control, which ran on WNDU-TV.[8][9] He is a 1985 graduate of Harvard College, where he studied the interdisciplinary concentration of Social Studies and was a member of Hasty Pudding Theatricals.[10][11][12] He also earned a diploma from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1987.[11][13][14]
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Career
Norris starred in Tremors: The Series and the film Without Limits. He has had guest spots in other television series including NYPD Blue, The X-Files, The West Wing, and Lost, and has appeared in films including Gattaca and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He played Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Hank Schrader on Breaking Bad from the show's premiere in 2008 to its final season in 2013. Norris' performance on Breaking Bad has received critical acclaim.[15][16]
Norris also starred in the CBS series Under the Dome. He plays selectman James "Big Jim" Rennie, the only town council member in the area which is cut off from the rest of the United States. As of June 2017, he plays mob boss Clay "Uncle Daddy" Husser in the TNT series Claws.
In 2020, Norris reprised the role of Agent Hank Schrader on-screen in the Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul during the show's fifth season.[17]
Norris was cast in a lead role for the CBS sitcom United States of Al.
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Personal life
Norris and his wife, Bridget, a former entertainment attorney, live with their five children in Temecula, California.[13] In 2018, the couple opened the Norris Performing Arts Center in Murrieta.[18] Norris is a fan of his hometown team the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.[19] In 2019, he helped launch Schraderbräu, Hank Schrader's in-universe home-brewed craft beer, as an official product.[20] In 2022, Dean and Bridget Norris purchased The Swing Inn Cafe, a long-standing restaurant in Old Town, Temecula, for $6 million.[21] Norris is a committed member of the Democratic Party and has publicly denounced and criticized US President Donald Trump.[22] He is known to have attended the 2016 and 2024 Democratic National Conventions.[22][23]
Filmography
Film
Television
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Awards and nominations
References
External links
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