Happy Valley's James Norton reveals stage role gave him panic attacks - 'I was a mess'
James Norton has opened up about the deeply personal and challenging journey he faced while starring in the London play A Little Life.
The Happy Valley actor, 39, starred in the stage adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara’s acclaimed novel alongside Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson last summer. He played the role of Jude, a character scarred by childhood sexual abuse, which led to him having panic attacks.
Despite his critically acclaimed performance, the role took a toll on James physically and mentally.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, the actor described the play as the hardest thing he has ever done.
"I was naive. I thought I would be able to apply my philosophy to split work and life, but without sounding overly worthy, it felt so important because some people who came to see the play were survivors of abuse," he told journalist Jonathan Dean.
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Initially, he thought he’d manage to keep his personal life separate from the demanding role, but the weight of the story – and its impact on abuse survivors in the audience – hit him harder than expected.
"To do the role justice, I gave over my life for six months," he confessed, adding that balancing the intensity of 180 performances took a toll on his relationships and left him physically and emotionally drained.
"If the work starts to compromise one’s relationships, it can become unhealthy. Suddenly you realise you haven’t left any space for other people and so I was pissed off with that," he said, adding that he was "a mess" and "having panic attacks" by the end of the show's first three-month run.
His post-performance routine became a ritual of sorts, decompressing with two-hour marathons of Gogglebox to unwind.
"I started resenting the play and I was a catatonic mess," he said. "I’d wake up and my first feeling was rage,” he shared, admitting he often questioned, "'Why am I doing this?'"
Despite his struggles, the Granchester star completed the run, sweeping a total of three WhatsOnStage Awards.
"I was exhausted and hurting," he reflected. "But months after the show finished, I was already talking to the producer about doing it again."
