This is seems so strange to people in U.S. We don't care where you went to school. But the Brits are obsessed with it. Articles on James mention where he went to school, even how much Ampleforth cost per year. Like we care. But they care in England.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/02/james-norton-tv-producers-also-typecast-against-posh-actors
Oh, boy James stepped in it. Daily Mail picked up on the story and James is getting some flack in the comments.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3428322/James-Norton-slams-posh-bashing-actors-reprises-role-Happy-Valley-s-skinhead-bad-boy.html
This article has a photo of James' "posh" childhood home in Malton, North Yorkshire. His parents were teachers, not royals or richly rich.
Geez, Brits are nuts about this class stuff. Is it that hard for you to become a great success in Britain if you are from humble beginnings? Don't you have any Oprahs?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/6936764/James-Norton-got-the-acting-bug-performing-in-drag-at-his-posh-all-boys-school.html
Here's another article on James. I hope journalists who write "posh" in articles on him are given a mild electric shock.
Oh, and he shares his Peckham house with another man. (bring on the gay rumors!). If he has a male partner, I guess his love life would be less interesting than his characters. Or maybe not. (Is James laying the ground work for Coming Out?)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/02/19/james-norton-my-love-life-is-infinitely-less-interesting-than-my/
James Norton, went to the boarding school: Ampleforth College. The site lists the fees:
Per year: £32,733 (full boarder)!
So another actor with super-wealthy parents bankrolling his career. The fees for the boarding school are higher than the average wage in the UK. It's around 25 thousand pounds, that's the average earnings for many people in the UK, so you realize you how privileged he is.
'England' or rather Britain or the UK is not obsessed with the class system, the media however is. The media, specifically newspapers, and especially depending on what political party they have 'jumped into bed with' will report/discuss on specific stories and nit pick on others.
As a country, the majority of us are aware of this and anyone with an ounce of sense in their head can see through these stories. With regards to actors from an 'upper class' upbringing having a more priviliged start in their acting tutelage - Im not sold on that idea-some of our greatest actors come from a 'working class' background. These schools require auditions - if you're not good enough you just dont get in, regardless on how much money you have.
Your post makes my point.... that Brits are obsessed with class. And clearly, you have class resentment. His parents were teachers. Why do you think they are super wealthy? Even if they are, who cares? They've spent their money wisely by investing in their kids' education. James' sister is a doctor. I guess her parent's "bankrolled" her medical degrees, too. Oh, those good for nothing, educated rich kids!
sharean article on Rob James-Collier who played the gay, under-Butler in Downton Abbey. Guess what, he's from the
working class.
I think in America, everyone is assumed to be middle class, unless you came from extreme poverty, but we don't categorize people by class.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2110881/Downton-Abbeys-Rob-James-Collier-working-class-background-drove-succeed.html
as another American I'm equally amused/perplexed by the British fascination with class and accent in this day and age. I really can't understand it, why a country as small as England as soooo many accents. In the U.S. we don't have anywhere near as many! And for the most part you can't tell whether or not anyone was rich or poor growing up, unless they were really undereducated.
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