Dean Norris

Early life

Norris was born in South Bend, Indiana, the son of Rosemarie "Rosie" (née Lacay; 1934–2012) and Jack B. Norris (1930–2008), a furniture store owner. His mother was born in South Bend, to a Hungarian immigrant couple, while his father was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he lived for one year until moving to South Bend. Norris has two sisters, Connie and Nikie. He graduated from Clay High School in 1981, where he says he was a straight-A student and one of the class valedictorians. While in high school, he was a member of an award-winning student-produced comedy show, Beyond Our Control which ran on the local NBC affiliate, WNDU-TV, at that time owned and operated by the University of Notre Dame. He is a 1985 graduate of Harvard College, where he majored in social studies. He also attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for one year.

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 is best known for his role as DEA agent Hank Schrader on Breaking Bad, which he played from the show's premiere in 2008 to its final season in 2013. Norris' performance on Breaking Bad has received critical acclaim.

Norris also starred in the CBS series Under the Dome, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. 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; Rennie initially seems to do the right thing in getting the town accustomed to the separation, but he soon starts to abuse his power.

Personal life

Norris lives with his wife Bridget and their five children in Temecula, California.