Few actors have had a bigger year than James Norton. Between his standout role as Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon and a string of acclaimed projects elsewhere, the actor has become one of television’s most in-demand stars. According to Sharon Horgan, however, one chance meeting helped solve a major problem in the finale of HBO’s Youth.
In fact, Horgan says Norton’s last-minute casting turned out to be an unexpected gift for the show’s ending.
Quick read:
- James Norton made a surprise finale appearance.
- Sharon Horgan came up with the idea late.
- A chance Wimbledon meeting helped make it happen.
A Wimbledon encounter led to a finale cameo
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Horgan explained that the idea for Norton’s role arrived surprisingly late in the writing process.
The finale centers on a literary awards ceremony, and Horgan wanted one of her characters, Charlotte, to have an unusual claim to fame.
“James Norton was an absolute win that I still can’t believe.”
Add WoT as a preferred source on Google.
Horgan revealed that she bumped into Norton at Wimbledon, where the actor expressed his admiration for her work.
That encounter ended up becoming useful when she later devised a new storyline for the finale.
“I had this idea really late in the day that Charlotte had written these terrible plays, as well. So I thought, Who could give her her award? Someone who became famous, rather than someone from the literary world.”
What started as a spontaneous idea quickly became an important part of the episode.
Credit: HBO
Norton helped bookend the season’s celebrity appearances
Horgan also noted that the finale already featured a notable cameo from Damian Lewis, and she wanted another recognizable face to help close out the season.
“And with Damian Lewis as a premiere cameo, I liked the notion of bookending the show with another chunky bit of celeb muscle in the finale.”
Fortunately for the production, Norton was willing to participate.
“Luckily, he said yes.”
The cameo has become one of the most talked-about elements of the finale, particularly among fantasy fans who know Norton best as Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon.
Read next: Alys Rivers is engaged! And it’s not to Harren The Black or Aemond Targaryen
