Lance Norris
Encyclopedia
Lance Norris is an American actor/writer/director/stand-up comic/critic/mentalist.
Norris was born in Des Moines, Iowa
and attended Whitman College
where he was a wrestler and rugby player. He also attended Emerson College
where he wrestled under US Team Coach Jim Peckham.
He has appeared in the films Mystic River
, Glory, Be Cool
and With Honors
, was Squeers in the West Coast premiere of the 8 and half hour long play The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
and he played a SWAT team leader on the Fox
TV series Against The Law.
Norris co-hosted a morning show for Boston
's WBCN and WZLX
for almost 20 years. He collected some of his radio scripts as the book Ask A Bitter Man. He was also a consultant for the short-lived Mike O'Malley Show on NBC
, and wrote for the Emmy
-nominated Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher on Comedy Central
and Saturday Night Live
s Weekend Update on NBC. He was listed as a Contributing Editor in one issue of the National Lampoon, in 1994.
Norris has written a number of plays including 8 Gr8 D8s and JWL., and has registered over 100 songs with Old Boston Publishing (BMI
) and Dutchco Music (BMI).
From the IMDB: Lance Norris lives the life a country gentleman on the coast of Massachusetts. After shattering his kneecap during a bar fight scene in the film The Mouse, Norris writes and does voice work for Charles Laquidara's morning radio show from his home studio, on WZLX in Boston. He also writes an occasional joke for P.I with Bill Maher and articles for magazines like Entertainment Weekly and Musician. Norris is also the author of two joke books and a former Contributing Editor to National Lampoon. A multi-talented musician, Norris is active in the local Boston music scene and is credited with writing over 100 songs on BMI. As of 1998, only one CD of his works remains in print. He can also be seen in music videos by Stevie Nicks, Milli Vanilli, The Stools and Keel, and the random TV commercial.
Norris is an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts
and a former cultural lecturer at the Chengdu University of Science and Technology in the People's Republic of China
.
Norris lives on the coast, south of Boston
in Marshfield, Massachusetts
, with his wife Amy and their five children. As of 2006 he was teaching acting workshops at Maura Tighe Casting in Boston, MA and is available as a mentalist for corporate events. He is also the Boston, MA area theatre critic for playshakespeare.com (the internet's largest free resource for William Shakespeare
) and sits on the board of directors for the Plymouth Independent Film Festival.
His band, Lance Norris and The Dog Track Gravy, are currently active in the Northeast college and club market.
Life and career
Norris was born in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
and attended Whitman College
Whitman College
Whitman College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian, residential undergraduate liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. Initially founded as a seminary by a territorial legislative charter in 1859, the school became a four year degree granting institution in 1883...
where he was a wrestler and rugby player. He also attended Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
where he wrestled under US Team Coach Jim Peckham.
He has appeared in the films Mystic River
Mystic River (film)
Mystic River is a 2003 American drama film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney and Emmy Rossum. The film was written by Brian Helgeland, based on Dennis Lehane's novel of the same...
, Glory, Be Cool
Be Cool
Be Cool is a 2005 crime-comedy film adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1999 novel of the same name and the sequel to Leonard's 1990 novel Get Shorty about mobster Chili Palmer's entrance into the film industry.The film adaptation of Be Cool began production in 2003. It was directed by F...
and With Honors
With Honors
With Honors is a 1994 dramatic comedy film starring Joe Pesci and Brendan Fraser. The film was directed by Alek Keshishian who has more famously directed music videos for Madonna and Bobby Brown.-Synopsis:...
, was Squeers in the West Coast premiere of the 8 and half hour long play The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (play)
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is an eight-hour stage play, presented over two performances, adapted from the Charles Dickens novel of the same name by David Edgar. Directed by John Caird and Trevor Nunn, it opened on 5 June 1980 at the Aldwych Theatre in London. The music and lyrics...
and he played a SWAT team leader on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
TV series Against The Law.
Norris co-hosted a morning show for Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's WBCN and WZLX
WZLX
WZLX is a prominent classic rock radio station in the Boston, Massachusetts market. WZLX was one of the first classic rock FM stations in America...
for almost 20 years. He collected some of his radio scripts as the book Ask A Bitter Man. He was also a consultant for the short-lived Mike O'Malley Show on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and wrote for the Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-nominated Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
s Weekend Update on NBC. He was listed as a Contributing Editor in one issue of the National Lampoon, in 1994.
Norris has written a number of plays including 8 Gr8 D8s and JWL., and has registered over 100 songs with Old Boston Publishing (BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) and Dutchco Music (BMI).
From the IMDB: Lance Norris lives the life a country gentleman on the coast of Massachusetts. After shattering his kneecap during a bar fight scene in the film The Mouse, Norris writes and does voice work for Charles Laquidara's morning radio show from his home studio, on WZLX in Boston. He also writes an occasional joke for P.I with Bill Maher and articles for magazines like Entertainment Weekly and Musician. Norris is also the author of two joke books and a former Contributing Editor to National Lampoon. A multi-talented musician, Norris is active in the local Boston music scene and is credited with writing over 100 songs on BMI. As of 1998, only one CD of his works remains in print. He can also be seen in music videos by Stevie Nicks, Milli Vanilli, The Stools and Keel, and the random TV commercial.
Norris is an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
and a former cultural lecturer at the Chengdu University of Science and Technology in the People's Republic of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Norris lives on the coast, south of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in Marshfield, Massachusetts
Marshfield, Massachusetts
Marshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on Massachusetts's South Shore. The population was 25,132 at the 2010 census.See also: Green Harbor, Marshfield , Rexhame, Marshfield Hills, and Ocean Bluff and Brant Rock....
, with his wife Amy and their five children. As of 2006 he was teaching acting workshops at Maura Tighe Casting in Boston, MA and is available as a mentalist for corporate events. He is also the Boston, MA area theatre critic for playshakespeare.com (the internet's largest free resource for William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
) and sits on the board of directors for the Plymouth Independent Film Festival.
His band, Lance Norris and The Dog Track Gravy, are currently active in the Northeast college and club market.
Televised performances
- 20/20 (November 26, 2001)
- Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
(1994) - America's Funniest PeopleAmerica's Funniest PeopleAmerica's Funniest People is an American reality series on ABC that debuted on May 1, 1990 as an hour-long special, and later as a weekly half-hour prime time series from September 8, 1990 to August 28, 1994. It was hosted by Dave Coulier and Arleen Sorkin from 1990 to 1992. Tawny Kitaen replaced...
(October 17, 1993) - Politically IncorrectPolitically IncorrectPolitically Incorrect is a late-night, half-hour political talk show hosted by Bill Maher that ran from 1993 to 2002. It premiered on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997, and later on ABC in 1997, which cancelled it in 2002....
(1994) - The Mike O’Malley Show (1999)
- Against The Law (1990)
- The Movie Loft (2001)
Feature films
- ZookeeperZookeeperA zookeeper is a worker in a zoo, responsible for the feeding and daily care of the animals. As part of their routine, they clean the exhibits and report health problems...
(20112011 in filmThe year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :...
) - The TownThe TownThe Town is a novel written by Conrad Richter in 1950. It is the third installment of his Awakening Land trilogy. The Trees and The Fields were the earlier installments in the series. The Town was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1951.In September 1966, Alfred A. Knopf reissued the...
(20102010 in filmThe year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and...
) - The Invention of LyingThe Invention of LyingThe Invention of Lying is a 2009 fantasy romantic comedy film that is written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson. This film is the directorial debut of Gervais. The film stars Ricky Gervais as the first human with the ability to lie...
(20092009 in filmThe year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
) - Mystic RiverMystic River (film)Mystic River is a 2003 American drama film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney and Emmy Rossum. The film was written by Brian Helgeland, based on Dennis Lehane's novel of the same...
(20032003 in filmThe year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
) - Anathema (20032003 in filmThe year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
) - No Sleep (2005)
- Be CoolBe CoolBe Cool is a 2005 crime-comedy film adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1999 novel of the same name and the sequel to Leonard's 1990 novel Get Shorty about mobster Chili Palmer's entrance into the film industry.The film adaptation of Be Cool began production in 2003. It was directed by F...
(2004) - The Mouse (19961996 in filmMajor releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
) - With HonorsWith HonorsWith Honors is a 1994 dramatic comedy film starring Joe Pesci and Brendan Fraser. The film was directed by Alek Keshishian who has more famously directed music videos for Madonna and Bobby Brown.-Synopsis:...
(19941994 in film1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
) - Glory (1989)
Discography
- Meat The Stools (1989)
- Sophomore SlumpSophomore slumpA sophomore slump or sophomore jinx refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the standards of the first effort...
(1990) - Khaki (1990)
- Soft as a Grape (1991)
- The Unplayable Lie (1992)
- X-mas With The Stools (1994)
- All of Mao's Good Little Children Sing The Songs of Lance Norris (1995)
- Draconian Messures (1998)
- Nine Inch Jails (2000)
- Samples- A Musical Ouvre-View of The Stools (2004)
- Untraditionally Handsome (2010)
Collected work
- Ask A Bitter Man Vol. 1“, 1992, Dutchco Press. ISBN 1-4116-2646-X
- I've Seen Better Film on the Teeth of Wolverines, 2007. Dutchco Press. ISBN 978-0-6151-5938-6