In 2006, Norton starred in three films: Down in the Valley, as a dangerous drifter purporting to be a cowpoke; The Illusionist, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later became a sleeper hit when it went into general release; and The Painted Veil.
In 2014, Norton played Mike Shiner, a prickly Broadway actor in the black comedy film Birdman and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role.