BATES MOTEL - FREDDIE HIGHMORE as Norman Bates - Double Costume + Hand-Signed Autograph Card DCFH
Alfred Thomas "Freddie" Highmore (born 14 February 1992) is an English actor. He made his acting debut in the comedy film Women Talking Dirty (1999), and has since starred in Finding Neverland (2004), Five Children and It (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Arthur and the Invisibles (2006), August Rush (2007), The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), Toast (2010), and The Art of Getting By (2011). He won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer in two consecutive years (2004–05).
Since 2013, Highmore has starred as Norman Bates in the A&E drama-thriller series Bates Motel, for which he was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. In 2017, he won a People's Choice Award for his work on the fourth season.
Highmore was born on 14 February 1992 in Camden Town, London, England, into a show business family. His mother, Sue Latimer, is a talent agent whose clients include actors Daniel Radcliffe and Imelda Staunton, and his father, Edward Highmore, is an actor. He has a younger brother named Albert "Bertie" Highmore, born in 1995. Highmore's home is in Highgate, an area of North London. Highmore was educated at a primary school in Hampstead Garden Suburb in Hampstead in North London, and at Highgate School, an independent school in Highgate, followed by Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he earned a Double First in Spanish and Arabic.
Highmore began his acting career with small roles on television at the age of 7. He made his film debut in Coky Giedroyc's comedy Women Talking Dirty (1999), playing the son of a woman (Helena Bonham Carter) who has recently become estranged from her commitment-phobic French lover. In 2001, Highmore played a young King Arthur in the TNT miniseries The Mists of Avalon, a revisionist take on the Arthurian legends that depicted the women of Camelot as the real power behind the throne.
In 2001, in the BBC miniseries Happy Birthday Shakespeare, he portrayed the son of a tour bus driver (Neil Morrissey) who dreams of moving his family to Stratford-upon-Avon, while his mum (Dervla Kirwan) becomes sick and tired of her husband's money making schemes. Highmore has acted alongside members of his family in two separate films; his brother Bertie played his brother in Women Talking Dirty, and his father Edward played his father in Hallmark Entertainment's television film Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001).
In 2004, Highmore returned to the big screen for the family adventure film Two Brothers, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. He played the son of a French administrator who refuses to believe that his new friend, a tiger cub, might be dangerous after having tasted blood. He next had a major role alongside Kenneth Branagh, Zoë Wanamaker and Eddie Izzard in the fantasy film Five Children and It (2004). That same year, Highmore made his breakthrough with a critically acclaimed performance as troubled Peter Llewelyn Davies in Marc Forster's semi-biographical film Finding Neverland. He received several awards and nominations for the role, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer, and nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.
In 2005, he portrayed the main role of Charlie Bucket in the musical fantasy film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, adapted from the book of the same name by Roald Dahl. He was reportedly recommended by co-star Johnny Depp, with whom Highmore had worked in Finding Neverland; Depp had been impressed by the young actor's performance and thus put his name forward for the role. Highmore had not seen the original 1971 version of the film, and decided not to see it until he was done filming so his portrayal of Charlie would not be influenced. For his role, he again won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and was awarded the Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent. Highmore also lent his voice to the film's accompanying video game of the same name.
He next appeared as a young Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) in the comedy-drama film A Good Year, which was released in the UK on 27 October 2006. Also in 2006, he began portraying protagonist Arthur Montgomery in the live-action/animated fantasy adventure film Arthur and the Invisibles, released on 13 December 2006. Two sequels followed: Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (2009) and Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds (2010). For the third film and the trilogy's accompanying video game, Highmore provided voice acting. In 2007, he lent his voice to the adventure fantasy film The Golden Compass (2007) and its video game of the same name. He then portrayed the title character in the drama film August Rush (2007), alongside Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Robin Williams. The story follows a musical prodigy as he searches for his birth parents. This film received a wide release on 21 November 2007.
Highmore next starred in the dual role of American twins Simon and Jared Grace, alongside Sarah Bolger as their sister Mallory, in the fantasy adventure film The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), based on the popular children's stories of the same name by Tony DiTerlizzi. The film also had a video game, The Spiderwick Chronicles, in which Highmore reprised the characters of Simon and Jared in a voice role. That same year, he provided voice acting for the role of Little Jack in the animated film A Fox's Tale (2008). In 2009, Highmore voiced the lead character in the animated film Astro Boy, and provided his voice to its accompanying video game, Astro Boy: The Video Game. He then played the main role in Toast, a BBC autobiographical film about chef Nigel Slater, which was aired on 30 December 2010. The miniseries marked the third time Highmore has worked with Helena Bonham Carter. Also in 2010, he starred as Hally Ballard, opposite Ving Rhames, in the drama film Master Harold...and the Boys, based on the play of the same name by Athol Fugard. The following year, he co-starred alongside Emma Roberts in the romantic comedy-drama The Art of Getting By (2011).
In 2013, Highmore voiced the title character in the animated adventure film Justin and the Knights of Valour, released on 13 September 2013 in the UK and Ireland. Since 2013, he has portrayed the iconic role of Norman Bates, alongside Vera Farmiga as his mother Norma, in the A&E drama-thriller series Bates Motel, a prequel to the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho that restarts the storyline in the present day. The series premiered on 18 March 2013. Highmore won a People's Choice Award (2016) for his performance, and has received nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television (2013), Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama (2013), and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series (2014–2015). He also wrote the fourth season episode titled "Unfaithful", and will write and direct one episode of the fifth and final season of the series. In August 2014, it was reported that Highmore and Bates Motel executive producer Kerry Ehrin had written a comedy pilot script that was purchased by NBC. However, the project was not picked up to series.
In 2015, he starred in the Libertines' music video for their single "You're My Waterloo", alongside actress Marama Corlett. In 2016, Highmore starred in Stephen Poliakoff's BBC Two seven-part miniseries Close to the Enemy, the coming-of-age comedy-drama film Holding Patterns, and Nick Hamm's political comedy-drama film The Journey. He has been cast to voice the Duke of Cheshire in the upcoming animated adaptation of The Canterville Ghost. In December 2016, it was announced that he will portray the title character Baby Face Nelson in an upcoming A&E drama pilot Baby Face, which he co-wrote and will executive produce with Kerry Ehrin.
INFORMATION ABOUT “BATES MOTEL” the TV series:
Bates Motel is an American horror drama television series developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano. It is produced by Universal Television for the cable network A&E. The series, a contemporary prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho (based on Robert Bloch's novel of the same name), depicts the lives of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in the film, albeit in a different fictional town (White Pine Bay, Oregon, as opposed to the film's Fairvale, California) and in a modern setting.
The series begins in Arizona with the death of Norma's husband, after which Norma purchases a motel located in a coastal Oregon town so she and Norman can start a new life. Subsequent seasons follow Norman as his mental illness becomes dangerous, and Norma as she struggles to protect her son from himself. Bates Motel's storylines ignore the timeline of the original film's sequels. The series is filmed outside of Vancouver in Aldergrove, British Columbia, along with other locations within the Fraser Valley of British Columbia.
A&E chose to skip a pilot of the series, opting to go straight-to-series by ordering a 10-episode first season. It premiered on March 18, 2013. On June 15, 2015, the series was renewed for a fourth and fifth season, making Bates Motel A&E's longest-running original scripted drama series in the channel's history. The fifth and final season will premiere on February 20, 2017. The series' lead actors, Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, have received particular praise for their performances in the series, with the former receiving a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Farmiga won a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, and Bates Motel won three People's Choice Awards including Favorite Cable TV Drama and Farmiga and Highmore for Favorite Cable TV Actress and Actor.
Overview:
Season 1:
The first season follows Norma and Norman Bates as they buy a motel after Norman's father dies. On one of the first nights of the two owning the motel, the former owner breaks in and sexually assaults Norma. Norman knocks the attacker out and Norma stabs him to death. When the town sheriff and his deputy notice that a man has gone missing, Norma and Norman must keep them from digging too far.
Season 2
The second season follows the aftermath of Norman's teacher's murder, as her mysterious past comes to light. Meanwhile, Norma finds herself making dangerous decisions in order to keep the motel running and preventing the impending bypass. Bradley's search for her father's killer leads to the extremes, and Dylan learns the disturbing truth about his parentage.
Season 3
The third season focuses on Norman's waning ability to stay in denial about what's happening to him, and the lengths he will go to gain control of his fragile psyche. The dramatic events of last season leave Norma more aware of her son's mental fragility and fearful of what he is capable of. Meanwhile, Sheriff Romero begins to distance himself from the Bateses after he suspects Norma is lying to him about her husband's death. Season 4
The fourth season follows Norma as she becomes increasingly fearful of Norman, going to great lengths to find him the professional help he needs. This complicates their once unbreakable trust as Norman struggles to maintain his grip on reality. Meanwhile, Sheriff Romero once again finds himself drawn into Norma and Norman's lives.
Season 5
The fifth season will begin two years after the death of Norma. Publicly happy and well-adjusted, Norman struggles at home, where his blackouts are increasing and "Mother" threatens to take him over completely. Meanwhile, Dylan and Emma find themselves drawn back into Norman's world, and Romero hungers for revenge against his stepson.
Cast and Characters:
The following is a list of characters that have appeared in the A&E drama-thriller television series Bates Motel, an adaptation of Robert Bloch's novel Psycho. The series was developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano.
Main characters
Norma Louise Bates (Vera Farmiga) is the series' co-protagonist, alongside her son. Norma is depicted as a loving but extremely possessive mother who wants to keep Norman all to herself. As a child, she was abused by her parents and raped by her brother Caleb, and she was also abused by her second husband, Sam (Norman's father). She sees Norman as the only person in the world who loves her, and pulls him closer every time she is in distress.
Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) is the series' co-protagonist, alongside his mother. Norman is depicted as a kind-hearted but deeply troubled boy who has an often unhealthy attachment to Norma. His mother has smothered and sheltered him his whole life, to the point that he is awkward and socially inept, especially around people his own age. As the series progresses, it becomes clear that Norman is mentally ill: he experiences blackouts, during which he hallucinates visions of Norma and behaves violently, before coming to with no recollection of his actions. In seasons three and four, it is becoming clear that he has a split personality, and that his other self – "Mother" – is gaining control.
Dylan Massett (Max Thieriot) is Norma's estranged son and Norman's half-brother. Having grown up largely on his own, he is resourceful, strong-willed and independent. He genuinely cares about Norman, but has a difficult relationship with Norma. He believes that Norma seeks out conflict and drama, and that her treatment of Norman will damage him. When he arrives to White Pine Bay, after recently being laid off, Dylan bonds with Norman and encourages him to have a life outside of Norma. He gets involved in the town's illicit marijuana business, and quickly rises up the ranks as he wins favor with his superiors. His world comes crashing down, however, when he learns from Norma that he is the product of an incestuous rape – his true father having been Norma's brother, Caleb – and distances himself from the family, moving out of the Bates' house. He eventually reconnects with his mother and brother in the second season finale. In season three, he becomes increasingly concerned with Norman's behavior, and tries to convince Norma to seek help for him. He also facilitates a reconciliation between Norma and Caleb after reconnecting with his father and starting a legal medicinal marijuana farm of his own, following a DEA raid which wipes out the town's cannabis trade. Throughout the season, he starts to grow close to Emma as she assists in looking after Norman, and attempts to raise the funds for her lung transplant, and the two subsequently form a romantic attachment.
Emma Decody (Olivia Cooke) is Norman's best friend. A sufferer of cystic fibrosis, Emma is often seen carrying an oxygen tank. Although Emma is British, having been born in Manchester (as was Cooke, in real life), she speaks with a local American dialect. Identifying with his unusual personality, troubled history and friendly nature, Emma is immediately infatuated with Norman and develops a friendship with him. Norman in turn finds himself warming to her, and, at the request of her father, respects her feelings for him. Seeing this, Norma becomes fond of her and employs Emma at the motel to keep her close to Norman, as well as to provide her with some much-needed maternal support and advice. Her friendship with Norman becomes strained, however, when he allows his feelings for Bradley Martin to get in the way. In addition, she becomes upset when Norma begins to blatantly keep secrets from her or tell her false stories to explain some of Norman's strange actions, and contemplates resigning from the motel. Norman ultimately reaffirms his loyalty to her when he angrily berates his girlfriend, Cody, for egging Emma to do a cliff jump into a lake, clogging her airway and nearly killing her. He later convinces her to stay at the motel by telling her the truth about Dylan's birth, explaining why Norma would not answer her questions. In season three, Emma has a short-lived relationship with Norman, but they later decide to remain friends. She soon grows close to Dylan, who becomes concerned when he learns that Emma's health has deteriorated severely, and takes it upon himself to raise the money she needs for a lung transplant. This, in turn, leads to the two starting a romantic relationship.
Sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell) is White Pine Bay's sheriff in a very awkward position. He tolerates the town's open marijuana cultivation, but only because he knows that the town's economy depends on it, and comes down hard on any gang-related murders. He maintains a stoic, hardened demeanor, both on and off the job. His interaction with the Bates family does not go smoothly, when he suspects Norma's complicity in the disappearance (and death) of Keith Summers, his friend and the former motel owner. Over time, he comes to warm to Norma, but often finds himself having to clean up her messes, including murdering a man threatening her, or pinning the blame for one of Norman's murders on somebody else. When a call girl staying at the motel gets shot and, upon dying, gives Norma a USB drive that contains a financial ledger splitting up an investment return of at least $15 million (illegal revenue from the drug trade), Romero must protect Norma, while investigating those listed on it, including his imprisoned father who used to be sheriff. When it is revealed that Norma lied to him about her husband's death, their friendship suffers and is nearly at an end. Romero must also fight those seeking the ledger in order to keep his job and save his own life. In season four, after Norman is committed for psychiatric observation, Romero's relationship with Norma changes suddenly into a romantic one.
Bradley Martin (Nicola Peltz) is a kind, attractive and popular classmate of Norman. Bradley immediately takes a shine to Norman, inviting him to his first party and introducing him to her boyfriend. Her world takes a turn for the worse, however, when her father is burned to death, and in her time of grief, she ends up having sex with Norman. Regretting it, she attempts to make amends with him, but accidentally alienates him further. She also wins the ire of Norma and Emma, who become jealous of the attention Norman gives her. With Dylan's help, she finds out who her father's murderer was, and ends up shooting him dead. With blood on her hands, Bradley turns to Norman once more, and, with his help, flees White Pine Bay to go into hiding in Boston. She later returns in season three and, lonely, seeks comfort in Norman. She asks him to speak to her mother, who thinks she's dead, but changes her mind upon learning that her mother has quickly adjusted to being without her husband and daughter. Afterwards, she feels the only person she has left in the world is Norman. She decides that it is best for her to leave town once again and pleads for Norman to come with her. He accepts, but Norman (in his "Mother" persona) kills Bradley by repeatedly bashing her head against a rock.
Caleb Calhoun (Kenny Johnson) is Norma's estranged older brother, Norman's uncle and Dylan's biological father. In season two, Caleb arrives at the Bates Motel but Norma immediately throws him out. However, Caleb bonds with Dylan, saying he helped protect Norma from their abusive father when they were children. Dylan defends Caleb to Norma, but she claims he repeatedly raped her for years during their childhood. This then escalates into a fight between Norman and Dylan until Norma intervenes by revealing that Caleb is Dylan's father. After Norman (in Norma's persona) attacks him for the rape, Caleb leaves town. He returns to help Dylan with a "pot farm" by building a barn. Dylan grows closer to Caleb and ponders telling Norma about his return, which is hastened by Norman and Emma spotting Caleb at the remote cabin. Norma and Caleb have an emotional reunion in which he apologizes to her, but she does not completely forgive him. After a curious neighbor to the farm seeks a gun runner to Canada, Caleb offers to take the job; however, Dylan also needs the money to help Emma so he accompanies him. The dropoff is supposed to have been the neighbor's demise, and Caleb manages to save Dylan. He then returns to beat the neighbor until he promises to leave Dylan alone and give them the promised money. Caleb leaves again, but not before telling Norma about Norman attacking him in the "Mother" persona.
Recurring characters introduced in season one:
Deputy Zack Shelby (Mike Vogel)
Jake Abernathy (Jere Burns)
Miss Blair Watson (Keegan Connor Tracy)
Ethan Chang (Terry Chen)
Remo Wallace (Ian Tracey)
Gil Turner (Vincent Gale)
Will Decody (Ian Hart / Andrew Howard)
Jiao (Diana Bang)
Richard Sylmore (Richard Harmon)
Sam Bates (David Cubitt)
Gunner (Keenan Tracey)
Regina (Aliyah O'Brien)
Dr. Fumhiro Kurata (Hiro Kanagawa)
Lissa (Brittney Wilson)
Recurring characters introduced in season two:
George Heldens (Michael Vartan)
Christine Heldens (Rebecca Creskoff)
Jodi Morgan (Kathleen Robertson)
Zane Morgan (Michael Eklund)
Nick Ford (Michael O'Neill)
Cody Brennan (Paloma Kwiatkowski)
Amelia Martin (Lini Evans)
Jimmy Brennan (Michael Rogers)
Deputy Jeffcoat (Matthew Mandzij)
Declan Rogers (Francis X. McCarthy)
Deputy Patty Lin (Agam Darshi)
Recurring characters introduced in season three:
Chick Hogan (Ryan Hurst)
Bob Paris (Kevin Rahm)
Liz Babbitt (Anika Noni Rose)
Annika Johnson (Tracy Spiridakos)
James Finnigan (Joshua Leonard)
Marcus Young (Adetomiwa Edun)
Recurring characters introduced in season four:
Dr. Gregg Edwards (Damon Gupton)
Rebecca Hamilton (Jaime Ray Newman)
Julian Howe (Marshall Allman)
Dickie Bolton (Terence Kelly)
Audrey Ellis (Karina Logue)
Nurse Penny (Kelly-Ruth Mercier)
Vicki Monroe (Fiona Vroom)
Howard Collins (Craig Erickson)
Doctor Guynan (Louis Ferreira)
Recurring characters introduced in season five
Marion Crane (Rihanna)
Madeline Loomis (Isabelle McNally)
Sam Loomis (Austin Nichols)
Sheriff Dana Greene (Brooke Smith)
On January 12, 2012, it was reported that A&E were developing a television series titled Bates Motel that would serve as a prequel to the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho. The first script was written by Anthony Cipriano. In March 2012, Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin joined the project as executive producers and head writers. Cuse has cited the drama series Twin Peaks as a key inspiration for Bates Motel, stating, "We pretty much ripped off Twin Peaks... If you wanted to get that confession, the answer is yes. I loved that show. They only did 30 episodes. Kerry [Ehrin] and I thought we'd do the 70 that are missing." On July 2, 2012, A&E gave Bates Motel a straight-to-series order.
Casting:
On August 27, 2012, Vera Farmiga was the first to be cast in the leading role of Norma Louise Bates. On September 14, 2012, Freddie Highmore was cast as Norman Bates. That same day, Max Thieriot was cast as Norman's half-brother, Dylan Massett. Shortly after, on September 19, 2012, Nicola Peltz was cast as Bradley Martin, a possible love interest for Norman. Finally, on September 20, 2012, Olivia Cooke was the final main cast member to join the series, in the role of Emma Decody, Norman's best friend. Nestor Carbonell was cast in a recurring role as Sheriff Alex Romero in the first season, but was upgraded to the main cast at the beginning of the second season. In July 2014, Kenny Johnson, who recurred as Norma's brother Caleb Calhoun in the second season, was promoted to a series regular for the third season. It was announced on July 22, 2016 at San Diego Comic-Con International that Rihanna would appear in the iconic role of Marion Crane for the fifth and final season.
Filming:
A replica of the original Bates Motel set from the film Psycho was built on location in Aldergrove, British Columbia on 272nd Street, where the series is filmed. The original house and motel is located in Universal Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles. Additional filming for the series has taken place in multiple areas in British Columbia, including Steveston, Coquitlam, Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver and Fort Langley.
Critical response:
The first season of Bates Motel received a score of 66 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 81% of 37 critics gave the first season a positive review. The site's consensus reads, "Bates Motel utilizes mind manipulation and suspenseful fear tactics, on top of consistently sharp character work and wonderfully uncomfortable familial relationships."
The second season of Bates Motel received a score of 67 out of 100 on Metacritic, from 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Rotten Tomatoes reported an 86% rating from 12 reviews for the second season. The site's consensus reads, "Bates Motel reinvents a classic thriller with believable performances and distinguished writing."
The third season of Bates Motel received a score of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic, from 5 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% rating from 12 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "Bates Motel further blurs lines around TV's creepiest taboo mother/son relationship, uncomfortably darkening its already fascinating tone."
The fourth season of Bates Motel was met with very positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% positive rating from 8 reviews, and holds an average score of 7.6 out of 10.
Merchandising
NBCUniversal partnered with Hot Topic, the American retailer of pop culture merchandise, to introduce a collection of clothing and accessories inspired by Bates Motel. The merchandise, including items such as bathrobes and bloody shower curtains, became available at Hot Topic's website and select stores on March 18, 2014.