Twitter

We’re not even trying to hide it: Up-and-coming British actor James Norton is our official spring crush. We swooned about a month ago when we caught him rocking Napoleonic gear in War & Peace and dubbed him our new “British boyfriend.” You might laugh, but the truth is the actor is totally having a moment…on streaming. Even though he hasn’t crossed over to Hollywood yet, chances are you’ll find yourself binge-watching Norton over the coming weeks. Season two of Happy Valley just landed on Netflix and soon you’ll be able to catch season two of Grantchester on PBS.com.

Given that we are in the midst of the “James Norton takeover,” it might be time for you to take the time to acquaint yourself with the latest Englishman with chiseled cheekbones to conquer the states. If you want the lowdown on James Norton, we’ve compiled a streaming dossier for you. It’s kind of like a “meet cute” in a romantic comedy, but because it’s all streaming, we’re calling it your “meet queue.” So get ready to fall in love with James Norton…

Belle (2013)

Like many of his ilk, poor English James Norton had to start his acting career in earnest wearing wigs and cravats. Norton played the “Baxter” (i.e. lesser love interest who is put there to create false dramatic tension in a love triangle) in Amma Asante’s glorious 2013 romance Belle. The film plays like a progressively-minded Jane Austen novel and is anchored by a star-making turn from Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Norton is also stellar in it, taking what could have been a two-dimensional character and infusing him with both rare emotional depth and all-too-recognizable human foibles. [Where to Stream Belle]

Death Comes To Pemberley (2013)

Norton popped up in a cravat again in 2013’s Death Comes To Pemberley. The miniseries revisited Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth (Bennet) Darcy, and their friends years after the events of Pride & Prejudice. Someone is murdered on the Darcy estate and everyone is a suspect. Norton managed to woo audiences even though he wasn’t the guy named Mr. Darcy. [Watch Death Comes To Pemberley on Netflix]

Happy Valley (2014 – 2016)

James Norton’s breakthrough came in 2014’s Happy Valley. The edgy crime thriller cast the actor as Tommy Royce, a downright despicable ex-con and rapist. Tommy went toe-to-toe with the show’s protagonist Catherine Cawood. He’s the one who raped and impregnated her daughter, who later committed suicide over the trauma. Still, Norton played the character with a uniquely charismatic form of menace that left audiences as riveted as they were repulsed. The performance earned Norton a BAFTA nomination and marked him as one to watch. [Watch Happy Valley on Netflix]

Grantchester (2014 – 2016)

In the same year that Norton terrified audiences as a nefarious criminal, he also won them over as the irrepressibly likable Sidney Chambers in Grantchester. Sidney is a lovelorn vicar who devotes his spare time to solving mysteries. He is as marked by his empathy and faith as he is by his failings (he likes booze, smokes, and pining after his best friend). We outlined the reasons you should get hip to Grantchester last week and we’re going to keep telling you to tune in until you do! [Watch Grantchester on Prime Video]

War & Peace (2016)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe you didn’t tune into War & Peace when it aired simultaneously on History, Lifetime, and A&E last month, but it was nigh on impossible to escape the event’s billboards. That means that you were forced to see James Norton’s face everywhere. Oh, how horrible. (We kid.) Seriously, though, Norton was a stand out in the sprawling Tolstoy adaptation. He played Andrei Bolkonsky with just the right amount of emo-driven stoicism that it completely made sense when he fell so fast and so hard for young Natasha (Lily James). [Where to Stream War & Peace]

[Photos: Everett Collection]