Anthony Perkins played Norman Bates in the 1960 film Psycho.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho adapts Robert Bloch's 1959 novel about a troubled motel proprietor whose relationship with his mother hides a terrifying secret. Perkins made Norman Bates outwardly shy, polite and awkward, creating a performance that initially encourages sympathy before the character's disturbing nature is revealed.
The film became famous for its suspenseful structure, Bernard Herrmann's sharp string score and its shocking shower sequence involving Janet Leigh as Marion Crane. Perkins returned as Norman in Psycho II, Psycho III and Psycho IV: The Beginning. Vince Vaughn played the role in Gus Van Sant's 1998 remake, while Freddie Highmore portrayed a younger version in the television series Bates Motel.
A frequent mix-up is to associate Perkins with Hitchcock's other films, such as Vertigo or The Birds. He appeared in neither. Psycho was a 1960 production based on Bloch's novel, and its Norman Bates is a fictional character only loosely connected to ideas inspired by the crimes of Ed Gein.