EDWARD NORTON - NORTON BREAKS HIS BACK PLAYING BRITISH DOCTOR

Movie star EDWARD NORTON was left in agony on the set of his new movie THE PAINTED VEIL after he was thrown from a horse onto a pile of rocks. The FIGHT CLUB actor was shooting the film with NAOMI WATTS in China when his steed got the better of him and he was left with a broken back. Norton admits he had no idea just how badly he'd injured his back at first: "I did not feel good and I remember I thought at the time, 'This could be really bad, this could be one of those stories; I'm gonna end up one of those people.' But I didn't actually know it was broken. "I finished the film out and then went to Hong Kong. I was in a lot of pain." The actor admits the injury actually helped him perfect his character in the film. He explains, "I was playing this kind of uptight British doctor and it (injury) actually kind of worked." Norton jokes, "That's how far I'm willing to go. I mean DE NIRO just gained weight (to play JAKE LA MOTTA in RAGING BULL)."