Bates Motel is the twisted and gripping story of an unusual and powerful relationship unfolding between mother and son. Delivering killer performances that will leave viewers quaking in their boots, Freddie Highmore stars as introverted teen Norman Bates alongside Primetime Emmy nominee Vera Farmiga as his controlling mother Norma.
Bates Motel delves into the complex relationship between mother and son as they move to the sleepy town of White Pine Bay to start over. However, their presence in this small town is not as welcome as they first believed and Norma is forced to take drastic measures to protect herself and Norman, the son she loves and cares so much about. To celebrate the release of the razor-sharp drama on Blu-ray and DVD from 3rd February, we run down the close and sometimes unusual relationships between celebrities and their mothers; although none quite as unusual as Norma and Norman Bates.
Justin Bieber and Pattie Mallette
Justin shot to fame at the young age of 13, and the one person that has always been by his side has been his mother, Pattie. Pattie has accompanied him on all his tours, and he has always dedicated his work to her. Unconventionally, the young pop star even got a picture of her eye tattooed on his arm!
Leonardo DiCaprio and Irmelin Indenbirken
The ladies man and notorious ‘modeliser’ proves that there is one woman that can stick around in his life after a total of 11 super-model ex-girlfriends – his mother. DiCaprio’s mother is the star’s frequent red carpet date. Thanking his mother, Irmelin, in many interviews, he says his mother was the one who listened to an 11-year-old kid who said “I want to be an actor”, and drove him to every audition after school. Recently DiCaprio has paid Irmelin back by helping her find love and setting her up with her current boyfriend.
Will Smith and Caroline Bright
The hip hop star-turned-actor was born and raised in West Philadelphia and started his career at a young age of 12-years-old. Will maintains that his close-knit family unit is due to his parents influence on him in his early life, as his parents never failed to show the kids how much they loved them. Smith and his family have gone on to be one of the most famous and influential in Hollywood.
Jay Z and Gloria Carter
Shawn Carter aka Jay Z was born and raised in Brooklyn by his mother in a small flat in the projects. Throughout his music career he has referenced the harsh childhood and says that he has been shot three times and also sold drugs. He has a very strong relationship with his mother; she has pushed him into his career choices, buying him his first boombox, and currently runs his charity foundation, helping low-income students further their education at institutions of higher learning.
Ben Stiller and Anne Meara
Anne Meara is an American actress and comedian. She and Jerry Stiller were a prominent 1960s comedy team, appearing as ‘Stiller and Meara’, and are the parents of Ben Stiller. Ben grew up around show business, regularly attending their shows and tours. He then became an actor and comedian in his own right. Writing, starring in and directing over 50 films including DODGE BALL, MEET THE FOCKERS and ZOOLANDER, Ben has always given Anne a part in his films, making sure that he pays her back for all her help in his early career.
Norma and Norman Bates
Norman is a bright young man who appears quiet and polite around others. However, he has a sinister side where he is fiercely protective of his mother and holds guilt over disappointing her. The strange and incestuous relationship that unfolds between mother and son shows how a seemingly nice boy like Norman morphs into a killer. The bad experiences and incidents that occur along the way involving Norma and Norman set the ground work for the psycho that unearths…
Bates Motel is available on Blu-ray and DVD from 3rd February 2014, from Universal Pictures (UK)
