After becoming a stand-up comedian in 1990, Norton spent his early years developing his act. His appearances on "The Louie Show" caught the attention of comedian Andrew Dice Clay in 1997, who chose Norton to open for him for his shows. In 2000, Norton made his debut on "Opie and Anthony" and joined the show as a third mic in 2001 which increased his national exposure. He went on to have a recurring role on the sitcom "Lucky Louie". Since he joined SiriusXM with "Opie and Anthony" in 2004, Norton hosted "Opie with Jim Norton" from 2014 to 2016, and "The Jim Norton Advice Show".