'Mad Max' actor Richard Norton ignored nurse's warning about peptide treatment which he began days before his sudden death last year

Australian actor and martial artist Richard Norton had ignored a nurse's warning about peptide dosage before his sudden death at the age of 75 last year. Norton, who appeared in dozens of films including the "Mad Max" franchise, had passed away on March 30, 2025. According to a recently-released coroner’s report obtained by the People magazine, the actor died from "a cardiac arrest at home following self- administration of recently commenced peptide therapy."

Norton's health deteriorated after peptide use

After Norton told his medical practitioner that he was interested in peptide therapy following a previous treatment with another doctor, the actor was cleared to use the drug on March 19, less than two weeks before his death.


On March 25, Norton told his doctor he was feeling good, but three days later, he requested a replacement after allegedly breaking a vial of the drug. Norton received the replacement, along with two additional peptides.

During that time, Norton told his doctor's nurse that he was taking twice the prescribed dose even as the nurse told him to take only the prescribed amount. The actor was taking growth hormone peptides CJC1295 and Ipamorelin, according to NBC News.

After injecting the second dose of peptides, Norton's wife Judy Green said he complained of feeling "hot and flushed and then collapsed and became unresponsive".

She contacted medical services and administered CPR until medics arrived around 9:30 pm. He died two days later. Clinicians said that Norton suffered anaphylaxis followed by a cardiac arrest after injecting the peptides.

In pictures taken just days before his death, Norton looked fit and healthy as he posed alongside martial arts instructor Kacey Chong after a session. The coroner believes this is the first death known to be linked to the use of peptides in Australia.

Peptide use in the US

In the US, peptides have been popularized and peddled by the health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., and have been used by many in Hollywood with the aim of boosting muscle growth, fat loss, and skin health. However, many of the peptides, which are short chains of amino acids, are not approved by the FDA, meaning that much of the market is unregulated.

Besides his acting work, Norton had also trained several Hollywood stars, including the likes of Ben Affleck, Tom Hardy, Scarlett Johansson, and Margot Robbie.