EDWARD NORTON
I’ve made films that have a reputation and a place in the culture that I’m very proud of, but they never got awards or an audience
Edward Norton is famously known to not suffer fools gladly. His media profile over the years has been, by turns, one of a meddling actor locking directors out of the edit suite (American History X), a contrarian who couldn’t play nicely with Marvel (The Incredible Hulk) and a snob who refused to promote a film he’d been forced legally to make (The Italian Job). But as we all know, the clickbait headlines aren’t necessarily the whole story.
When Total Film meets the New Yorker in London’s Soho Hotel in July, we’re braced for possible spikiness, but find Norton a warm, twinkly eyed realist who proffers a crushing handshake and laughs freely while musing on his many career triumphs and tribulations. Dressed in an unremarkable denim shirt and navy slacks, his still-boyish features make him appear far younger than his 50 years and though he’s erudite and self-aware, his absent-minded pushing of the coffee table backwards and forwards between us with his feet suggests a certain nervous energy. It’s perhaps no surprise he’s feeling antsy – his latest film is directed and written by him (he also stars) and has taken 20 years to come to fruition.
The story of a ’50s gumshoe with Tourette’s syndrome who unveils the dark underbelly of New York corporate corruption the deeper he digs into investigating the murder of his mentor and father figure (played by Bruce Willis), is the culmination of all of Norton’s interests. The ugly history of the Big Apple; the learnings he’s taken from working with directors such as David Fincher (), Spike Lee () and Alejandro Iñárritu (); his love of music (a soulful jazz soundtrack and a title song by Thom Yorke). Creatively, it’s Norton with full control, crafting a serious film with things to say. “The thing is, when dark things are going on…” he says, leaning forward, blue eyes intent. “Spike used to talk about this, actually. If you’re going to make a big movie, you have to say, ‘We’re making a big movie. We’re going for
