What the Hell Happened to Edward Norton?

Edward Norton has been nominated for three Academy Awards; once for Best Actor and twice for Best Supporting Actor.  He won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in his first movie.  In addition to acting, he has written, directed and produced movies.  He even has a few song-writing credits to his name.  Norton has worked with Miloš Forman, Woody Allen, David Fincher, Ridley Scott and Wes Anderson.  He was even the Incredible Hulk.  But ever since 2008, Norton is rarely seen or heard from and almost never as a leading man.

What the hell happened?

FILM 'PRIMAL FEAR' BY GREGORY HOBLIT
Edward Norton – Primal Fear – 1996

Norton made his film debut in 1996 with a juicy supporting role opposite Richard Gere in the psychological thriller, Primal Fear.

Gere played a sleazy defense attorney (in the movies, is there any other kind?) who chases headlines and wins cases on his abundant charisma.  He jumps at the opportunity to defend an altar boy accused of murdering an archbishop.  Norton plays the altar boy who speaks with a pronounced stutter.  As Gere interviews his client, he begins to believe in his innocence.  This angers his ex-girl friend (played by Laura Linney) who also happens to be the prosecutor in the case.

I can’t really discuss Primal Fear without giving away some spoilers.  So if you don’t want to be spoiled, skip ahead to the next movie.

Over 2,000 actors auditioned for Norton’s role.  It was offered to Leonadro DiCaprio and Star Trek’s Wil Wheaton, both of whom turned it down.  Other actors who were considered include Edward Furlong, James Marsden and Dawson (aka James Van Der Beek).  Norton won the role by staying in character throughout his audition.  When he met with the casting director, he started off meek and stuttering before exploding into violence.  He even went so far as to roughly grab her to the point where she feared for her own safety.

Norton and Gere were encouraged to improvise on the set.  It was Norton’s idea to give his character a stutter.  This aspect of the character was not included in the script or the book the script was based on.  When Norton shoved Gere into a wall, Gere’s shock was genuine.  That was another improvisation as was Norton’s slow clap at the end.  The two actors were tasked with tightening the film’s last scene.  They brought it down from six pages to only two.

Reviews were mostly positive and Primal Fear was a hit at the box office.  Norton received numerous awards and nominations for his very first movie role.  He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting actor which he lost to Cuba Gooding Jr. for Jerry Maguire.  He also won a Golden Globe.  Not bad for his first time out.

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Edward Norton – The People Vs. Larry Flynt – 1996

Later that same year, Norton appeared opposite Woody Harrelson in Miloš Forman’s bio-pic, The People Vs. Larry Flynt.

Harrelson played the controversial Hustler founder and free speech advocate.  Norton played his friend and put-upon attorney, Alan Isaacman.

Norton’s role was a composite of several lawyers who worked for Flynt.  The real Alan Isaacman was not with Flynt when he was shot.  That lawyer is Gene Reeves Jr.  But Norton’s final speech in the courtroom was taken verbatim from Isaacman’s actual closing arguments.

Despite mostly positive reviews, The People Vs. Larry Flynt was not a hit at the box office.

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Edward Norton – Everyone Says I Love You – 1996

A lot of actors wait for years to work with legendary director, Woody Allen.  But Norton got his chance to do so in 1996 – the same year as his big screen debut.  Norton appeared in Alan’s musical, Everyone Says I Love You.

Everyone Says I Love You is a pretty typical Woody Allen movie in every way except for being a musical.  The actors all performed their own songs with two exceptions.  Allen thought that Hawn’s singing voice was too good to be believable as a normal person’s singing voice.  So he told her to sing worse.  And Drew Barrymore convinced the director that her singing voice was so awful it would have to be dubbed.  Norton and Barrymore played a young couple in love in Manhattan.  In a Woody Allen movie!  Can you imagine?

Yes, the movie asks audiences to accept Allen as a romantic partner for both Hawn and Julia Roberts.  Although given that Roberts married Lyle Lovett, maybe that isn’t so far-fetched.  The trailer didn’t include any singing because musicals were out in 1996 and Miramax wanted to hide the fact that Everyone Says I Love You was in fact a musical. 

Reviews were mostly positive and the movie did the kind of box office you expect from a Woody Allen movie.  Not great, but enough to make a profit.

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Edward Norton – Rounders – 1998

In 1998, Norton starred opposite Matt Damon and Gretchen Mol in the poker drama, Rounders.

Damon played a gifted poker player who decides after a big loss to give up the game and concentrate on law school.  Norton played Damon’s childhood friend who is always in trouble.  Norton’s character has been released from jail and owes a large debt from before his incarceration.  So Norton talks Damon into getting back into the game to win enough money to pay back his debt.  He’s one of those movie friends who exists solely to get the righteous protagonist into trouble.

In the late 90’s, Norton was an up-and coming star.  Damon was hot off of Good Will Hunting.  And Mol was crowned the next Hollywood “It Girl” before starring in a single movie.

Competitive poker was heating up as well.  Director John Dahl still had a lot of buzz from his 1994 thriller, The Last Seduction.  The supporting cast was filled out with great character actors like John Turturro, Famke Janssen, John Malkovich and Martin Landau.  Despite Malkovich’s terrible Russian accent, expectations for Rounders were high.

Reviews were mixed and the movie under-performed at the box office.  However, as poker continued to grow in popularity, Rounders has developed a cult following on video.

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Edward Norton – American History X – 1998

Later that year, Norton starred opposite Edward Furlong in the drama, American History X.

Norton played a neo-Nazi who goes to jail for committing a terrible hate crime.  When he is eventually released, he is horrified to find that his younger brother (played by Furlong) has fallen in with the same group of white supremacists that lead him astray.

To prepare for the movie, both Norton and Furlong shaved their heads.  Norton also gained 30 lbs of muscle.  The movie was filmed in 1997, but faced problems in the editing and post-production stages.  Strap in, cause this is where things start to get bumpy.

Director Tony Kaye handed in his first cut of the film which both Norton and New Line loved.  But Kaye wasn’t happy with it, so he went back and edited a shorter cut of the film.  New Line and Norton found the cuts too extreme.  So Norton, with New Line’s permission, edited a third cut of the films.

Kaye was furious.  He took out ads in Variety denouncing Norton’s cut.  He claimed that Norton was trying to beef up his own screen time.  New Line liked Norton’s version of the film but allowed Kaye to attempt to edit the film one more time.  When it came time for Kaye to present his director’s cut, Kaye showed up empty-handed.  Instead, he arrived with a priest, a rabbi, and a monk to support his argument and “make the meeting a more spiritual one”.

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Edward Norton – American History X – 1998

The studio had had it with Kaye at this point.  They decided to go ahead and release Norton’s version of the film.  Kaye responded by trying to have his name removed from the credits.  But the Directors’ Guild of America rules state that director’s can only have their name removed from a film if they do not openly discus why they have elected to do so.  Kaye had violated that rule with his Variety ads, so he was not allowed to remove his name from the credits.  When that failed, Kaye filed a law suit against New Line.

Despite positive reviews, American History X was not a hit at the box office.  Over time, it has achieved cult status on video and cable.  Norton was nominated for several awards including his second Oscar nomination in two years.  He was nominated for Best Actor and lost to Roberto Benigni for Life is Beautiful.  Benigni also beat out Tom Hanks for Saving Private Ryan.  Bet they wish they could take that one back!

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Edward Norton – Fight Club – 1999

In 1999, Norton starred opposite Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter in David Fincher’s big screen adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, Fight Club.

The first rule of Fight Club is “Don’t talk about Fight Club.”  But the first rule of “What the Hell Happened?” is that I yammer on about all the movies the subject starred in.  So we’re going to break the first rule of Fight Club and talk about Fight Club.  That’s going to mean some spoilers again.  So if for some reason, you haven’t seen Fight Club yet, watch the trailer below and then skip ahead.  And when you get done reading this, go out and rent Fight Club.

Norton plays an unnamed narrator who is suffering from insomnia.  He finds that he can cope with the stress of his life by going to support groups for people with horrible diseased like testicular cancer.  While there, he meets a girl played by Bonham Carter who is also “faking”.  Knowing that she is at the meetings ruins the experience for the narrator, so they work out a schedule in order to avoid each other.  The narrator also meets the charismatic Tyler Durden played by Pitt.  Durden helps the narrator form a secret fight club where men work out their issues by beating each other up.

The original novel was considered unfilmable by many due to its non-linear narrative.  Eventually, producer Laura Ziskin decided to take a chance on adapting the novel.  She bought the rights from Palahniuk for $10,000 dollars.  The studio approached four potential directors.  Three of the four were unavailable or uninterested.  David Fincher had read the book and tried to buy the rights for himself.  However, he had a bad relationship with Fox while making Alien 3 and was reluctant to work for them again.

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Edward Norton – Fight Club – 1999

Several actors were considered for the role of the narrator.  The studio wanted Matt Damon for the role.  They also considered, Sean Penn.  But Fincher insisted on casting Norton.  Norton was being courted for other leading roles like The Talented Mr. Ripley and Man on the Moon.  He was already committed to the John Grisham movie, Runaway Jury.  But that movie stalled making Norton available.  20th Century Fox offered Norton 2.5 million dollars to star in Fight Club.

Unfortunately, Norton was still contractually obligated to make another movie for Paramount.  In order to star in Fight Club, Norton had to renegotiate with Paramount.  They let him star in Fight Club under the condition that he make another movie with Paramount at a later date for a lesser salary.  It’s a pretty good deal for Paramount.  Fight Club potentially makes Norton a bigger box office draw and they get to pay him less money.

Norton lost around 20 lbs for Fight Club after having bulked up for American History X.  The idea was that the narrator would look like he was wasting away as Tyler Durden grew stronger.  Norton, an avid non-smoker, had refused to smoke for Rounders.  But he agreed to smoke as the narrator in Fight Club.  Norton and Pitt both took basic lessons in boxing, taekwondo and grappling, and studied hours of UFC programming to prepare for the movie.  They also both learned how to make soap.

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Edward Norton – Fight Club – 1999

Several people contributed to the script which was adapted from the novel by Jim Uhls.  Fincher sought advice from director Cameron Crowe to refine the script.  Fincher made his own contributions and encouraged Pitt and Norton to do the same.  While filming, Fincher also encouraged his cast to improvise.

When the studio saw the finished movie, they didn’t know what to do with it.  They wanted to market Fight Club to women because of Pitt.  But they knew the film’s violence would appeal more to men.  Fincher refused to allow the studio to focus the film’s marketing campaign on Pitt and requested that they hire an ad agency to promote the film.  The ad agency came up with the pink bar of soap logo which the studio considered “a bad joke”.

Fight Club was originally scheduled to be released in July.  But it was delayed until August while the studio tried to figure out how to market it.  Then it was delayed again which has largely been attributed to the Columbine shootings from earlier that year.  When the movie was finally released, Rosie O’Donnell went on the air and blasted it.  She encouraged her audience to avoid it at all costs and gave away the film’s twist ending.

Reviews for Fight Club were mixed.  A lot of critics condemned it for its violence while most praised it for being stylish and for the great performances.  Perhaps due to the botched marketing campaign, Fight Club under performed at the box office.  However, it has found a cult audience on video.

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Edward Norton – Keeping the Faith – 2000

In 2000, Norton starred opposite Ben Stiller and Jenna Elfman in the romantic comedy, Keeping the Faith.  It was also Norton’s directorial debut.

Stiller, Elfman and Norton played childhood friends who are reunited as adults.  Their romantic triangle is complicated by the fact that Stiller’s character is a rabbi and Norton’s character is a Catholic priest.  Throw in a monk and you could have a meeting with Tony Kaye about American History X.

Reviews for Norton’s directorial debut were mixed and the movie did so-so at the box office.

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Edward Norton – The Score – 2001

In 2001, Norton starred opposite Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro in Frank Oz’s heist movie, The Score.

De Niro played a thief who – as movie thieves often do – needs to complete one last job before he can retire.  Brando played his fence who sets up De Niro’s last job.  Norton played a young and eager accomplice.  But there is no honor among these thieves who are constantly trying to outsmart one another.

The film set was a tense one.  Brando, in his final film, took to calling Oz “Miss Piggy” based on Oz’s work with the Muppets.  Brando was so irritated by Oz that he refused to take direction from him.  Instead, Oz would give direction to De Niro who would relay to Brando.  Incidentally, De Niro and Brando were the first-ever actors to win Oscars for playing the same character.  Brando played Vito Corleone in The Godfather and De Niro played him in flashbacks in the sequel.

Oz later took the blame for his feud with Brando indicating that he was too confrontational when he should have been nurturing Brando’s unique acting style.

Reviews were generally positive and the movie did reasonably well at the box office.

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Robin Williams and Edward Norton – Death to Smoochy – 2002

In 2002, Norton starred opposite Robin Williams in Danny DeVito’s dark comedy, Death to Smoochy.

Williams played the host of a children’s TV show who is publicly disgraced for his terrible off-camera behavior.  Norton played his replacement, a squeeky-clean Barney-like rhino named Smoochy.  Williams character goes to extreme lengths to get rid of his competition so he can get his show back.

Norton locked horns with costume designer Jane Ruhm over his character’s clothes.  Norton decided to supply his own costume and commissioned a suit made of hemp from Armani.  Ruhm later complained to Premiere Magazine:

“I could have made Edward a great suit without having to go through millions of phone calls and negotiations.  In the end, I didn’t want him to wear those clothes but . . . well, he did.”

Reviews for Death to Smoochy were terrible.  Roger Ebert said, “Only enormously talented people could have made Death to Smoochy. Those with lesser gifts would have lacked the nerve to make a film so bad, so miscalculated, so lacking any connection with any possible audience. To make a film this awful, you have to have enormous ambition and confidence, and dream big dreams.”

Death to Smoochy tanked at the box office.

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Edward Norton – Frida – 2002

Later that year, Norton appeared opposite Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina in Frida.

Hayek starred as artist Frida Kahlo.  Molina played her husband and mentor, Diego Rivera.  The couple took the art world by storm while maintaining an extremely open marriage.  Geoffrey Rush appeared as Leon Trotsky and Ashley Judd played Tina Modotti.  Antonio Banderas co-starred.  Norton played Nelson Rockefeller, a patron who demanded that Rivera compromise his artistic vision.

Norton and Hayek were dating at the time.  Norton did an uncredited rewrite of the script.  Later, he complained about being omitted from the credits.  According to Norton, “I got shafted by the Writers Guild at the last minute, but I wrote the draft that got made.”

Reviews were mostly positive and Frida was an art house hit.

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Edward Norton – Red Dragon – 2002

In 2002, Norton also starred opposite Anthony Hopkins in Brett Ratner’s adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel, Red Dragon.

Norton played FBI agent Will Graham, the profiler who originally captured Hopkins’ Dr. Hannibal Lecter.  Graham has been called out of retirement to help catch a serial killer played by Ralph Fiennes.  In order to catch this new killer, Graham enlists the help of the brilliant Dr. Lecter.

Red Dragon had previously been adapted to the big screen by Michael Mann as Manhunter.  But after Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, audiences were still hungry for more of Hopkins as Lecter.  So the first book in the series was adapted a second time with Hopkins in the role.  Hopkins was over a decade older than the first time he played the character, so he was made to look younger using special effects to remove age lines from his face.

Norton clashed with Ratner on the set.  According to Ratner:

“He likes to challenge the director. It’s all about intellectual debate.  Edward’s instinct is going to be, ‘I have to take over this film.’ He’s going to try to rescue the film. That’s both a blessing and a curse.”

After the movie was completed, Ratner and Norton made up.  They are good friends today.

Reviews were mostly positive and Red Dragon was a hit at the box office.

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Edward Norton – 25th Hour – 2002

Norton ended the year starring opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper and Rosario Dawson in Spike Lee’s adaptation of  David Benioff’s novel 25th Hour.

Norton played a convicted New York drug dealer who is preparing to start a seven-year jail sentence.  He spends his last day of freedom with his two best friends and his girl friend reflecting on the events that lead him to this point in his life.

Norton has said he used every cent of his pay from Red Dragon to get 25th Hour made.  Tobey Maguire had actually bought the rights to the novel himself and intended to star.  But he decided to make Spider-man instead.  So Norton took over and Maguire retained a producer credit.

The movie was in the planning stages at the time of the 9/11 attacks.  Since the movie was set in New York, Lee decided to acknowledge the tragic events of 9/11 in the movie which was released 15 months later.

Reviews were positive and the movie did reasonably well at the box office in relation to its budget.

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Edward Norton – The Italian Job – 2003

In 2003, Norton appeared opposite Charlize Theron and Marky Mark Wahlberg in the remake of the 1969 British heist movie, The Italian Job.

Norton played a thief who betrayed his fellow thieves and made off with $35 million in gold.  A year later, the surviving members of the heist reunite to get revenge on the man who betrayed them.

The rest of the cast included Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def and Donald Sutherland.  Norton was not a willing participant.  He still owed Paramount a movie from his original three-picture deal for Primal Fear.  After years of haggling with Norton over how he would fill his obligation to the studio, Paramount decided it was time for him to pay up.  They threatened a multimillion-dollar lawsuit if Norton did not appear in The Italian Job.

Norton did not respond well to the threat.  He made the movie under duress, but reportedly he told off director F. Gary Gray every day he was filming.

Reviews were mostly positive and The Italian Job was a hit at the box office.  There were plans for a sequel to be titled The Brazilian Job, but plans for the sequel stalled out.

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Edward Norton – Kingdom of Heaven – 2005

In 2005, Norton made an appearance in Ridley Scott’s historical action movie, Kingdom of Heaven.

Orlando Bloom starred as a knight drawn into the Crusades.  The cast included Eva Green, Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson.  Norton played King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem.

Norton was considered for another role, but after reading the script, he lobbied for the role of King Baldwin. Because the king wears a mask, Norton requested not to be credited.  He filmed his part in just two weeks.

Reviews were mixed.  In the US, Kingdom of Heaven was an expensive flop.  It cost an estimated $130 million dollars and earned less than $50 million in domestic box office.  Fortunately, it fared better overseas.

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Edward Norton – Down in the Valley – 2005

Later that year, Norton starred opposite Evan Rachel Wood and David Morse in the independent drama, Down in the Valley.

Norton played a delusional man who thinks he’s a cowboy.  He starts a relationship with a teenage girl played by Wood.  But her father, played by Morse, is determined to get this strange man away from his daughter.

Reviews were mixed.  Down in the Valley played at Cannes, but received a very limited theatrical release.  It failed to earn back its budget in theaters.

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Edward Norton – The Illusionist – 2006

In 2006, Norton starred opposite Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel in the  period drama, The Illusionist.

Norton played a stage magician who fell in love with a duchess played by Biel.  But she is betrothed to the Crown Prince, a vicious man played by Rufus Sewell.

Of course Norton learned how to perform his own magic tricks for the movie.  Surely you expected no less by this point.

The Illusionist was one of three films about stage magicians released in 2006.  Woody Allen played a magician in Scoop.  Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale played feuding magician’s in Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige.  Despite the glut of magician-themed movies, The Illusionist received mostly positive reviews and performed reasonably well at the box office.

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Edward Norton – The Painted Veil – 2006

Later that year, Norton starred opposite Naomi Watts in the third film adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham novel, The Painted Veil.

Norton played a British doctor who goes to a small village in China to fight a cholera outbreak.  Watts played his unfaithful wife

Norton first became attached to The Painted Veil back in 1999.  He handpicked Watts as the leading lady.  It wasn’t until years later that Watts had established herself as a big enough star for the studio to accept her in the role.  Watts recommended director John Curran with whom she had worked before.  As he had done before, Norton did an uncredited rewrite of the script.

The studio partnered with a Chinese production company which objected to scenes depicting the Chinese uprising and cholera outbreak.  They wanted these elements downplayed.  Norton and Curran disagreed.  Curran threatened to remove his name from the film.  In the end, roughly 38 seconds were cut.

Reviews were mostly positive.  But The Painted Veil was a victim of regime change at  Warner Independent.  Mark Gill, the producer responsible for getting the picture started, had been fired.  Without their main supporter, The Painted Veil received minimal marketing and disappointed at the box office.

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Edward Norton – The Incredible Hulk – 2008

In 2008, Norton starred opposite Liv Tyler and Tim Roth in the super hero sequel, The Incredible Hulk.

The first film, titled simply The Hulk, had come out five years earlier to disappointing box office.  Director Ang Lee had made a psychologically complex film that failed to deliver the action audiences wanted from a Hulk movie.  The new film was partially a sequel and partially a reboot with Norton replacing Eric Bana as Bruce Banner.

The script was written by Zach Penn, but Norton had it written into his contract he could do rewrites.  Norton continued polishing the script well into filming.  But once again, he was denied a writing credit by the Writers Guild.  Penn expressed his frustration with Norton’s rewrites, “I wasn’t happy with him coming to Comic-Con saying that he wrote the script.”

Norton and director Louis Leterrier got into a dispute with the producers over the film’s running time.  Their first cut ran for nearly 135 minutes, but the producers wanted the movie to come in under 2 hours.  Reportedly, Norton threatened to pull out of promoting the film if he was unhappy with the final cut.  Norton later denied this claim when the story was made public:

“Our healthy process [of collaboration], which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a ‘dispute’, seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen. It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them.”

Norton attended the film’s premiere.  But when it came time to promote the film, Norton chose to perform charity in Africa instead.

Reviews were mixed to positive.  The movie was viewed as a hit at the box office.  But in truth, it didn’t gross much more than the original Ang Lee film.  Adjusted for inflation, its gross was actually less impressive.  However, it did perform well enough for Marvel to plan sequels which have yet to be made.  Instead, Marvel put future Hulk plans on hold.

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Edward Norton – The Incredible Hulk – 2008

Norton was to reprise his role as Bruce Banner in the 2012 Avengers.  But in 2011, Marvel’s Kevin Feige announced that they were not interested in continuing their collaboration with Norton.  And he wasn’t especially nice about it either:

“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in The Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.”

It is extremely rare for a studio to portray an actor as difficult.  Usually these partings of ways are covered under “creative differences”.  But Marvel’s statement was about as close as you’ll ever get to a studio calling an actor a jerk.

Norton’s agent shot back:

“We know a lot of fans have voiced their public disappointment with this result, but this is no excuse for Feige’s mean-spirited, accusatory comments.  Counter to what Kevin implies here, Edward was looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joss and the other actors in the Avengers cast, many of whom are personal friends of his.  Feige’s statement is unprofessional, disingenuous and clearly defamatory.  Mr. Norton talent, tireless work ethic and professional integrity deserve more respect, and so do Marvel’s fans.”

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Edward Norton and Colin Farrell – Pride and Glory – 2008

Later that year, Norton starred opposite Colin Farrell and Jon Voight in the crime drama, Pride and Glory.

Norton and Farrell played in-laws who were also New York cops.  They come from a family of cops headed by Voight.  When four members of the force are killed, Norton’s character heads an investigation which pits him against his own family.

In 2001, Mark Wahlberg and Hugh Jackman were attached to the project.  But after 9/11, no one wanted to make a movie about corrupt New York cops.  It was finally filmed in 2006, but it was not released until 2 years later.  Writer/director Gavin O’Connor blamed studio politics at New Line.  Norton voiced his frustration to the press:

“This isn’t about New Line not knowing the film is strong; I just think there is a paralysis right now that has to do with much bigger issues than any particular film. We’re a victim of the moment, and I just hope they will either find a way to give the film its due or graciously let us do it with someone else.”

Eventually, the film was released to negative reviews.  It opened fifth at the box office behind High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Saw V, Max Payne, and Beverly Hills Chihuahua.  Pride and Glory earned back less than half of its $30 million dollar budget domestically.

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Edward Norton – Modern Family – 2009

In 2009, Norton made a guest appearance on the ABC sitcom, Modern Family (pictured).

He also made a cameo appearance in Ricky Gervais’ romantic comedy/argument against religion, The Invention of Lying.  The movie takes place in an alternate universe where everyone always tells the truth.  Gervais’ character discovers that being the only person in the world who knows how to lie makes him extremely powerful.  In this scene, Norton plays a traffic cop who pulls over Gervais’ friend played by Louis CK.

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Edward Norton – Leaves of Grass – 2009

In 2010, Norton starred opposite Keri Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon and himself in Tim Blake Nelson’s dark comedy, Leaves of Grass.

Norton played twin brothers.  One is an Ivy League professor and the other is a pot grower.  The Ivy League professor gets drawn back to his hometown and his brother’s plot against a local drug lord.

Norton took a pay cut in order to star in the movie.  Leaves of Grass was featured in the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival where Roger Ebert called it a masterpiece.  Other critics were divided and reviews were mixed.  It did not receive a wide theatrical release.

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Edward Norton – Stone – 2010

Later that year, Norton starred opposite Milla Jovovich and Robert De Niro in the crime drama, Stone.

De Niro played a parole officer who is about to retire.  Norton played a convicted arsonist looking to get paroled.  Jovovich played Norton’s wife who seduces De Niro in order to get her husband out of jail.

The screenplay was originally written as a stage play.  It was performed only once at a staged reading in 2003.

To prepare for his role, Norton spent time with real prisoners in the Southern Michigan Correctional Facility.  He based his accent and his cornrow hairstyle on what he observed in the prison.  He also inserted phrases the prisoners used into his dialogue.

Reviews were mixed and Stone sunk like a stone at the box office.

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Edward Norton – Moonrise Kingdom – 2012

In 2012, Norton starred opposite Bruce Willis and Bill Murray in Wes Anderson’s comedy-drama, Moonrise Kingdom.

The story is set on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s.  After a young couple runs away together, the inhabitants of the island for a search party to find them.

Reviews were positive and the movie was an art house hit.

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Edward Norton – The Bourne Legacy – 2013

Later that year, Norton appeared opposite Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz in The Bourne Legacy.

Renner played an operative like Jason Bourne who is not Jason Bourne because Matt Damon who played Jason Bourne refused to reprise the role for another sequel.  Norton played a retired Air Force colonel tasked with shutting down the black ops programs before they can be discovered.  In order to avoid national disgrace, Norton’s character orders all the operatives killed.

The third film in the Bourne franchise, The Bourne Ultimatum, was intended to be the last in the series.  But it made so much money, Universal couldn’t help but try to keep it going.  Damon and director Paul Greengrass declined to participate.  Rather than recast the role, Universal decided to make a Bourne movie without Jason Bourne.

The movie received mixed reviews.  It performed well enough at the box office grossing over $100 million dollars.  But it under-performed all three of the Damon-starring Bourne movies in the US.  Adjusted for inflation, Legacy performed much worse than the first film in the series.

A fifth film in the series is being planned.  Renner is expected to return for the sequel.  Damon and Greengrass have expressed an interest in coming back to the series.  But Damon indicated that if he did, he did not think it would not be a team-up with Renner’s character.

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Edward Norton – Saturday Night Live – 2013

In 2013, Norton did not appeared in any movies.  But he did do voice work on an episode of The Simpsons.  He also hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.

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Edward Norton – The Grand Budapest Hotel – 2014

In  2014, Norton appeared in another Wes Anderson movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Ralph Fiennes starred as a concierge in a European hotel who befriends a young lobby boy.  The cast included F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law and of course Bill Murray.

The Grand Budapest Hotel received positive reviews and has been nominated for several awards.  It was a hit at the box office although it performed better in the UK than it did in the US.  It was Anderson’s first number one movie in the UK, but it opened in 6th place in the US.

Norton - Birdman
Michael Keaton and Edward Norton – Birdman – 2014

Later that year, Norton appeared opposite Michael Keaton in Birdman.

Keaton played a washed up actor who is best known for playing a super hero – sound familiar?  He is trying to put on a Broadway play, but he struggles with personal issues and may be losing his mind.  The movie co-starred Zach Galifianakis and Emma Stone.

Reviews were positive and the movie won several awards including Best Picture and Best Director.  Norton was nominated for Best Supporting Actor but lost to JK Simmons for Whiplash.

Edward Norton - SNL 40th Anniversary - 2015
Edward Norton – SNL 40th Anniversary – 2015

In 2015, Norton appeared on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special.  Norton appeared during the Weekend Update segment alongside Bill Hader.

So, what the hell happened?

Bottom line, Norton got a reputation for being difficult.  Whether it is deserved or not, people think of Norton as a control freak.  If you are looking for an actor who is just going to show up and read his lines, Norton is not someone you want to work with.

Also, Norton isn’t shy about airing his grievances to the world.  If Norton feels like he hasn’t gotten the credit he is due, he will discuss it openly with the press.  And if he isn’t happy with the final cut of a movie, he can’t be counted on to promote it.  That sort of thing is frowned on in Hollywood where stars are expected to support big budget movies no matter what.

The run-in with Marvel was definitely a stumbling block for Norton if his goal was to become an A-list star.  But I think it’s pretty obvious from his choices, that was never really a goal for Norton.  He has said in interviews that he never wants to become so famous that he can no longer ride the subway.

A lot of times when you read about actors who are difficult, they have a tendency to destroy projects in service to their own vanity.  Now, Norton may be egotistical.  But I will say that the movies he has taken control of have turned out pretty well for the most part.  Whether it was welcome or not, you can do worse than have Norton rewrite your script.

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Shemp
10 years ago

I’m going to have to re-read some of this, but I jus’ wanna say: Another nice entry! The movie “Stone” was terrible…some decent acting, but a lot of the script made no sense. (But one example: Norton’s character says something at a hearing/interview that’d likely guarantee he would not get paroled.) The part about Norton being “difficult” reminded me of something director Robert Aldrich said about Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster — he said he’d clashed with them both, but he said they (individually) did so on the basis of MAKING A BETTER MOVIE, as opposed to them being petty,… Read more »

johnny 88
10 years ago

I am a huge fan of Edward Norton, so thank you for this post 😀

daffystardust
Editor
10 years ago

After American History X and Fight Club it sure looked like Norton might very well be his generation’s DeNiro. Then they worked together and neither career has been the same since. Not that The Score was a bad movie, but how could it possibly live up to expectations? I am a big believer in finding artists who know what they’re doing and making everybody else stay out of the way. That will lead to some stinkers, but it will mostly result in good art. Unfortunately, when you’re dealing with a business full of egos like you are in Hollywood a… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

The director of “The Incredible Hulk”, Louis Leterrier recently said that he always wanted Mark Ruffalo to play Bruce Banner, but Marvel suggested that Edward Norton be cast instead because he was considered a “bigger name” at the time:
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/BatFreak/news/?a=75384

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Comic Book Movie Performances So Boring It Actually Hurt: http://whatculture.com/film/10-comic-book-movie-performances-boring-actually-hurt.php/4 Bruce Banner – Edward Norton – The Incredible Hulk Marvel didn’t have much luck casting Bruce Banner until they eventually stumbled upon Mark Ruffalo, the first actor since forever to successfully render the character “interesting,” achieved by making him far more good humored and self-deprecating and far less mopey mopey. Unfortunately for Edward Norton, his performance as Bruce Banner in the relatively good – but ultimately forgettable – The Incredible Hulk movie didn’t leave much of a mark: aside from feeling a little phoned-in, it also felt remarkably shy… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Badly Miscast Actors In The Marvel Cinematic Universe: http://whatculture.com/film/10-badly-miscast-actors-marvel-cinematic-universe.php/10 Edward Norton – Bruce Banner (The Incredible Hulk) There are many comic book fans out there who think that Edward Norton made a brilliant Bruce Banner, though there also seems to be an equal number of human beings who think he was near-on disastrous in the role. Though the level of his acting on show in The Incredible Hulk, perhaps the MCU’s most forgotten movie (yep, it’s part of the official canon and everything) is serviceable, and Norton clearly took his time and made a lot of effort to try… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

12 Least Successful Recastings Of Iconic Film Characters: http://whatculture.com/film/12-least-successful-recastings-of-iconic-film-characters.php/3 Edward Norton – Bruce Banner/ Hulk Film: The Incredible Hulk (2008) Replacing: Eric Bana Marvel fans will be all too familiar with the problems surrounding the casting of the Incredible Hulk. With both previous attempts at a 21st-century portrayal both coming up short for different reasons, Marvel finally struck lucky by giving Mark Ruffalo the gig in The Avengers. But whatever gripes there might have been about Eric Bana’s portrayal (which I singled out for criticism in this article), there doesn’t remain a great deal of love for Edward Norton’s interpretation… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Cinema Showdown: Hulk 2003 vs. Hulk 2008: http://www.enuffa.com/2014/08/hulk-2003-vs-hulk-2008-ultimate-showdown.html Bruce Banner: Eric Bana vs. Edward Norton – I’m tempted to give the edge to Norton because the casting was so perfect and I’m a huge fan, however Bana’s role was written with far more substance and the character arc was an emotional one, rather than Banner just spending the whole movie trying to keep his heart rate down. Somehow having the transformations triggered by a physical state rather than an emotional one is far less interesting dramatically. Norton’s Banner becomes heroic in the film’s third act while Bana’s is trying to… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

THE INCREDIBLE HULK Revisited: “Leave Me Alone”:
http://collider.com/incredible-hulk-marvel-series-retrospective-mcu/

The Incredible Hulk is a mediocre film, and it’s also one of the most significant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It’s a movie you can’t discuss without the phrase “Technically part of.” Incredible Hulk is so vastly different than any other MCU movie that it inadvertently highlights the distinct personality that would come from all future Marvel films. As an individual picture, Incredible Hulk is fairly unremarkable, but as part of the MCU, it’s constantly fascinating.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp6xjDA2OQ0

Watch Marvel’s “The Incredible Hulk” with Cap and Eric!

frug
frug
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Also, it was an interesting time to watch Marvel kind of shaping their identity as a studio. Terrence Howard asks for too much money, they dump him without a thought. Samuel L Jackson asks for some money, they almost dump him. Norton is a prima donna, they dump him and set him on fire. Worth noting that around that same time, Jon Favreau walked away from Iron Man 2 for a few weeks until Marvel finally relented and gave him a pay raise (though it was notable that he passed on the chance to direct The Avengers and drastically scaled… Read more »

frug
frug
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Yeah. It is also interesting to see how they have learned from their early mistakes. The reason Downey was able to finagle such a massive deal is because Marvel didn’t lock up him into a long term deal before the first Iron Man move when he was basically unhirable. As such, when it came time to start talking about the sequels Downey was able to demand a pricey first dollar deal. Flash forward about a year when Marvel is casting Captain America and they required Chris Evans to sign a 9 picture deal. Similarly, after the big showdown with Favreau,… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  frug

Not to go too off topic, but it makes you wonder why Warner Bros. didn’t put that sort of requirement in (i.e. having the lead actors sign multi-picture contracts so they won’t bow out whenever they feel like it) when they were making the initial Batman franchise w/ Michael Keaton. With that being said, to give Marvel the benefit of the doubt, they’re the type of company who in a sense, don’t seem to take too kindly towards people for whom they at the end of the day, don’t come off as “team players” (or more to the point, actors… Read more »

frug
frug
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

One other thing to keep in mind is that even if they had locked up Keaton in advance I think WB would have been willing to let him walk if he was really unhappy. They were never really sold on him to begin with and after Batman Returns it was clear the studio wanted to go another direction with the franchise. To put it another way, as popular as the first two Batman movies were, people weren’t paying to see Keaton; they were paying to see Batman. Contrast with Iron Man where people aren’t just going to see Tony Stark,… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Naturally of course, one has to wonder how differently “Batman Forever” would’ve turned out had Michael Keaton returned (just like how much differently would “The Avengers” turned out hat Edward Norton once again played Bruce Banner instead of Mark Ruffalo). We all know how badly things turned out behind the scenes when Val Kilmer became Batman instead. I said in Michael Keaton’s WTHHT article in the comments section, that a big part of the his problem is that Keaton from what I’ve heard, is really the type of actor who doesn’t like the concept of sequels to begin with. Basically,… Read more »

frug
frug
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

That’s a good point about Keaton (I thought they made the big offer before Burton was ousted, but you’re right it was after).

And I also agree about Downey. In his recent GQ profile Downey said he plans on leaving the series once he turns 50 and he’s already 48.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

In his words:

“I tried to be patient, but after a certain point, I was like, I can’t take this any more, this is going to be horrible. But, look, there was some really horrible taste in the ’90s, and I probably contributed to that, unfortunately,” Keaton admitted. “It was a time of nouveau riche excess – everyone was known for their jets and their stuff. And I thought, I’m in this job for the long run, I don’t want this. And the truth is, I’m not boasting, but I was correct.”

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  frug

I always assumed that Warner Bros. problem in regard to “Batman Returns” was w/ Tim Burton (whom in order to get him back as the director following the monster success of the first movie, was given total creative control), not w/ Michael Keaton per se. Thus, Tim Burton became the immediate or ultimate fall guy when “Returns” didn’t perform at the box office as well as expected (due in no small share the to criticism of it being darker and not as “kid-friendly” as the first one). Because Burton seemed to be more intrigued on focusing on the villains instead… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

10 People Marvel Studios Really P*ssed Off: http://whatculture.com/film/10-people-marvel-studios-really-pssed-off.php/3 Edward Norton The Incredible Hulk wasn’t a flop, but it stands out as something of a failure in the Marvel Studios library. Edward Norton rewrote Zak Penn’s script, but when the movie was finished, Marvel decided that it needed to be shorter with more action. The actor disapproved and would show his displeasure by refusing to help promote the movie come junket time. Screaming matches apparently ensued during various stages of production, and when details of those behind the scenes issues found their way online, the relationship between Marvel and their new… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Re: 10 People Marvel Studios Really Ticked Off: http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=31435315&postcount=50 I was pissed off about Hulk getting re-casted, but Norton screwed Norton. He should’ve played his cards right and promoted the movie like he was supposed to. The movie would’ve done better at the box office and Marvel might’ve been kind enough to release an extended version of it with all those nice scenes put back in as well as Norton being in The Avengers. You want to see the real Edward Norton? Watch his performance in Birdman. That’s him to a tee according to Hollywood dirt sheets. Louis Leterrier revealing… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

5 Movie Stars Who Demanded Hilariously Insane Plot Changes: http://www.cracked.com/article_22340_5-movie-stars-who-demanded-hilariously-insane-plot-changes.html #5. Edward Norton Insists That Omar From The Wire Appear In The Incredible Hulk Edward Norton’s official story for why he didn’t reprise his role as the Hulk in The Avengers is that it would have taken too much of his precious time. Here’s a more likely explanation: Marvel dumped his a** because he was a huge pain in theirs during the making of The Incredible Hulk. First, Norton only agreed to come on board on the condition that he could fiddle with the screenplay, getting to the point where… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Maybe this is a simplistic assumption, but had the 2008 Incredible Hulk movie been a big (or bigger) moneymaker, then not only would Norton have been part of the hugely successful MCU franchise, it’s likely that he would currently be an A-list actor. Edward Norton at this point is more or less, a working actor. But, he really hasn’t been the lead in a movie that was a bonafide hit (unless, you count “The Incredible Hulk”), since 2002’s “Red Dragon”. That’s 17 years ago! Since that time, Edward Norton has done little more than piss off his co-workers and employers… Read more »

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

re: they have shown good sense as to when to let actors go and when to pony up.

Sometimes actors can “price” themselves right out of a career. Look at Martin Landau — he and Barbara Bain left Mission: Impossible (which ran from the mid-60s to the mid-70s) over $$ and went from there to the “classic” [sarcasm] Space:1999 and many forgettable or crap films.

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I recall a Landau interview when “ED WOOD” was released and he made the remark (in the context of Bela L’s later career), “I’ve been in crap myself.” He was the villain in “Black Gunn,” a lesser (but still fun) blacksploitation movie…and lots of crap. Bain maintains she was practically (tho not literally) blacklisted.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

In since deleted Facebook post from 2010 (via The Hollywood Reporter), Norton addressed Marvel’s choice to re-forged the Hulk in The Avengers. “I truly hoped it may take place and be outstanding for each person,” he wrote in part, “however it hasn’t turned out as we all hoped.” Four years later, Norton appreciably changed his track. “I without a doubt, simply loved it,” Norton said of The Incredible Hulk, including, “And yet, I looked at the stability of time in life that one spends no longer only making the ones varieties of films but then mainly setting them out, and… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Norton Opens Up About Hulk Departure: http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2014/10/22/norton-opens-up-about-hulk-departure/ During a Fresh Air segment on NPR about the film Birdman, actor Edward Norton fielded a question about why he didn’t return to the role of Bruce Banner following 2008′s The Incredible Hulk: I think that, you know, my feeling was that I experimented and experienced what I wanted to. I really, really enjoyed it. And yet I looked at the balance of time in life that one spends not only making those sorts of films, but then especially putting them out and obligations that rightly come with that. And there were just… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Edward Norton Says He Didn’t Return To Play Hulk Because He Wanted More “Diversity” In His Film Roles: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/edward-norton-says-he-didnt-return-to-play-hulk-because-he-wanted-more-diversity-in-his-film-roles-20141022 For all the studio’s success, the one franchise character Marvel has struggled with is the Hulk. After failing with 2003 iteration “The Hulk” starring Eric Bana and directed by Ang Lee, the studio hoped the combination of Louis Leterrier and star Edward Norton could do the trick with 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk.” Even with Robert Downey Jr. popping his head in for a final stinger at the end, the film has been largely forgotten. So Norton’s dalliance with the Marvel-verse, a… Read more »

Chris
Chris
10 years ago

Fight Club is my favorite Edward Norton movie, and my second favorite Meat Loaf movie.

Chris
Chris
10 years ago

I was joking a little there. But, my favorite Meat Loaf movie is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, of course.

Seriously though, Edward Norton is awesome, and I have enjoyed every one of his performances.

RB
RB
10 years ago

Intriguing writeup as always. Another artist, that I’ve only been tangentially aware of due to not watching a whole lot of movies in that decade. And I’d never make it a priority to watch something with a title like “Fight Club.” But this WTHH entry has made me into a sudden possible fan as Norton is serious eye candy and apparently brainy as well.

Liz
Liz
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Female fan here of Norton’s, and I hated both ESILY and KTF. LOL Edward Norton’s sexual appeal, IMHO, comes from his intensity and how deeply he enmeshes himself into his characters (to the point of BECOMING them). I’m not sure what I’d recommend to a new female fan. If Primal Fear hasn’t been viewed yet, I’d start out with that. It showcases both his talents and is pretty low on the violence and action meter. My personal favorite Norton movie (or one of them) is Hulk (I seem to be in the minority there). I think he’s been amazing in… Read more »

RB
RB
10 years ago
Reply to  Liz

I like a lot of dreck, so if ESILY is sufficiently fluffy, I’d probably like it.

Shemp
10 years ago

This may or may not be the place for it (the horror!) but I think what hurt Keaton was simply his being in too many mediocre movies post-Batman. (It’s like with Nic Cage now — the past several years have proved that he’ll appear in ANY piece of shite if his check clears and people are starting to come around to that realization. Similar “trap” w/ DeNiro, but he seems to be coming out of it lately.) And what hurt Batman post-Burton was that Shoe-Maker guy. Kilmer was OK as Batman but as a pal o’ mine pointed out: It… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

10 Worst Directing Decisions In Comic Book Movies: http://whatculture.com/film/10-worst-directing-decisions-comic-book-movies.php/8 Batman & Robin: Bat-Nipples! There are a great deal of things wrong with Joel Schumacher’s second Batman feature, and it might seem hard to narrow down the list to the absolute worst offences. Hell, just trying to single out the worst piece of casting is a challenge all by itself. Well, until you remember that the director made a conscious choice to allow nipples to be placed on Batman’s suit. It’s not that the nipples actually make Batman & Robin a bad film (the campy acting, hyper-neon color palette and godawful… Read more »

Shemp
10 years ago

Btw, as much as I liked Norton’s performance, “American History X” came off like an R-rated “ABC Afterschool Special.”

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

My problem with American History X and Higher Education is that I just don’t see US Nazis as a big problem- not in my town anyway.

It seems like a lazy villain- really American History X is about gangs- but its like they are afraid of making a movie about Black or Latino gangs-

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Mastro

10 Movies Sabotaged By Their Own Creators: http://listverse.com/2014/09/25/10-movies-sabotaged-by-their-own-creators/ American History X Sabotage After director Tony Kaye delivered his final cut of this crime drama, star Edward Norton reportedly went into the editing room to emphasize his own performance. Norton played neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard, who curb-stomps a black man to death, gets gang-raped in prison, and delivers surprisingly well-spoken monologues in defense of white supremacy. Kaye bickered with his producers and Norton to restore his original version. He even brought religious representatives, including a priest, into a meeting with him. When that didn’t work out, he spent $100,000 to print messages… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

American History X and Tony Kaye, Hollywood maverick http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/american-history-x/43413/american-history-x-and-tony-kaye-hollywood-maverick It should have been a proud moment for British director Tony Kaye. His first feature, American History X, had finally appeared in US cinemas on the 30th October 1998, and was already earning deserved attention for the strength of its direction and its powerful performances – not least from Edward Norton, cast in the lead as a volcanically angry young neo-Nazi in Venice, California. American History X might have marked the next phase in Kaye’s career, which, like such directors as Ridley Scott and Alan Parker before him, had begun in… Read more »

Liz
Liz
10 years ago

As much a fan as I am of Norton’s (I find his level of dedication and talent unmatched), I have to confess learning of his on-set antics and childish “no fair” tantrums have soured me a little bit. One has to wonder, after getting burnt on AHX and losing credit for all the work he did, why he wouldn’t haven taken more precautions and steps to avoid a repeat of that on proceeding movies. Like, I don’t know, putting in a clause in his contracts or an addendum for ANY work done beyond his initial deal and any creditting/advertising input/say-so… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Liz

From some accounts Norton is really serious about his craft and sometimes goes over some details OVER and OVER even sometimes changing dialogue on the scene while shooting so I’m guessing it’s just more they didn’t want to deal with his intense work ethic not so much that he IS a difficult person just a SERIOUS actor who goes deeply into every detail of his character or the scene so they probably just didn’t want to deal with it on a big budget production with a lot of money riding on it.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Liz

The thing about Edward Norton is that he’s one of those actors that when the director didn’t write the script, he feels like they don’t have a better grasp on the story than him. So he feels like chiming in and flexing his star power and what not. But it is the opposite when he works with a writer/director combo.

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
10 years ago

It’s interesting that Norton made such a beef about The Italian Job, because despite being forced into making the movie, the film turned out to be a fairly well-regarded hit for all involved (it made over $100M domestically). The very fact that even several years later the studio was still in talks to do a sequel kind of reinforces that audiences responded well to the film. It wasn’t an important or great film by any means, but it delivered what you’d expect: a light, fun, breezy heist film. At the very least it goes in the win column for Norton.… Read more »

Liz
Liz
10 years ago
Reply to  Craig Hansen

I was thinking the same thing, Craig. The Italian Job is one of my favorite Norton movies, but I guess it was just the idea/principle that he was FORCED to make the movie, regardless of WHAT he wanted to do and had ZERO say in the matter that really perturbed him. However, I mentioned in an earlier comment that the fact that he HAD NO choice in doing the movie was reason enough for him to just shut up about it. He knowingly and willfully went into the contract, recognizing that he was going to have to make another movie… Read more »

Dar
Dar
10 years ago

Over-rated a**hole.

I never liked norton. besides having a punchable face and an annoying voice, he can’t really act without appearing like he’s “being intense”.

“American History X” was decent but preachy, and “Death to Smoochy” was onefot eh worst thigns I’ve ever seen in my life.

As for “Fight Club”, sorry but I thought it, like Norton, was over-rated. The big twist was silly and made no sense.

daffystardust
Editor
10 years ago
Reply to  Dar

Everybody is going to have their favorites and performers who just bug them.

Personally I enjoy Norton when I see him in a movie. All indications are that his ‘difficult’ status is all about making a project what he thinks it should be.

I even like his new Droid commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUgxl7Yi2O4

…and me owning an iPhone!

Liz
Liz
10 years ago
Reply to  daffystardust

Daffy,
I hadn’t seen that commercial, and I think it’s hysterical. I swear, it’s one of the greatest thing he’s done in years. 🙂 I’d honestly love to see him in a movie like that — sort of a one man, sober Hangover meets After Hours.

RB
RB
10 years ago
Reply to  daffystardust

The commercial is good… he is definitely mesmerizing in his way.

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  daffystardust

Things have changed- movie stars are willing to do ads that they would only do in Japan back in the Eighties. This is a cool ad- its not like the cheezy ones you saw Harrison Ford/Schwarzenegger do back in the day.

babette
babette
10 years ago
Reply to  Dar

Finally! My sentiments exactly, sir.

Near the end of the 25th Hour, Norton asks his friend to “rid him of his excellent good looks” or “make him less pretty” or some such nonsense. In other words, Norton’s character begs to have his features rearranged (he’s a punching bag for interminable minutes) to lessen his eminently rapeable good looks whilst in prison, you see.

How utterly preposterous!

Wonder whose artistic input demanded that bit be tacked on? Wait. I think I know.

Great work, Lebeau, and thanks.

b

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Dar

Celebs with a reputation for being jerks:
http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/561835/celebs-reputation-jerks?page=2

Post by Urethra Franklin on 2 hours ago
Edward Norton has a s****y reputation and I can confirm.

He was a d*** when I met him several years ago.

Virtually every celebrity encounter I’ve ever had was pleasant (even Noel Gallagher was friendly) except for Norton.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Top 10 Edward Norton Performances:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgzZyeGeDAE

What do a neo-Nazi, a magician and the Incredible Hulk have in common? Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our top 10 favorite Edward Norton performances.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

25 Reasons To Hate The Oscars http://whatculture.com/film/25-reasons-to-hate-the-oscars.php/8 Roberto Benigni Bumbling Into Best Actor I believe Life is Beautiful is, as it describes, beautiful. I think it deserved all of the accolades it received and maybe would have warranted more in a different year with different competition – I don’t buy the criticisms that it glosses over the Holocaust because no individual story should be extrapolated out to generalize a wider experience. Somehow though, the only big four (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress) award it won was the one Life is Beautiful had the least claim to, Best Actor. Roberto Benigni’s performance… Read more »

Terrence Clay
10 years ago

10 Actors Who Completely Wasted Their Careers: http://whatculture.com/film/10-actors-completely-wasted-careers.php/2 10. Edward Norton Ed Norton had an impressive series of movies during the 1990s, with Primal Fear, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Rounders, American History X and of course, Fight Club. However, after the turn of the millennium, the actor had several behind-the-scenes mishaps that hurt his reputation. Brett Ratner reportedly had difficultly working with him on Red Dragon and Norton publicly admitted that he only did The Italian Job because of contractual obligations to Paramount, which isn’t exactly what a studio wants an actor to say when promoting a film. However,… Read more »

Mastro
Mastro
9 years ago
Reply to  Terrence Clay

He is a Rouse- they built the city of Columbia MD, the Baltimore Inner Harbor and a few skyscrapers in Philly- along with 10000+ other projects.

I don’t think he had to wait tables to pay the bills.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Terrence Clay

How We’d Fix It: Five Easy Steps for Repairing Edward Norton’s Career:
http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/how-wed-fix-it-five-easy-steps-for-repairing-edward-nortons-career/

Mastro
Mastro
9 years ago

I just saw The Grand Budapest Hotel- he had a prominent role- but still only 4th or 5th lead. He was good in it- but it didn’t require much.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Mastro

11 Changes The MCU Wishes It Could Make http://whatculture.com/film/11-changes-the-mcu-wishes-it-could-make.php/2 Cast Mark Ruffalo From The Beginning It’s pretty annoying that Edward Norton had to turn around and be a massive diva, withdrawing from the MCU before we even got a chance to see him Assemble. His departure made The Incredible Hulk feel incredibly disconnected from the rest of Marvel’s catalog, even with later attempts to link it in – like Ruffalo’s “I kinda broke… Harlem” line in The Avengers, or General Ross’ (William Hurt) upcoming appearance in Captain America: Civil War. Norton is infamous for being a bit of a control… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Mastro

The Shady Way Marvel Made the Hulk Movie That Was Never Supposed to Happen http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2017/07/how-marvel-made-hulk-movie-that-was-never-supposed-to-happen In 2008, back when Edward Norton was still optimistic about the Hulk series, he spoke on there being some semblance of an idea regarding where Marvel and Universal wanted to go with the Hulk series. “To me,” Norton said, “the whole thing was to envision it in multiple parts. We left a lot out on purpose. It’s definitely intended as a chapter one.” During the summer of 2008, however, Hulk director Louis Leterrier doubted there’d be a sequel based on the film’s box office performance… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Mastro

Every version of the Hulk ranked from worst to best http://www.looper.com/77125/every-version-hulk-ranked-worst-best/ Edward Norton in The Incredible Hulk (2008) Five years after Ang Lee shepherded the character’s first big-screen adventure, director Louis Leterrier helmed the franchise reboot The Incredible Hulk. While the second take is also a bit of a jumble, Edward Norton’s nuanced Bruce Banner, Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky/Abomination, and William Hurt’s lean, mean “Thunderbolt” Ross are worth watching, and the cartoonish motion-capture Hulk—a warm-up for The Avengers’ version—looks good. If anything yanks the purple pants off this green giant, it’s the scattershot plot. When the audience ignores basic logic, the… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Edward Norton (I) : Lazy-Eye from Moonrise Kingdom says he … http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/286amm/hi_im_the_kid_with_the_eye_patch_from_moonrise/ For those who don’t want to read the whole thing, these are the Norton quotes: beep 10 points 9 hours ago Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors. Did you enjoy working with him? Is he a stand-up guy or a complete d*ck? In between? [–]chilgore[S] 17 points 9 hours ago Kind of a dick. “He always tried to step on Wes’s toes. Saying stuff like, “Yeah that sounds great but I think it would be way better if we did this other thing instead.” He would… Read more »

yuwkon
yuwkon
9 years ago

Add more pleaseee!!

bodwaya
bodwaya
9 years ago

norton being difficult never helped his career it cost him role in avengers. I doubt he cares about it though he always picked roles he liked which is why people mostly seem him in independent movies

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  bodwaya

Confused Matthew’s Marvel Madness (Or: Why Marvel Studios Sucks Ass):
http://confusedmatthew.com/matthews-marvel-madness.html

Marvel Studios sucks. Basically that’s the theme for this whole video. Bad business practices and bad behavior towards the talent they employ, which of course leads to – you guessed it – bad films.

This has been some what of a long time in the making, the script for this started in 2012 and has continued right up until the Edgar Wright debacle. So now seemed a good time to finally put it all together.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Action Movie Flops That Deserve A Second Chance http://whatculture.com/film-tv/10-action-movie-flops-that-deserve-a-second-chance?page=11 The Incredible Hulk The Marvel Cinematic Universe first reached screens in May 2008, when Iron Man enjoyed a $98 million opening weekend before going onto gross $318 million domestically. In cinemas a month later was The Incredible Hulk, which failed to repeat its predecessor’s success, earning only $134 in the domestic market. Failure makes you a marked man, and in the wake of this “flop” neither the movie’s star, director or screenwriter were ever employed by Marvel Studios again. Marvel must be a mean taskmaster because The Incredible Hulk is… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  bodwaya

Edward Norton reflects on not being the Hulk: http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/10/22/edward-norton-reflects-hulk/ When Edward Norton and Marvel parted ways in 2010 over the role of the Hulk, there was some real rage. Both camps lobbed broadsides at each other, with Marvel dropping a preemptive bomb that implied that Norton had to go because he lacked the “collaborative spirit of [the Avengers’] other talented cast members.” Norton’s agent angrily responded that Marvel’s unilateral decision to end good-faith negotiations with Norton was purely financial. For his part, Norton took the high road with an earnest missive on Facebook where he expressed regret that he wouldn’t… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Edward Norton Offers New Explanation for Not Playing Hulk in ‘Avengers’ Films:
http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=19765257&postcount=9

I think Ed Norton is just extremely independent as an actor and never wants to be tied down. I will never forget about how mad he was about The Italian Job. He didn’t want to do the movie, but he had a multi-picture deal with Paramount from when the basically gave him his big break. After years of disagreeing on what the next project would be, the studio finally forced him to do The Italian Job.

Seems like he doesn’t want to be obligated to do anything.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

If Ed Norton was Banner/Hulk in Avengers… http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/512183/ed-norton-banner-hulk-avengers Post by HeAdCaSe on Nov 18, 2014 at 2:54am Just a hypothetical here, but since I really enjoyed Norton’s portrayal of the character, and he was supposed to continue playing that role in Avengers too, how do people think he would have worked out in the team? I don’t think he would have been written the same way. Ruffalo’s Hulk had a lighter tone to it, Norton’s portrayal was more serious. I don’t think we would have got “Puny God” or Science Bro’s with Stark and Banner. Norton’s Hulk would have had… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Biggest Mistakes That The MCU Has Made So Far

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NpVwN7yq8Y

1) Ed Norton as The Hulk | 0:27
2) Steve Rogers’ CGI Body | 0:56
3) Ant-Man Vs. Falcon | 1:24
4) Black Widow | 1:53
5) I’m Always Angry | 2:18
6) Whiplash | 2:51
7) No Stakes | 3:22
8) Terrence Howard | 3:55
9) Tacked-On Love Stories | 4:24
10) Spoiling Spidey | 4:50

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  bodwaya

Re: Edward Norton Offers New Explanation for Not Playing Hulk in ‘Avengers’ Films: http://www.lipstickalley.com/showpost.php?p=19768379&postcount=12 I used to be a fan & I know that Ed is a freakin’ douche…re-writing scripts and wanting to always be the smartest guy in the room. He’s difficult point blank. He’s skinny & he’s got a funny face. If he stops acting, I’ll be a happy gal. I run from his projects. Mark Ruffalo is humble, personable, a good actor & gets along with everybody. I’m so glad he’s doing so well and I look forward to seeing him in films. The one he did… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

The Best Hulk/Bruce Banner? http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showpost.php?p=5377487&postcount=2 As for the movie ones I’d say Edward Norton as Bruce Banner and his version of Hulk. Norton portrayed Banner as someone who knows there’s a dark scary side to him. He was essentially doing what he did in Fight Club but tweaked it for a comic audience and I feel that’s what the portrayal of Hulk and Banner should be like. Eric Bana felt like he was in a different movie a la a dark drama about split personality and there hasn’t been enough of Mark Ruffalo to properly gauge his performance. Although I… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

WHAT HAPPENED BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK

http://www.looper.com/7944/really-happened-behind-scenes-incredible-hulk/

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Hit Movies That Somehow Never Got A Sequel http://whatculture.com/film/10-hit-movies-that-somehow-never-got-a-sequel?page=7 The Incredible Hulk It seems at this point that The Incredible Hulk will be consigned to history as a footnote in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, if it wasn’t for the return of William Hurt’s Thaddeus Ross in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it was beginning to look like the movie had been swept under the rug entirely bar a fleeting reference to Bruce Banner ‘breaking Harlem’ in the first Avengers. Released just six weeks after Iron Man signaled the start of Marvel Studios’ ambitious plans to build a shared… Read more »

bodwaya
bodwaya
9 years ago

birdman should do good for his career he pokes fun at himself

shitbrick
shitbrick
9 years ago

birdman should kill 2 birds with 1 stone help norton and keatons career

Deanna Dawn Smith Fagin

Edward Norton has a lot more going on than acting. he is from a wealthy, prominent family and has recently gotten married an had a child. Norton is an environmental and social activist. He is a member of the board of trustees of Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit organization for developing affordable housing founded by his grandfather James Rouse. Norton is president of the American branch of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. He ran in the 2009 New York City Marathon to raise money for the Trust. He also raises money for charity through Crowdrise, a social networking community for… Read more »

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