Edward Norton“Life, like poker, has an element of risk. It shouldn't be avoided. It should be faced.” source: www.rottentomatoes.com |
Edward Norton is the sort of actor you always want in your movie, no matter what it is. Besides the crazy range listed above, he's also played a superhero (The Incredible Hulk), a military man (The Bourne Legacy), a medieval king (Kingdom of Heaven), a cop (Pride and Glory), and an eccentric scout troop leader (Moonrise Kingdom). His performance is always a bright spot in his movies (except The Italian Job), and yet he's been searching for a role in a truly great film for over a decade. Is he the man who only wants to take projects that interest him, hence his disdain for fulfilling his 3 picture deal with Paramount, or is he the actor who takes roles in The Incredible Hulk and The Bourne Legacy, clear paycheck gigs? Is he the actor who started his career with two Academy Award nominations, or the one who just went four years without a Fresh Rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes (a streak he broke last year with a turn in Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, a man he'll be collaborating with again this year in Grand Budapest Hotel)?
Norton is not a classically trained actor, but his perfectionist nature has led to clashes on many of his movies. He got final cut on American History X, an incredible feat given his relatively short filmography at the time. He frequently clashed on the set of Red Dragon with Brett Ratner, although if it was over how bland Norton's portrayal of Will Graham wound up being, I'm definitely in Norton's corner. Hugh Dancy's mentally unstable and spiraling downward turn as the same character on NBC's "Hannibal" is roughly 83 times more compelling. He also wanted final cut on The Incredible Hulk, and a more nuanced story, this time with the backing of the director, Louis Leterrier. When the studio refused, he skipped the promotional tour. He's burned quite a few bridges in his career, but his talent keeps him in work, when he wants it.
He's gone fairly quiet since 2012, with the aforementioned GBH and another movie in which he plays a minor role opposite Michael Keaton (Birdman, sadly not about the NBA player), being his only upcoming projects. He's stated his disdain for fame before, but that ship has sailed. If Norton could embrace his status as an A-lister and make some amends in Hollywood, it would be great to see what he could do as the leading man in a real blockbuster again, something he hasn't been all that eager to do after Hulk. His talent is undeniable, but his heart just doesn't seem to be in acting, at least on the biggest stage of major releases, which is quite a shame when you see what he can do in the right roles.
Norton is not a classically trained actor, but his perfectionist nature has led to clashes on many of his movies. He got final cut on American History X, an incredible feat given his relatively short filmography at the time. He frequently clashed on the set of Red Dragon with Brett Ratner, although if it was over how bland Norton's portrayal of Will Graham wound up being, I'm definitely in Norton's corner. Hugh Dancy's mentally unstable and spiraling downward turn as the same character on NBC's "Hannibal" is roughly 83 times more compelling. He also wanted final cut on The Incredible Hulk, and a more nuanced story, this time with the backing of the director, Louis Leterrier. When the studio refused, he skipped the promotional tour. He's burned quite a few bridges in his career, but his talent keeps him in work, when he wants it.
He's gone fairly quiet since 2012, with the aforementioned GBH and another movie in which he plays a minor role opposite Michael Keaton (Birdman, sadly not about the NBA player), being his only upcoming projects. He's stated his disdain for fame before, but that ship has sailed. If Norton could embrace his status as an A-lister and make some amends in Hollywood, it would be great to see what he could do as the leading man in a real blockbuster again, something he hasn't been all that eager to do after Hulk. His talent is undeniable, but his heart just doesn't seem to be in acting, at least on the biggest stage of major releases, which is quite a shame when you see what he can do in the right roles.