Edward Norton

Edward Norton has built a career out of shape-shifting. Just look at his beginning in film: The People vs. Larry Flynt, Primal Fear, Everyone Says I Love You, American History X, Rounders, Fight Club. And it didn’t stop there. Throughout the 2000s Norton embraced what he calls his “penchant for mimicry”–a desire to disappear into roles big and small. So, for the next hour, Norton and I reflect on his past and present, from performing in front of Edward Albee at 24 to directing his 2nd film, Motherless Brooklyn. We talk about building personal mythologies, ambition and early success, his memories of Philip Seymour Hoffman, the enduring legacy of 25th Hour, the puzzling joys of Chinatown, the painstaking process of creating his labor of love, Motherless Brooklyn, and more.

Show-notes

  • You can watch the trailer for Motherless Brooklyn here. It opens in theaters around the country Friday, November 1st.
  • To learn more about Crowdrise, a fundraising platform created by Norton, check out their site.
  • Listen to “Daily Battles” from the Motherless Brooklyn soundtrack here.
  • Illustrations by Krishna Shenoi. Music by Dylan Peck and Jinsang.

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