Edward Norton: what is it like working with the most demanding actor in Hollywood?

21 Август 2020
From the very beginning of his career, Edward Norton chose to play difficult and mentally unstable characters. However, it was difficult not only for the actor himself but many directors also complained about the hardships of working with Norton.

Having made his debut as Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear in 1996, Norton found his place in the cinema, but at the same time gained overconfidence. So, despite the minimal filmography and huge popularity in the late '90s, he refused to star in the cult "American Psycho" and "Saving Private Ryan."

Derek Vinyard, played by Norton in “American History X”, made him even more famous, but for the film to come out, the directors and producers had to work pretty hard: Edward tried to direct the filming and forced the crew to completely change the final cut.
Edward Norton in American History X
Edward Norton in American History X
After filming in "Fight Club" (1999), Norton became unbearable: the directors of "Beard" (2001) and "The Italian Job" (2003), several times noted that the actor was filmed out of hand, without expressing any interest in the filming process.


Another difficult episode in Norton's career was the collaboration with Marvel. Even though the audience liked Bruce Banner performed by Edward, the shooting was very difficult for the team. Norton again tried to do everything his way and as a result changed the original concept of "Hulk", blackmailing his colleagues by completely refusing to participate in the film. Subsequently, the leadership of Marvel replaced Edward with Mark Ruffalo. Perhaps it was the numerous management scandals that prompted Edward to start filming on his own. Since the early 2000s, in parallel with his acting career, Norton has tried himself as a producer and director. The paintings “The Painted Veil” (2006), “Leaves of Grass” (2009), and “Thanks for Sharing” (2012) were born under his leadership.
Fans speculate that Norton is doing much better as the leader of the process, not a participant in it - Edward's latest directorial work, Motherless Brooklyn, which was released in 2019, was quite successful at the box office. One way or another, Edward Norton, having already exchanged his sixth decade, has achieved tremendous success in cinema at all levels and does not plan to stop there. You can look at other Hollywood actors over 50 in the photo selection from editors of Zoomboola.