>>> OH, I GET IT.
IT IS VERY CLEVER.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HOW IS IT WORKING OUT FOR
YOU?
>> WHAT?
>> BEING CLEVER.
>> THAT WAS EDWARD NORTON IN
"FIGHT CLUB."
THE MOVIE THAT WAS NOT A HIT
WHEN IT WAS RELEASED 20 YEARS
AGO THIS WEEK.
"FIGHT CLUB" STARTED NORTON'S
CAREER BEGINNING WITH PRIMAL
FEAR.
"ROUNDERS" AND "AMERICAN HISTORY
ACT."
HE WAS NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR
AND WON A GLOBAL AWARD DURING
THAT RUN.
1999 WAS THE SAME YEAR NORTON
READ A NEW YORK DETECTIVE NOVEL.
HE DECIDED TO BUY THE RIGHT AND
TURN THE BOOK INTO THE MOVIE.
>> HE DIRECTED THE MOVIE AND
STARS IN IT.
WE TALK ABOUT "MOTHERLESS
BROOKLYN" AND A LOT MORE.
>> IT IS A THEATER, SWEETHEART.
DON'T BE SO CONSCIOUS.
>> DESPITE ALL THE ROLES HE HAD
PLAYED OVER THE YEARS AND THE
RESPECT HE EARNED FROM HIS
FELLOW ACTORS.
EDWARD NORTON STILL GETS NERVOUS
THAT FIRST DAY ONSET.
>> I NEVER START A NEW ONE
WITHOUT FEELING MY WEAK
FRAUDULENT.
>> THE FIRST WEEK OF SHOOTING
ANY FILM, I AM LIKE WOW, IT IS
TIME TO TAKE AWAY HIS LICENSE.
>> DO YOU STILL FEEL THAT WAY?
>> OH YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
>> THE NEW FILM "MOTHERLESS
BROOKLYN" HAD BEEN ON NORTON'S
MIND FOR THE BETTER PART OF
DUODDTWO
DECADES.
>> YOU ARE WRITING THE FILM AND
DIRECTED THE FILM AND YOU STAR
IN THE FILM.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
>> WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT?
I AM LIKE PLEASE, SLEEP FOR
GOD'S SAKE.
>> 1950s BROOKLYN, NORTON PLAYS
LIONEL, A DETECTIVE TRYING TO
SOLVE A MURDER WHILE PUMPING UP
AGAINST NEW YORK'S POLITICAL
POWER.
>> SHE DOES NOT KNOW.
>> IT WAS NOT A DETECTIVE MOVIE
IN MY MIND.
IT WAS AS MUCH AS "FOREST SC
SCUMP."
YOU FEEL UPLIFTING BECAUSE IT
REMINDS YOU GOOD TO BE ON THE
SIDE OF THAT GUY.
>> BRUCE WILLIS AND ALEC BALDWIN
PLAYING A PUBLIC OFFICIAL WHO
WAS RESHAPING THE CITY.
>> IF I WANT TO BUILD HIGHWAYS
WHERE THE COUNTRY IS BROKE, I
WILL PUNCH ANY DAMN NEIGHBORHOOD
I WANT.
>> THE DAY HE DID THE MONOLOGUE,
THE ENTIRE CREW STOOD IN THE
SHADOW LIKE RIVETED.
I HAVE NOT SEEN A CREW WATCHING
AN ACTOR LIKE THAT FOR A LONG
TIME.
>> NORTON BOUGHT THE RIGHTS TO
"MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN" AFTER
READING THE NOVEL 20 YEARS AGO.
>> WHAT CAPTIVATED YOU AND MADE
YOU INVEST YOUR TIME IN IT?
>> IT WAS ENTIRELY THE GREEDY
ACTOR.
THIS GUY WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME
WHO HAD TO SOLVE THE MURDER OF
HIS FRIEND.
>> THE MOVIE DIGS INTO, DO WE
WANT TO DEFINE HEROISM AS THE
ACQUISITION OR POWER OF MONEY.
OR ARE WE GOING TO DEFINE HEROES
AS PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN STRUGGLES
STAND UP WITH THAT POWER AND
PRIORITIZE AND CARE FOR OTHER
PEOPLE.
THAT ARGUMENT IS BRIGHT HOT
RIGHT NOW.
>> NORTON WAS RAISED IN
MARYLAND.
THE OLDEST OF THREE.
HIS FATHER WAS AS LAWYER.
HIS MOTHER A TEACHER.
>> MY PARENTS WERE NOT ARTIST,
THEY'
THEY FATHER TAUGHT SHAKESPEARES
AND WE WOULD MAKE KUNG-FU MOVIES
AND RECORD DIALOGUES LATER.
>> NORTON GRADUATED FROM YALE
AND MADE HIS WAY TO NEW YORK TO
BECOME A THEATER ACTOR.
IN THE MOVIE HE MADE A SPLASH
RIGHT AWAY EARNING A GOLDEN
GLOBE AWARD AND OSCAR NOMINATION
FOR THE FIRST FILM HE APPEARED
THE 1996 THRILLER "PRIMAL FEAR."
>> IF YOU EVER COME IN HERE
AGAIN, I WILL KICK YOU --
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE THRUST
OUT RIGHT OFF THE GATE?
>> I HAVE CERTAIN MEMORIES OF
IT.
I HAD DIFFICULT THINGS GOING ON
THAT MOMENT, MY MOTHER WAS ILL
AND PASSED AWAY.
>> I SORT OF REMEMBER GOING LIKE
DID I DO WELL?
AND THEY'RE LIKE IT DID REALLY
WELL.
GREAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
>> I AM NOT DRUNK, I AM IRISH.
>> HE'S BEEN WORKING IN
MEMORABLE ROLES EVER SINCE.
HE FINDS REDEMPTION IN AMERICAN
HISTORY ACT.
>> I AM OUT.
>> IN HIS MANY COLLABORATION
WITH DIRECTOR WEST ANDERSON.
>> YOU ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR LUST
DOG SPOT.
>> AND WITH BRAD PITT IN "FIGHT
CLUB" WHICH CELEBRATES THE
ANNIVERSARY OF 20 YEARS.
>> THAT MOVIE DID NOT DO WELL.
>> PEOPLE FORGET THAT.
>> I DON'T THINK YOU CAN POINT
TO A FILM THAT I BEEN INVOLVED
IN HAD A LONGER TAIL OF CULTURAL
AFFIRMATION.
>> THE 50-YEAR-OLD NORTON HAS A
YOUNG SON WITH HIS WIFE IS
FAMOUSLY PRIVATE.
IN RECENT YEARS AS NORTON HAS
PURSUED BUSINESS AND BUSINESS
INTERESTS OFF SCREEN, HE TAKEN
ON FEWER ROLES.
>> WE SHOW SOMEONE THE TRICKS
TOO MANY TIMES IN A ROW, THEY'RE
GOING TO SEE IT.
>> THE BOTTOM LINE IS OVERTIME
BEING WELL-KNOWN FOR SOMETHING
CAN BRING AROUND OPPORTUNITIES
TO PARTICIPATE IN OTHER THINGS
THAT ARE IMPORTANT, I MET THE
U.N. AMBASSADOR, WE BUILT
CHARITABLE FUND RAISINGING PLATM
CALLED CROWD RISE.
YOU DON'T WANT YOUR KIDS SORT OF
ASKING YOU WHAT DID YOU DO IN
THE AWARD PROGRAM AND HAVING
THEM QUESTION WHEN IT COMES TO
LIKE 30 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN OUR
KIDS ARE DEALING WITH THIS.
THEY'RE GOING LIKE WELL, YOU
KNOW, I AM GOOGLING DAD.
YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THAT
PERSON.
"MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN" REMINDS US
WHEN EDWARD NORTON IS NOT
WORKING TO SAVE THE FUTURE, HE'S
A UNIQUE AND TALENTED ARTIST IN
THE PRESENCE.
HE BEGAN TO STAR AND DIRECT THE
FILM, HE IS THE ONE CALLING THE
SHOTS.
>> BY THE WAY, THAT'S THE ONLY
REASON I FELT MILDLY OKAY IS
THAT AT LEAST NO ONE ELSE IS
GOING TO CUT MY PERFORMANCE.
>> WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE
CUTTING ROOM FLOOR WILL BE IN MY
HANDS.
>> "MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN" IS IN
THEATERS ON NOVEMBER 1st.
TO HEAR EDWARD TALK ABOUT HIS
FIRST JOB AND HOW IT HELPED TO
INSPIRE "MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN",
CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST ON