“To play the Hulk is how to play Hamlet”: Edward Norton on “Orphan Brooklyn”, Workshop and Climate Change colleagues

- Orphan Brooklyn put on a book, right?

- Based on a great novel by Jonathan Lethem, who himself is from Brooklyn.

“How did he attract you so much?”

- First of all, a terrific protagonist. By the end of the first page, he completely captures your attention.

He is a detective, but not the kind played by Robert Mitchum and Humphrey Bogart, but a kind of junior assistant to a cool detective. My hero suffers from Tourette’s syndrome (a disorder of the central musculoskeletal system characterized by multiple motor tics. - RT ) and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is why it is very difficult for him in life. Moreover, he is endowed with a sharp mind and photographic memory, and therefore is very noticeable in the activities of the office.

- How did you manage to persuade Bruce Willis to agree to a role that lasts about three screen times?

“Actually twenty.” In the book, a private detective, on which Lionel works - my character is a real shit. Everyone is equal to him.

• Frame from the film "Orphan Brooklyn"
• © IMDB

Big brother and all that. Who is better than Bruce Willis to cope with a similar role? In my opinion, Bruce is the perfect big brother. All men want to be like that. He is mysterious, witty, cool. At the beginning of the film, we see two ridiculous third-rate detectives who work for him, and then Bruce comes around the corner and you say to yourself: “Here he is, a real private detective.”

- Bobby Cannavale is great too ...

“Bobby and I played together on the New York theater stage.” I consider him one of the best actors of my generation. He knows how to be funny and incredibly serious. Bobby just incredibly played a role.

- Alec Baldwin also appeared in your movie. His character is copied from Robert Moses, but in the film, only the name remains of him ...

“Our Moses Randolph can be called the local Darth Vader.” The fact is that the real Robert Moses (American urban planner. - RT ) was also a kind of Darth Vader of New York in the middle of the last century. I say this because initially Moses really resembled a Jedi: he was an idealist and had incredible influence, but in the end he switched to the "dark side" and began to use his power for terrible purposes.

- But the film is not based on real events?

- Of course no. This is a picture of a detective with Tourette’s syndrome, it is filled with murders and all sorts of gloomy events.

Take a look at many of the great American films, say Citizen Kane. This is the story of William Randolph Hurst, but at the same time not. The character is not in vain called Charles Foster Kane.

Sometimes films that convey only the essence contain more truth than those that are positioned as based on real events. It seems to me that in the latter case, you have no right to step back from the facts.

- Have you studied people with this disorder or relied on your own imagination?

“Do you know Dr. Oliver Sachs?” He has an excellent work on just this syndrome. In addition, I watched documentaries and met people. The most interesting thing is that everyone has this disease in their own way.

Some suffer from a severe form of the disorder, which is characterized by shouting all sorts of obscene words and curses. In others, the disease manifests itself in the form of compulsive vocal tics. And someone is dealing with motor tics. Each patient has his own set of symptoms.

I adopted various traits I liked from people whom I saw in films or met live. It is also surprising that many people with Tourette’s syndrome are very gifted. For example, my hero feels music like no one else. The sounds of jazz in the most unusual way provoke its tics.

- Was it difficult to play this character?

- Getting ready for the role is always very entertaining. But to bring everything to automatism is the question ...

- ... acting ...

- Exactly. It is necessary to penetrate this internally, to turn your body into an instrument ...

- Is it difficult to act in your own film?

- Yes. I will say this: I follow my own instructions quite well. If you and I are partners in the film, we help each other, maintaining concentration despite all the distractions - lighting and so on. But if you are also a director and instantly switch ...

I was worried about how this would affect my game partners. But if such wonderful actors with rich stage work experience are involved in the film, such as those whom we have listed, as well as the magnificent Broadway actress Cherry Jones and Alec Baldwin, a stunningly talented performer of not only a comedic-satirical, but also a dramatic genre ...

• Frame from the film "Orphan Brooklyn"
• © IMDB

When I just started my journey, Alec performed in the Broadway production of Desire Tram and performed his role stunningly. Around the same time, he played in the film Glengarry Glen Ross. In my opinion, such an Alec villain resembles Lee JJ Cobb in the films “12 Angry Men” and "At the port."

- You didn’t choose an actor’s career not for fame? Will you call yourself the antipode of celebrity?

- Some attributes of fame can be used for good. I am inspired by the example of people like Paul Newman - the results he achieved by founding the Newman Ouns company . He converted his fame into hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars aimed at charity.

My friend Leonardo DiCaprio also inspires me, who uses his fame to protect the environment, which he is passionate about. Leo is a famous environmentalist, as, by the way, are Mark Ruffalo and me.

Moreover, many of the attributes of fame seem ridiculous to me. In our culture, people are often not extolled for what it would be worth. And those who truly deserve a celebration are not appreciated. Take, for example, firefighters, police officers, teachers and scientists. We should equate them with the heroes, they deserve it. But still this does not mean that widespread fame somehow prevents one from doing good deeds. On the contrary.

- As a child, did you want to become an actor?

- Yes. But then I hardly thought about choosing this life path. He was not my dream. I liked the lesson itself. My friends and I loved making our own mini-films.

- Is Yale famous for its theatrical faculty?

- Yes. But I studied there as a historian, which, in a sense, manifested itself in this film: my interest in Robert Moses, New York of the 1950s, in events of that period - say, for the reasons for the Dodgers club’s move (the baseball club moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1958. - RT ). Here, my nature of a historian has made itself felt in many ways. And I wanted to weave a plot out of all this.

- Which film brought you fame?

“Definitely, Primal Fear.” This is exactly the case when everything turned out like no one expected. There was a great chance, we got a great team, and, fortunately, the film shot. Otherwise, we probably would not have talked right now.

- Do you like to play such diverse roles? You don’t have any strict role?

- I like it, because, in my opinion, there are two types of actors, but not in the sense of “good and bad”. There are legendary actors who I want to see again and again in similar images. These are outstanding personalities. For example, Harrison Ford is a great actor. No one expects him to dissolve in his role. On the contrary, we like to see the features of himself from time to time.

And there are such masters of reincarnation as Dustin Hoffman, Daniel Day Lewis and others who are truly transformed. These are slightly different types of actors.

- Have your goals changed over the years?

- No, I think my goals remained the same. In terms of films, I prefer working on projects that are consonant with the time in which we live.

I love when people resonate with what they see. In contrast, for example, from exclusively entertaining things.

Of course, like everyone, I also sometimes want to relax, but sometimes they show us something too primitive. But there are things that make people think, ask questions.

Here you can return to films based on real events. For example, many people do not know that this really happened in New York. I hope that after watching them they will have a question: “Did they really build bridges below so that buses would not pass under them, and blacks and Latinos would not get to the beach? Yes, this cannot be! ” This means that the audience will have an interest in this topic. And I like that.

• Shot from the movie “Fight Club”
• © IMDB

The same goes for Chinatown: they turned William Mulholland into Hollis Mulray. This is a kind of fantasy on the subject. But when we watched this film, everyone thought: “Was this really happening? Did Los Angeles really steal water? Is Los Angeles itself built on theft of water? ” That is exactly what happened. And this thought no longer leaves your mind. You embark on a romantic time travel in the 1950s, listening to music and watching actors. And that is wonderful. This is the magic of cinema that takes you to another time. But it’s good if along the way you are forced to reflect on the grim events of American history.

- What do you like about directing? The control?

- Yes, as well as the fact that I can gather actors whose game I like, invite them to play with me.

Being just an actor, you are only part of the team, a detail of the mechanism. But if you are a director, then you are already a captain and gather your team.

And it's not just about the cast (it’s obvious that I invited all my favorite actors). It's also about music: the action takes place in the 1950s, so I wanted a cool jazz soundtrack. When will you still have the opportunity to call Winton Marsalis (American trumpeter and composer. - RT ) and ask for help with music? Or Tom York from Radiohead? They agreed, and we got a picture, I would say, with the best sound next in a very long time. Daniel Pemberton (English composer. - RT ) and Winton Marsalis wrote the music for the film, and Winton simply divinely performed it.

Can I ask a question on the topic?

- Of course.

- You lived in New York in the 1950s and worked then?

“I started working at fifty-seventh.” Already in his youth ...

- A film about those times. 1957 year. Did we manage to convey the atmosphere?

- More than.

“Are the cars real?” Clothing? Music?

- And clothes, and music too. Do you think that celebrities should participate in politics “silently”, otherwise they may give a superficial statement on a very important topic. That is, you do not touch politics?

- No, why, I really touch. If we talk about celebrities, then there are two points. To begin with, I always liked the words of Marlon Brando that it seemed crazy to him the desire of others to ask his opinion on any issue. And even greater madness was to answer.

I believe that in our world you need to be careful. Especially now, when all your words are taken out of context, turned into short remarks and manipulated in every way. The chance to have such a thorough discussion as we have here is getting less and less.

That is why some kind of inner discipline is needed. As Bob Dylan said: “Learn your song well before you play it.” No need to fuss about things you don’t understand.

But I understood something in some way, and therefore I will not be silent. Actors are also people. I am a citizen of America like you, like any school teacher or banker. My opinion weighs no more and no less than the rest. We all must take part in public discourse. Someone may say: "I do not have to listen to the opinion of the actor." But I do not force anyone to listen. I just want to point out that we all should be involved in the discussion of pressing issues. Say, for me, climate change is a threat to all living things.

I have children, and I am extremely concerned about this issue. It is necessary to educate people. One way or another, I do not consider my opinion more valuable than others, but I am not going to be silent. If we want to get rid of bad habits, people should voice their opinions and vote.

- Let's play a little game. Your secret addiction?

- Vanilla Latte.

- Director, with whom would you like to work?

- Francis Ford Coppola.

- An actor that you would like to film in your film?

- Sean Penn.

- The strangest meeting with a fan?

- Recently, a man approached me on the street and handed a joint photo of baseball players Jim Palmer and Earl Weaver with their autographs.

He said nothing, but he must have known that it was my youth - Palmer and Baltimore Orioles (baseball club. - RT ).

- Your secret talent?

“I remember music incredibly well.”

- With whom would you switch places for the day?

- With Kelly Slater (professional surfer. - RT )

“What three things would you take with you to a desert island?”

- Satellite phone, surfboard and ... and zinc for the nose. I'm an Irishman.

“What would you like to be better at?”

- In surfing.

- What did you always consider to be true, but then it turned out that this was not so?

- That I will become a professional surfer.

- Really?

- Not. I never believed that this would happen, but I always hoped.

- What should be paid more attention to?

- The climate crisis.

“Why aren't we doing this?”

- People who care only about corporate interests and short-term benefits deliberately prevent us from realizing the scale of the problem. In many ways, my picture is about this.

It is incredibly dangerous when the truth is hidden from us. The greatest damage is done when someone manipulates the situation in their favor. We are consciously clouded by the brain of people who do not want to think about the consequences of carbon emissions.

“ Do you think it's not too late?”

- It must be recognized that many of our technologies, solutions and ideas would have seemed fiction ten years ago. But here we are introducing and using them. People do not know how to predict the future as well as they think. Our ability to invent and put forward new ideas is truly incredible.

- A few questions from social networks. A Facebook user asks, “You played Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk.” Are you ready to return to the Marvel universe in the future? ”

- Why not?

- Was the experience interesting?

- Even more. I have never before participated in the filming of such films. I was working on a script.

- You were surprised when you were chosen?

- Not. I was well suited for the role of Bruce Banner. Like Mark Ruffalo, he is a great actor. Together we studied theater in New York. He's great.

People always try to see some kind of false conflict between us, but playing the Hulk is like playing Hamlet.

In the role of the Hulk, Bill Bixby and Eric Bana got on well. I hope, and I was not bad. Mark did a great job too. This is one of those characters that many great actors can play.

- Question from another Facebook user: “Would you take part in a really interesting independent film for a small fee?”

- For the work on the “Orphan Brooklyn” I just received the minimum payment approved by the guild.

The rest is the same: Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin and Willem Dafoe starred, in fact, for free so that I can carry out my project. In general, the film appeared only thanks to the actors.

One of the best compliments in my entire career has been to hear from them: "We know that all this is not done for the sake of money." This also includes my collaboration with Wes Anderson. He also acted in film for the lowest possible price.

“If the Orphan Brooklyn collects a ton of money, will the actors get anything?”

- Of course, we will share everything honestly. We immediately agreed that everyone will receive their part.

- Question from Facebook: “What role do you regret giving up?

“I don't think there are any.” If I refused, then often because I did not consider myself the best candidate. And then, looking at those who eventually played the role, I said: “Well, I was right. They are more suitable. "

If it seems to me that I know how to approach a role, then I will not refuse it. But sometimes I just understand that it is for this candidate of me that is so-so.

• Shot from the movie The Incredible Hulk
• © IMDB

For example, my friend Bennett Miller is one of the best directors of our generation. He made the films Capote, The Man Who Changed Everything, Fox Hunter, and Cruise, the best documentary in my opinion about New York. Engaged in The Fox Hunter (this is a film about fighter brothers), he discussed with me the role of one of the brothers - Dave - who was eventually played by Mark Ruffalo. Then I told Bennett that I was not at all suitable for this role. Mark, however, used to be engaged in wrestling and looks similar to Dave Schultz. After watching the film, I realized that in this role I would never be able to compare with Mark; Bennett was wrong, and I was right.

- Question from Twitter : “Do you have a role that you are especially proud of or consider an example of a truly great acting?”

- It's funny that that's what I think of the new film. In it I gave my best than ever. And not only as an actor. He completely swallowed me. It was a serious project. I was inspired ...

I remember how Warren Beatty (American actor and director. - RT ) was asked about the movie "Reds."Then everyone told him that no one would want to watch a three-hour movie about socialists. And Beatty replied: “But I will see.” And he made a film that became one of the greatest paintings of the 1980s.

This is just a masterpiece. Moreover, he himself wrote the script, and produced, and directed, and played the main role. Or take Spike Lee’s picture “Do it Right!” About how a guy makes a movie about his area. Lee performed there as an actor, screenwriter and director. Such things are incredibly inspiring, and I wanted to do something just as grandiose myself.

See the full version of the interview on RTD website.