Few actors have ever been quite likeEdward Norton. He always shows up onscreen completely believable in whatever diverse role he’s tackling while also always being so distinctly himself. He combines the key qualities of a great movie star, typically an actor whose personal charisma and presence carries them from role to role regardless of the character, with the qualities of the great chameleons (actors who use various methods and tools to disappear as much as they can into each part.)
There are only a few actors who combine these things effectively. Two who come to mind are actually Norton’s one-time co-stars, Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando, from the Frank Oz film,The Score. Truly elite company.Norton spoke with MovieWebrecently in an interview that reveals much about his process, and how he pulled off playing the real-life folk singer Pete Seeger in James Mangold’s new film,A Complete Unknown. For his part, Norton doesn’t seem to think it’s possible to lose yourself in a role entirely. “I don’t think you ever get rid of yourself,” the actor told us. But when pressed that many actors attempt to he went deeper on the topic:
“You’ll never get away from it completely, but I think hopefully you can find something that unlocks the essence of a character that you’re trying to bring to life, and enough people start forming a relationship with that character that’s divorced from you.”
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How Edward Norton Found Pete Seeger
So, how does this all apply toNorton’s excellent performanceas the legendary musician Pete Seeger? Norton pointed out one of the main keys to unlocking the role: “His voice. He had a very distinctive way of speaking. And you could say, well, that’s mimicry, which it is on a certain level. But the interesting thing is there was something about the way he spoke that reflected very much who he was.” Norton continued:
“He was gentle, and he had a formality to him. He wasn’t a hippie, he wasn’t of that generation. He was from another time. And there was a thing to me that his voice made him seem to me kind of like the Gandalf of that set, you know? He has a formality, a druid-like quality. So the voice was really important to me. His elocution, the way, the way he spoke, maybe it was part of the key.”
Norton, as always, pulls it off. He becomes Pete Seeger in every sense, but you never lose how much of him is still Edward Norton. There is an honesty and integrity to his performances that makes every moment stand out. Audiences never doubt that they are watching a real genuine moment unfold when Norton is onscreen. His intense desire to be authentic, maybe even his recognition that he won’t ever escape his identifying characteristics, are part of what makes him such an honest yet identifiable performer.A Complete Unknownis now in theaters from Searchlight Pictures; you canfind showtimes and tickets here.
