Believe it or not, Edward Norton, the Oscar-nominated actor who played a neo-Nazi in American History X, an accused killer in Primal Fear, and a deranged yuppie in last year’s Fight Club, owes his entire career to, of all things, Cinderella. Norton was five years old when his babysitter took him to see the famous glass slipper story at the Columbia School of Dramatic Arts. Says Norton, "That was the first thing I remember that made me go, 'I want to do that.’" Twenty-five years later, Norton is regarded as one of the finest thespians of his generation, a critically acclaimed actor who can sing and dance with the best of them (Everyone Says I Love You) and speak legalese (The People vs. Larry Flynt). In an interview with The New York Times, his first drama teacher, Toby Orenstein, recalled Norton’s "early work." "He played Little Jake in Annie Get Your Gun, and he had to sit in a boat through most of the production. The first thing he asked me was, 'What's my objective?' He had tremendous analytical ability that most kids don't have."
The oldest of three children, Norton graduated Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland, a town designed by his grandfather, in 1969. Although he originally intended on majoring in astronomy, Norton went on to earn a history degree from Yale in 1991 (he minored in Japanese), and began stage work at the Signature Theater Company in New York. He made his feature film debut in Primal Fear, which earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.
With Keeping The Faith, Norton not only directs, but stars as well, playing a Catholic priest to Ben Stiller’s rabbi. The two fall for Anna (Jenna Elfman), a childhood friend who turns their holy lives into a living hell. drDrew.com spoke with Norton about faith and commitment, and the importance of hanging onto both.
drDrew.com: In Keeping The Faith, your character maintains a childhood friendship. Have you stayed in touch with old friends?
Edward Norton: I had a couple of childhood friends working on the movie, which was really fun. I’ve been friends with Stuart Blumberg, who wrote the script, since we were both 18. A guy I’ve been friends with since we were 11 wrote the song that plays in the middle of the movie and during the closing credits.
drDrew.com: Did the film teach you anything about Judaism?
EN: I grew up an honorary Jew. If you go to more than 10 bar mitzvahs, you get an honorary Jewish certificate. I went to at least 10 in one year. I was drunk on [kosher wine] for half of 1983.
drDrew.com: Is there a line that you can’t cross when religion is the topic of the humor?
EN: I don’t think there’s anything that’s not fair game. The aim of this film was to have fun with conventions, practices, and things that people would recognize and be able to laugh with, as opposed to feel like they’re being laughed at.
drDrew.com: Do you think there will be any backlash from the religious communities?
EN: I doubt it. We wanted to shoot in Catholic churches, so we ran it by several people of the church and they loved it. They were very supportive. It’s about a priest who has a crisis of faith, reaffirms it, and deepens his commitment to what he’s doing. It’s hard for me to see controversy in that.
drDrew.com: What about the fact that your character, a Catholic priest, falls in love with a woman?
EN: The fact that he’s recognized the capacity to be in love with somebody doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be a priest. In fact, if he continues to be a priest in the face of acknowledging [his feelings], it makes his commitment deeper. I liked that idea because it applies to any kind of commitment. It’s healthy to acknowledge all the things you could be doing so you can keep celebrating your choice.
drDrew.com: Have you come to any new conclusions about commitment since doing the film?
EN: Commitment is a choice that has to continually be remade in the face of all your other potentialities. It’s the idea that you haven’t failed in your commitment just because you’ve acknowledged other possibilities within yourself. That’s human nature.
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