What Happened to Ed Norton?
After The Incredible Hulk, Actor Fell Off Hollywood Map
For a few years, he seemed to be everywhere. Ed Norton took roles in heavy dramas like The Painted Veil and equally serious intentioned films like The Illusionist.
He was making money and keeping his face in the public eye. He ended this run of high profile roles with The Incredible Hulk (2008), 10 years after American History X thrust Ed Norton onto the scene as a leading actor capable of anchoring a film.
American History X found Ed Norton playing a neo-Nazi who was older brother to an impressionable teenaged boy. The younger brother watches his brother rise to a position of leadership in a small circle of white supremacists. A powerful film on a sensitive and potent subject, American History X manages to avoid being dragged down into politics and polemics and tells a story first and foremost, instead of proving a point.
The point certainly comes across regarding the small-mindedness and ignorance of the neo-Nazis. We see the young men in the group as violent and violently incapable of making their own decisions. They follow their leader. And they follow him with a vengeance.
Ed Norton is that leader and his acting in the part was gritty and believable. The films success is a credit to his talents as well as those of the screen-writers.
For his part, Ed Norton was nominated for a best actor Academy Award and the film went on to become widely popular and respected by film aficionados.
The success of American History X was to catapult Ed Norton to the next stage of cinematic fame.
Fight Club was Ed Norton's next film and Fight Club was a smash hit. An extremely popular adaption of Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name, Fight Club made Ed Norton a true star in Hollywood.
For the next decade, Norton capitalized on his status and made over ten films including Red Dragon, Frieda, The Score and The Italian Job.
None of these films were as successful as the two that put Norton on the map. Despite this fact, Ed Norton remained in the spotlight. He was still famous.
It wasn't until The Incredible Hulk left the theaters that Ed Norton began to disappear. Years have passed since Ed Norton took a starring turn in a successful film.
2010 will see the release of Stone, featuring Ed Norton and Robert DeNiro. Will this be the film to put Ed Norton back on the map?
Published by Eric Martin
Eric Martin is an artist and writer. Look for more of his work in The Stone Hobo, the Antelope Valley Anthology, The Open Doors Poetry Zine, Failure of Theory, Euclid's Negatives and on stage. He is an owner... View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentEdward Norton's a great actor. It'll be interesting to see what he comes out with later since your very right... we haven't seen him in awhile.