Interview: Edward Norton Chats About Acting, Music, and Getting to Inhabit Pete Seeger in ‘A Complete Unknown’

Edward Norton is one of the best actors of his generation. Whatever you see him in, he’s totally committed. There’s an intensity to his work that a film can feed off of. So, in A Complete Unknown, seeing Norton play a gentle soul in Pete Seeger is really an accomplishment. I first knew Seeger’s work through Bruce Springsteen, and Norton is a Springsteen fan as well, so that factored into our conversation. The movie is about to hit theaters, so today, I want to share my conversation with Norton, who’s aces in the flick.

In my review of the film (here), I had the following to say about the cast, including Norton:

Timothée Chalamet leads an impeccable cast while doing the best work of his career so far. He becomes Bob Dylan in a way that’s never impression, but simply masterful interpretation. There isn’t a moment where you see Chalamet or compare him to Dylan. He just is Dylan here. Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning are the film’s secret weapons, bringing out other sides of Dylan. Barbaro gets to go toe to toe with Chalamet and challenge his character as Joan Baez, both artistically and personally. Fanning is able to break your heart while looking at the man differently than anyone else. They both impressed me massively. Edward Norton crafts a gentle soul who sees this genius as a sign of his demise in a way, appreciating him nonetheless. It’s a kind yet complex turn that also ranks among his best, which is really saying something. Boyd Holbook gets to have the most fun of the lot, especially when Johnny Cash is on the wilder side, but never turns it into a caricature. You’re seeing Cash at one moment in his life, genuinely impressed by Dylan. Scoot McNairy makes the most of his few scenes, essentially silent yet also giving us a different look at Dylan.

Below, you can see my discussion with Norton. In addition to a little Springsteen talk, I wanted to hear about how he found Seeger, which leads us in a few directions. He even mentions Fight Club at one point, which is always fun to hear about. His work in A Complete Unknown is really quite something, up there with anything he’s ever done, though in a completely different key. Plus, he liked my Springsteen on Broadway shirt, which I got a kick out of as well. Once you see the film in a few days, you’ll understand why he seems locked in for a Best Supporting Actor nomination…

Here now is my interview with A Complete Unknown co-star Edward Norton. Enjoy:

A Complete Unknown is in theaters on Christmas Day!