Edward Norton, Peter Lewis, Alec Baldwin’s “Here’s the Thing”
Alec Baldwin (AB): Who’s the person on the set, off the set, anywhere in the whole configuration who’s helping you protect your performance? I directed a film once. I hated the experience. And the person that was most underserved, acting-wise, was me.
Edward Norton (EN): Was you.
AB: How did you prevent against that? Who was your voice?
EN: I mean, most part my partner Bill Migliore who – he and I met as actors.
AB: He helped you in that way?
EN: We met as actors, and he’s a terrific actor. He’s my producer on this film.
AB: And he helped you keep an eye on that?
EN: Absolutely, like, he’s just a trusted – you know, you glance over, a little bit of a nod, a little bit of a shake of the head like ‘I’m not really sure.’
AB: One more.
EN: Yeah. Like, you know, or, there’s that. I trusted Dick Pope, my great cinematographer
AB: So you had some eyes.
EN: You know, yeah. And honestly, there’s a guy that plays The Mayor, who you steamroll right at the beginning of the film, Peter Lewis is an actor I worked with when I was 24 in New York on the stage, and he’s a terrific actor, and he’s a teacher. He’s an acting teacher. I rehearsed my part with him, doing the scenes with you, doing the scenes with Willem, just to give myself some time with someone who I like their instincts, I like their meter, to kind of get my rhythm going on it, and stuff like that.
Edward Norton and Alec Baldwin talk about directing themselves in this intimate interview on WNYC's "Here's the Thing", and how TKFaculty Member Peter Lewis's teaching and process helped Norton.
Alec Baldwin (AB): Who’s the person on the set, off the set, anywhere in the whole configuration who’s helping you protect your performance? I directed a film once. I hated the experience. And the person that was most underserved, acting-wise, was me.
Edward Norton (EN): Was you.
AB: How did you prevent against that? Who was your voice?
EN: I mean, most part my partner Bill Migliore who – he and I met as actors.
AB: He helped you in that way?
EN: We met as actors, and he’s a terrific actor. He’s my producer on this film.
AB: And he helped you keep an eye on that?
EN: Absolutely, like, he’s just a trusted – you know, you glance over, a little bit of a nod, a little bit of a shake of the head like ‘I’m not really sure.’
AB: One more.
EN: Yeah. Like, you know, or, there’s that. I trusted Dick Pope, my great cinematographer
AB: So you had some eyes.
EN: You know, yeah. And honestly, there’s a guy that plays The Mayor, who you steamroll right at the beginning of the film, Peter Lewis is an actor I worked with when I was 24 in New York on the stage, and he’s a terrific actor, and he’s a teacher. He’s an acting teacher. I rehearsed my part with him, doing the scenes with you, doing the scenes with Willem, just to give myself some time with someone who I like their instincts, I like their meter, to kind of get my rhythm going on it, and stuff like that.