If you were a director/producer would you hire (this) actor/actress?

I understand that actors are creative people and hopefully they have great insight in humanity and can really bang out a role, and fillmaking is a collaboration.

I think Edward Norton is a great actor, from the first time I saw him in Primal Fear I was sold on his talent, and hell if I had a more interesting life, I would want him to portray me in a film, but I think there is little to No chance that I would bring him in to act in a film I was directing or even just producing unless there was a Rock Solid contract stating that he could offer his ideas, but could not rewrite the script, nor be involved in the editing process.

I liked American History X, Norton gave an impressive performance, but I would love to see the Tony Kaye edit, you know the one before the project got hijacked.

And Norton did that with Frida too, and tried to do with Incredible Hulk.

He is a talent, but I just wouldn’t want the headache of dealing with him.

Any thoughts?

Any other actors you would avoid?

Edward Norton is actually one of my favorite actors. I’m writing a scrip and I have him in mind for my main character. He was, surprisingly, fantastic in My Name is Earl, too.

Norton is a great actor, I love his work, but he has a tendency to dominate a production and likes to have things his way.

Really? How so?

Read up on American History X

Here’s a Story on Incredible Hulk

The Hulk story, it seems that the studio reneged on the deal, but…

Here’s a Story on American History X

Another interesting story, that paints a brighter image

I would not hire him unless I was someone he admired. I doubt he gave Woody Allen any trouble. It is not like he is a great actor or box office gold either.

I’d rather work with Hugh Jackman. Equally as good, not as domineering, much more adventurous in his roles.

—PolarisDiB

William Morris weighs in on Norton out of Avengers

“I would not hire him unless I was someone he admired.”

That’s kinda just my prerequisite for everyone I know, heh.

Depends on how much weight I have as a director to throw around in this hypothetical.

Actors today seem pretty entitled, I’m not quite sure why. Perhaps it’s because many of them no longer come from theater backgrounds (even if that seems a bit far fetched). While I’ve never had to work with them directly, I’ve had more than ample contact with actors on and around sets. To be honest, I’d just prefer a simple professional if I were a director.

I don’t doubt Norton’s brains, nor his instincts, but I don’t want to hire an actor to rewrite a script, that’s what the writers are for.

…

And to show I’m not just hating on a director like Malick, here’s another old thread.

I would certainly hire him, great actor!

He was great with Wes Anderson in Moonrise Kingdom, though, and Anderson seems to have no qualms about working with him again on his next film. They meet because Norton wrote Anderson a fan letter.

I don’t think that Norton is ill-intentioned, just demanding and confident, and if see he’s what he thinks is a perceived weakness, he will pounce like a mother fucker.

That interview with Jackson made me feel like he’d be incredibly intimidating to work with.

“he will pounce like a mother fucker”

Not necessary a bad thing when working with a first time director like Kaye (an equally volatile personality, if not more so), or the likes of Brett Rattner or Louis Leterrier.

Actors are a strange bunch with all sorts of different notions of how they perform their tasks, just as directors have their own varying beliefs in how to perform their own. When the two mesh, things go well, when they don’t a power struggle emerge and things will not proceed smoothly unless it can be worked out with one side gaining control or at least both finding a workable stalemate.

I think Paul Schrader wanted Norton for the lead role in Bringing Out the Dead but Scorsese insisted on casting Nicolas Cage instead, which was another contribution to the rift growing between them.