There are few actors out there with such a notable list of credits as Edward Norton. From action to dramas, indies to animation, and even a short stint as the big green guy from Marvel’s first take on The Incredible Hulk, the Golden Globe winner is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. While major Norton fans can easily separate a 25th Hour line from a Kingdom of Heaven or a Leaves of Grass excerpt, how well can the voice behind those memorable quotes remember what was said when?
In a promo for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Netflix is putting Norton’s memory to the test in a clip they’re calling “How well does Edward Norton know Edward Norton movies?” The quiz is simple: the actor is handed a card with a line from one of his past roles. He reads it, and then guesses which film it came from. So, how much of his own career does Norton remember?
It turns out he knows it pretty darn well. Although the challenge only consisted of three of his old films, Norton answered each one without hesitation. Kicking things off was an “obvious” line from David Fincher’s cult-classic, Fight Club - a question he could pull off in his sleep. The actor moved right along to nail the second quote from Tony Kaye’s American History X, the film that would earn the actor an Academy Award nomination. Third in line was a card holding words from Neil Burger’s 2006 mystery The Illusionist - another easy one for Norton to guess.
In the middle of reading the final card, Norton stops himself, telling producers “We can’t say this line. That’s this film.” Catching himself before he spoils an important moment from his latest feature Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Norton could teach Tom Holland a thing or two about holding on to important information. He goes on to scold the team behind the challenge saying, “I’m not even going to repeat the keyword in this because it factors in it,” adding “you’re terrible,” before the game ends.
All in all, the challenge was filled with some pretty underhand pitches, easy for anyone who’s seen Norton’s major blockbusters. But, Norton is a national treasure, and it was fun to go on a walk down memory lane and watch him get sassy with Netflix’s promo team.
Norton’s latest feature, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is in theaters now before it hits Netflix on December 23. The film follows an entirely new cast of characters - save for Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) - who are all suspects in a murder while vacationing on tech billionaire Miles Bron’s (Norton) private island.
You can guess lines along with Norton in the clip below.