Edward became interested in acting at the age of 5, when he first watched a musical. He was attracted to the theater, and for a long time wanted to perform on stage. Norton's debut on TV was actually in 'The Simpsons', where he voiced a minor character, and only a few years later he officially debuted on the big screen. Hollywood directors often do not enjoy working with the actor, who admittedly got a somewhat dubious reputation – mostly because he always offers his own ideas while on set and tends to improvise, even if the director is against it. Norton tends to interfere in other stages of production, from working on the script to post-production editing. Norton has the title of one of the Hollywood's biggest intellectuals. He refuses to star in blockbusters, preferring deep and complex screenplays. He had to star in pretty straightforward caper 'The Italian Job' (2003) because of a tight contract with the studio, but all members of the crew were horrified by Norton's antics. After 'The Incredible Hulk', the actor had to be replaced because of the conflict with the director.