Edward Norton (Extended) | Un-Believable

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert Guest: Edward Norton (Extended) Air Date: March 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Stephen Colbert welcomes acclaimed actor Edward Norton for a thoughtful, often witty, and at times deeply reflective conversation. Rather than promoting the typical Hollywood fare, Norton discusses his unconventional environmental venture, societal anxieties, and the power of art. The pair also touch on political absurdities, doomscrolling, collective anxiety, and ultimately find solace in the poetry of Walt Whitman, which Norton recites in a moving closing segment. The tone is a mix of Stephen's trademark satire and warm, searching humanity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Colbert’s Opening Monologue (00:35–11:36)

• Satirical Election Coverage: Jokes about North Korea’s one-sided election results (“He really rallied support with his stirring campaign slogan, ‘I have your family’.” – Stephen Colbert, 00:57).
• Middle East and U.S. Politics: Discusses the resignation of Joe Kent, a controversial figure in government, followed by satirical commentary on anti-Semitism and the culture of anger in politics.
  • Notably references a heated exchange between Senators Rand Paul and Markwayne Mullin.
• Odd News: An asteroid explodes over Ohio, and a viral robot server video is discussed with comedic flair.
• Viral Animal Story: Updates on “Punch,” a macaque monkey, deliver both tenderness and jokes (“It’s ooh la la.” – Edward Norton, 08:28).

2. Edward Norton Joins the Show

A. Lighthearted Banter & New Projects (12:02–13:41)

• Edward Norton appears relaxed, open, and playful: “I just... wanted to see the old joint one more time... I love our conversations” (Edward Norton, 12:29).
• Upcoming film highlight: “The Invite” (with Penelope Cruz and Seth Rogen, directed by Olivia Wilde). Norton predicts Wilde will get an Oscar nomination.
• Teases a secretive new film, “Puerto Rico,” starring Bad Bunny, with political undertones. Directed by René Joglar (Residente), also starring Viggo Mortensen and Javier Bardem.

B. Side Hustles and Social Ventures (14:20–18:33)

• Colbert jokingly tries to guess Norton’s celebrity products (tequila, gin, watches, etc.), each time Norton replies with a self-deprecating no.
  • “It is Chalamet’s world. I’m just dressing in Chalamet’s.” (15:07)
  • “Sean Penn completely cornered it. He took Haiti.” (15:41)
• The “side hustle” revelation: Edward Norton owns a barge company called “Stacks” (16:28).
  • The company captures and filters toxic emissions from ships at port, eliminating pollution on a scale comparable to removing “65 million cars being taken off the road.” (Edward Norton, 17:07)
  • Norton explains the nonpartisan universal benefit of pollution control, with cities, shippers, and citizens all aligned.

C. Coping with Anxiety in Troubled Times (18:33–23:24)

• Norton opens up about the anxiety of living in today’s hyper-informed, chaotic world, acknowledging the emotional toll.
  • “The anxiety of these times is particularly intense... we know the world is effed up... but we also live in this unbelievable onslaught of information.” (Edward Norton, 18:41)
  • “For me, the only antidote to the anxiety has been action.” (Edward Norton, 21:13)
• He worries about the relevance of making art in such times, feeling pulled instead toward tangible impact.
• Calls out masked law enforcement tactics and the chilling effect of police anonymity on civil rights.
  • “Nobody but an actor or a child on Halloween should be wearing a mask in the street trying to scare somebody.” (Edward Norton, 21:38)

D. The Weaponization of Anxiety & Media Manipulation (22:27–25:37)

• Colbert and Norton dissect the role of doomscrolling, how social media “harvests your anxiety for profit,” and how this undermines individual agency.
  • “Do you ever feel that a spell is being cast on us? As if there literally is witchcraft being acted on us?” (Stephen Colbert, 23:17)
  • “Induced anxiety is intended to cause paralysis.” (Edward Norton, 23:29)
• Norton affirms the need for real, positive action, even if small, citing Pete Seeger’s “teaspoon brigade” philosophy.
  • “Everybody’s got something, something small... The total collective weight... is Pete Seeger’s teaspoon brigade.” (Edward Norton, 24:10)
  • On artists and citizens: “Anyone who says ‘stay in your lane,’ tell them to get stuffed.” (Edward Norton, 24:55)
• Praises Colbert’s willingness to “be loud” on issues, noting the importance of using your platform for social good.

E. The Enduring Value of Art & Walt Whitman (25:37–33:29)

• The conversation shifts to the enduring nature of art as a vehicle for hope and understanding through anxious times.
  • Both Colbert and Norton are Walt Whitman fans, specifically “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.”
  • Norton praises how Whitman’s work speaks across generations:
    • “He wanted to convey... that we’re still in this all together and it’s possible.” (Edward Norton, 27:53)
  • Art, even when seeming “frivolous,” helps connect and comfort us during troubled eras.

F. Poetry Reading: “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (29:05–33:29)

• Norton delivers a distilled, moving reading of Walt Whitman, drawing parallels between Whitman’s anxieties and our own.
  • Key lines:
    • “What is it then, between us? What is the count or the scores of hundreds of years between us? Whatever it is, it avails not. Distance avails not, and place avails not. I too, lived.” (Edward Norton, 29:30)
    • “It is not upon you alone the dark patches fall. The dark threw its patches down on me also.” (Edward Norton, 30:48)
    • “There was never any more inception than there is now... So flow on river. Flow on with the flood tide... Live, old life. Play the part that looks back on the actor or the actress.” (Edward Norton, 32:50)
• The segment is a resonant, grounding moment, tying together the episode’s themes of anxiety, action, and the unbroken thread of human experience.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “For me, the only antidote to the anxiety has been action.”
  — Edward Norton (21:13)
• “Do you ever feel that a spell is being cast on us? As if there literally is witchcraft being acted on us?”
  — Stephen Colbert (23:17)
• “Anybody who says ‘stay in your lane,’ tell them to get stuffed.”
  — Edward Norton (24:55)
• “What is it then, between us?... Distance avails not, and place avails not. I too, lived.”
  — Edward Norton reading Walt Whitman (29:30)
• “It is not upon you alone the dark patches fall. The dark threw its patches down on me also.”
  — Edward Norton reading Walt Whitman (30:48)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:35 — Colbert’s satirical news monologue
• 04:21 — Edward Norton joins in on monologue jokes
• 12:02 — Edward Norton formal interview begins
• 14:20 — Side hustles and environmental barge company
• 18:33 — Norton gets serious on anxiety and civic action
• 22:27 — Doomscrolling and media-induced anxiety discussion
• 25:37 — Art, anxiety, and Walt Whitman’s legacy
• 29:05 — Norton reads "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry"

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Tone and Style

Stephen Colbert blends witty, incisive social commentary with open-hearted conversation. Edward Norton is thoughtful, candid, and willing to peel back layers on public life, mental health, and the value of action in the face of overwhelming news cycles. The overall effect is engaging, funny, and ultimately uplifting through the invocation of art and solidarity.

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For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode is a rich, multidimensional conversation that ranges from the absurdity of news cycles to the grounding power of direct action and shared art.

Transcript

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[Stephen Colbert]

Welcome, welcome ladies and gentlemen, one and all children of all ages to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Ladies and gentlemen. We got we got a lot to get to tonight. We got a lot to get to right off the bat. Okay, it's 2026 and we have some breaking election news coming out of the great state of North Korea because with all precincts reporting, we're ready to call North Korea's Supreme People's assembly election. And incumbent madman Kim Jong Un has won with 99.93% of the vote. Congratulations to UN friend of the show. He has done so many cold opens for us. Thank you, sir. We may have our differences, but you got to hand it to him. He really rallied support with his stirring campaign slogan, I have your family. Yeah, you know, simple, you gotta reach the people. In second place with 0% of the vote was Andrew Cuomo. Better showing. It was a better showing than expected. Now, the last three weeks I've been talking a lot about the situation in Iran and I want to stop doing that. But Iran keeps being a situation. Case in point, yesterday we got the resignation of director of the National Counterterrorism center and home perm cautionary tale Joe Kent. Yesterday, in protest against the war with Iran, Kent posted a letter of resignation explaining that he had seen the intelligence and Iran posed no imminent threat. So the US Is going to war in the Middle east without an imminent threat to our nation again. Now, before anybody sends this guy an edible arrangement in the shape of the word hero, keep in mind he suck. During his failed 2022 cross congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer. He also blamed Israel for the 2003 war in Iraq. Now, I'm not saying he's an anti Semite because a lot of people beat me to it, including one congressman who wrote good riddance. Anti semitism is an evil I detest. And we surely don't want it in our government that Congressman Don Bacon. Bacon is standing up for the Jewish people and he's not even kosher. He was joined. He was joined in a statement by Roger Ham Sandwich and Beverly Shellfish Tower. And now to the skies where yesterday an asteroid exploded above Ohio, producing a shockwave with a force of 250 tons of TNT. Everyone's okay, but it was the biggest explosion in Ohio since your uncle tried the Skyline Three Way. Yes, that's the Skyline. The Skyline Three Way. That's a man, a woman. With a generous topping of chili. The meteor. The meteor was seen all across the Midwest. Here it is on one man's dash cam. Whoa. What the was that, bro?

[Edward Norton]

Did I get that on my dash cam?

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, that's fantastic. Obviously. Obviously. I want to go on a road trip with that guy. Whoa. Thomas Edison service area. Are those picnic tables. Back here on Earth? Today was the confirmation hearing for the person replacing Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary, Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullen, seen here trying to remember what comes after three. Now, that joke might have been unfair to Mark Wayne Mullen's intellect. What do you think, Mark Wayne?

[Edward Norton]

I'm not going to be the smartest guy in any room I walk into.

[Stephen Colbert]

Really? Any room? So not even the morgue? Now, Mullen, you may know, has a history of being real dumb and real angry about it. He once stood up and tried to start a literal fight at a Senate hearing. And a few years ago, when Senator Rand Paul was attacked by his neighbor and sent to the hospital from that attack, Mark Wain said he understood why Paul had been attacked. And today, Senator Paul punched back.

[Rand Paul]

Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it. And while you're at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to set the proper example for ICE and Border Patrol agents.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, while that is a valid question, and it is a valid question. Senator Paul knows that anger issues are the top requirement for ICE and Border Patrol agents. Right above not being the smartest person in any room you walk into.

[Home Depot Announcer]

That's nice,

[Stephen Colbert]

Mark Wayne. Mullen sure seems to enjoy solving problems with Mark. Violence. Like that fight in the Senate hearing I mentioned. Rand Paul talked about that in the

[Rand Paul]

days after the fight. You did many interviews in which you justified the violence as historically justified by precedents such as caning and dueling.

[Stephen Colbert]

I was simply pointing out that some of the rules that still apply to this body.

[Edward Norton]

For instance, dueling with two consenting adults is still there.

[Rand Paul]

I was pointing out what is legal for 170 years. There's no precedent for legal dueling.

[Stephen Colbert]

I can't believe. I cannot believe I'm agreeing with Rand Paul. But he's right. The only kind of duel that's still legal is FanDuel. FanDuel. We should be illegal, too. This is the sponsor. Probably. Okay, this just in from the Late show's Florida affiliates. After a new bill to ban it failed to pass the Florida legislature. Marriage between first cousins is still legal. And if you're looking for a perfect gift for the happy cousin couples, you'll find them registered at Bed Bath. And we have the same grandparents. Oh, that sound. That sound means we have breaking monkey news concerning Punch, the baby macaque who went mega viral after he was abandoned by his mother and bonded with a plush Ikea toy. A perfectly healthy situation where we were not projecting our own loneliness onto a juvenile zoo primate. So stop saying that we were. Well, now we have an Ooh aa update. Welcome. Rumors are swirling that Punch the monkey has a girlfriend. Which means. Which means this update isn't merely Oo ooh ah ah.

[Edward Norton]

It's ooh la la.

[Stephen Colbert]

La la Argente. According to reports from monkey media, Punch's girlfriend is a female macaque believed to be named Momo Chan. Believed to be? Why wouldn't that be her real name? Is she a stripper? Is she in witness relocation? Did she witness a mob hit? News of the monkey romance started spreading when folks caught Punch and Momo Chan sharing a smooch. Boy, I hope somebody taught him how to put a condom on a banana. But there's a complication, folks, because Punch and Momo Chan, if that is her real name, were caught frolicking right next to Punch's stuffed toy mother. Hold on. You're saying his mom was third wheeling with them? Punch, join me at the. Bro. No. Cam. Bro. No, no. Bro, your girlfriend doesn't want that, okay? Bro, your girlfriend wants a glass of Pinot grigio and to read a book about horny werewolves. Bro, I now. Thank you. Thank you. And now, bringing you a cautionary tale of the dangers of technology, because footage is going viral of a dancing robot server at a San Jose hot pot restaurant. Warning, if you have children in the room, tell them to go make you a drink, because this is a fun one. Okay? That's cute. Futuristic. Nothing wrong about hiring a semi autonomous man sized droid with flailing arms at your restaurant that exclusively serves hot soup. But then things turn dark. My God, the robot uprising has begun. And it's dangerously funky. This is almost as bad as when they hired Meghan at Benihana. The video keeps going. Try as she might, the human server cannot stop this robot from dancing. You dance, robot. Dance. Don't let anyone stop you. Not even your oppressive reverend father, played by John Lithgow. Coming this summer, Footloose 2, Judgment Day. We got a great show for you tonight.

[Pluto TV Promoter]

Coming up, Edward Norton.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, my first guest tonight from movies like Fight Club, Birdman, and A Complete Unknown, please welcome back to the Late Show, Edward Norton.

[Edward Norton]

Great to be here.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're looking well.

[Edward Norton]

You, too.

[Stephen Colbert]

How you been?

[Edward Norton]

I've been okay. Yeah? Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's been a year since we had you on the show. I had a good time talking to you last year. You were on for A Complete Unknown, Just a great performance as Pete Seeger. We talked about how meaningful that man is. And what's the latest? What do you want to talk about tonight? You got a project?

[Edward Norton]

I don't know. Nothing.

[Stephen Colbert]

You just. You just.

[Edward Norton]

I just. I wanted to see the old joint one more time. Okay. And I thought. I love our conversations. I thought, you know, we could probably stick a fork in a few things, get in a little trouble.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure, that'd be good.

[Edward Norton]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

I like just talking to interesting people. You're an interesting guy.

[Edward Norton]

Nothing to sell, though.

[Stephen Colbert]

I did hear that you got a new movie with Penelope Cruz and Seth Rogen, right?

[Edward Norton]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

What's that called?

[Edward Norton]

It's called the Invite.

[Stephen Colbert]

The Invite. And that was a huge hit at Sundance. And do you have a clip of that or anything?

[Edward Norton]

I do not, no. No, I tell you, I'm not. I hear it's really good, though.

[Stephen Colbert]

I knew a clip would be bad.

[Edward Norton]

It's really, really good.

[Stephen Colbert]

But not today.

[Edward Norton]

Seth has never been funnier or better. I will say that I think Olivia Wilde will get nominated for directing this film. You can take that to the prediction markets.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, great. That's news.

[Edward Norton]

But it doesn't come out until the summer.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Edward Norton]

And so you're not here.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're not here.

[Edward Norton]

You're gonna already be on vacation. Yeah, I will be off.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'll be off. I did see. And I know you're not probably, I don't know. But I'll ask you about this. I did see that you were actually. You're producing and starring in a movie with Bad Bunny called Puerto Rico. About Puerto Rico. Yes. And he's Got. He's got the leading role, right? Bad Bunny.

[Edward Norton]

Yep.

[Stephen Colbert]

One of the biggest guys in the world. That's really exciting.

[Edward Norton]

Very.

[Stephen Colbert]

Anything you want to say about that?

[Edward Norton]

I cannot. It's very political. It's gonna be very provocative. We're keeping it under wraps. The guy directing it, clearly. The guy directing it, Rene Joeglar, who's better known as Residente and from his band Calle Trece. He is one of Puerto Rico's great music artists and directors, and he's directing it. And Viggo Mortensen's in it with me and Javier Bardem and Bad Bunny. And I think it will be one of the very hot films of 2027. But you will be on tour.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's right, I will be on tour. I also, I read there's other things you've been up to, not just like, you know, on camera or producing stuff like that, enterprises outside of film. Can I guess what it is?

[Edward Norton]

My side hustles.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, your side hustle. Can I get you my side hustle?

[Edward Norton]

Make me forget something.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now. I'm not gonna make you curious.

[Edward Norton]

I heard.

[Stephen Colbert]

Cause you stuff that wasn't acting. You have a new tequila?

[Edward Norton]

No, no, not at all. George Clooney just cornered the tequila market. Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

You have a celebrity gin.

[Edward Norton]

I do not. Ryan Reynolds does gin.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Edward Norton]

And he did. I think he did a breath mint mobile. A phone that freshens your breath or something, I can't remember, but he's got that.

[Stephen Colbert]

You have a line of watches or something that.

[Edward Norton]

I think Austin Butler is on the watch app.

[Stephen Colbert]

You have fashion. Fashion.

[Edward Norton]

It is Chalamet's world. I'm just dressing in Chalamet's.

[Stephen Colbert]

You have fragrance. You smell like Edward Norman, Tom Hardy.

[Edward Norton]

If you go through. If you go through the duty free at the airport, you will not find me. Okay. Yeah, they don't come to me.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you have like a non profit or something like that? Like a public service organization or anything like that?

[Edward Norton]

If you are a first responder and you need someone cooking for you, you want Jose Andres, right? Yes. Not me. No.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Do you have any sort of relief organization to do anything for other people?

[Edward Norton]

Sean Penn completely cornered it. He took Haiti.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Edward Norton]

He took Ukraine.

[Stephen Colbert]

He did. He licked Haiti.

[Edward Norton]

Yeah, he took Haiti. And I mean, he didn't even show up to get his third Oscar because Zelenskyy called him and said, I need you in Ukraine.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, is that why he wasn't at the Oscars? I thought he had to stay home and eat all the cigarettes.

[Edward Norton]

He was in Ukraine. No, but also, let's just be honest. Have you seen his biceps? Have you seen the size of his arm?

[Stephen Colbert]

He's jacked.

[Edward Norton]

If you're in trouble and you want someone coming to rescue you in a crisis, you want that guy.

[Stephen Colbert]

You don't want me, I don't want you. I don't want you.

[Edward Norton]

I don't want you.

[Stephen Colbert]

I want to know what this is, though. I've been giving a photo and I don't know. If you don't do anything other than things he won't talk about, then what the hell is that? What is going on here?

[Edward Norton]

See, I thought everything. That's sexy. I went the other way and I got into barges. You have a barge? Barge is not a fancy company. I do. I have a barge company. Except what we do. Look, put it back up. Look. Yeah, this is one of our barges.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why did you get into barges?

[Edward Norton]

Because it has a 13 story crane and we put it over the smokestacks of big cargo ships when they're in port. And we capture all of their toxic pollution when they're in port, in ships.

[Stephen Colbert]

And what do you do with it?

[Edward Norton]

It's called stacks.

[Stephen Colbert]

And.

[Edward Norton]

Yeah, and we. Last year we eliminated the emissions equivalent to 65 million cars being taken off the road. Cause these.

[Stephen Colbert]

No way.

[Edward Norton]

Yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

How. Wait, how did you get started? How do you. That's not something you stop.

[Edward Norton]

I met a brilliant engineer named Bob Sharp who invented these systems and needed help levitating this. And over the last eight years, we've turned this into a global company. We operate in ports all over. Because here's an interesting thing. We're a very fractured, polarized world, Republicans and Democrats alike. People don't want toxic emissions in their cities. Right? It's killing people. And this isn't carbon. It's not an argument about greenhouse gas or. This is the toxic stuff that gets poisoned, kills in the air, and everybody wants it. The shippers want it out, the cities want it out. And we just had to figure out how to do it. But it really is amazing. And I think we feel we can eliminate the emissions that ships are putting out.

[Stephen Colbert]

I mean, that's great that you're doing this. It seems like interesting, unusual. No guest has ever promoted this before, but I'm curious. I can see why someone would do this. Why do you. Why do you want to do this? Like, what is it? What do you get out of this other than being nice for other people? How does this heal your soul?

[Edward Norton]

Well, you know, in all seriousness, I do look at what's going on in this country, in the world. And it gives me enormous anxiety, enormous anxiety. And I. I have kids and I really, you know, I want to say I really have always appreciated. We all appreciate that you make space and time on this show to talk about, I think, the hard stuff, grief and faith, and it's been a real gift to everybody. And I was thinking about this. I think that it's worth acknowledging that the anxiety of these times is particularly intense for a lot of people right now. I think that we know the world is effed up in ways that are unprecedented in our lifetimes, but we also live in this unbelievable onslaught of information. We. We see genocide being livestreamed to us. We see American citizens being killed by paramilitary people in our own streets for standing in solidarity with their neighbors. We're seeing Epstein's abuses titrated into us on a daily basis. And it is such a conundrum because we know that there's a value. We know that it's good in some ways to know what is actually happening, to know what's happening in Gaza, to know what's happening in Ukraine and Sudan and Minneapolis. But at the same time, it is very difficult to know what we, as an individual person can do about all of that while moving through our day. And I think in me, I have found it very difficult. Like, I have really struggled in my anxiety about it all with the idea even of making art anymore. I really have gotten to the point that you were asking about movies. I'm not sure I haven't lost my conviction that movies aren't a frivolity that we can't afford right now. You know, and as I've gone through that, I really. You say, why do something like this? Well, I have noticed in myself over the last few years that if I doom scroll and stay in it, I can really go down a hole, as we all can. And I think that for me, the only antidote to the anxiety has been action, you know, some kind of action. And I think that. I think that, you know, we have to, when we're here, we have to speak out against war, especially illegal asymmetric war being waged against civilians, no matter what the rationale. And against the idea of that law enforcement should ever wear a mask. You know, I don't think anybody, nobody but an actor, an actor or a child on Halloween should be wearing a mask in the street trying to scare somebody. That is not what law enforcement that respects the Second, first and Fourth Amendments does to its own citizenry. We know that's not right. We know it's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

I want to just jump in here for just one second. A moment ago you talked about all the information that we get and then you talked about doom scrolling. Yeah. And the doom scrolling is how we get so much of that information these days. Which of course has very little to do with wanting to inform you. It actually wants to harvest your anxiety for profit. I think less that we're being informed and more we're under psychological attack at all times.

[Edward Norton]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

And both forces inside and outside of our country to confuse us about the reality of the world and merely to pull us into the hole because that's where they want to keep us in order to harvest our information, in order to make a profit off of what it's like to be a human being in the face of both joy and horror at the same time. And do you ever feel that a spell is being cast on us as if there literally is witchcraft being acted on us?

[Edward Norton]

Yes. Well, I think it's a great way of putting it because I think we have to understand, we have to stand to the side of ourselves and see that induced anxiety, intentionally induced anxiety is intended to cause paralysis. It is intended to, in a way keep us from acting. And it's why the real world and the real life. You say why do this? Well, you know, like capturing the emissions off of boats in port has nothing to do with ice or Gaza. I can't remediate those things with anything other than my voice. But at least it gives me something to anchor my feet in on a daily basis that makes me feel like I am acting, you know, on a daily basis. Something real, something positive. Dry land. And that's just the weird currents of life. Introduced me to my partner Bob and we got this thing going, you know what I mean? Everybody's got something. Everybody's got something, something small that they're good at, that they can contribute. And the total collective weight of that is Pete Seeger's teaspoon brigade that we talked about a year ago. We do need to all pick up our teaspoons and do something. And we really need, I think, to not listen to people who. I can hear it out there, people saying, actors, stay in your lane. But we are American citizens and anyone who says stay in your lane, tell them to get stuffed. Because we, They're really, in my view, I think we have two lanes, we have a lane in which you have conviction that the rule of law and democracy and compassion are the fundamental tenets of American society. And in the other lane, you Believe that those things are inconvenient to power. And that lane has gotten really loud and unapologetic, and we need to be loud in our lane. You've been loud. This show is closing down because you got so loud. And the rest of us need to pick that microphone up and keep being loud.

[Stephen Colbert]

This isn't the first time you and I have had conversations somewhat around this area. You and I lucky enough to have your number. We text every so often because I'm fancy and.

[Edward Norton]

And I say, what are you scrolling? What have you seen in your doom scroll?

[Stephen Colbert]

Just, just, just projects that include Edward Norton. Now, you and I were recently texting that as. As intense as things seem right now, that there is solace. And knowing that people from every generation have dealt with their moments of anxiety. And often that is expressed through the art of the time, which can speak to something eternal that is in the human experience. And you and I both are big fans of Walt Whitman, who not enough people read anymore. And you and I were talking about Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, and I'm wondering what that poem means to you.

[Edward Norton]

I think that you're 100% right. And I will say, even when the wonderful Ian McKellen, who's really a mentor and friend and inspiration of mine since I was a teenager when he came out here and read Shakespeare's text about the immigrant, it's the rebuttal to what I was saying about art feeling like frivolity because there are times, whether it's Shakespeare or Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger and revisiting what they had to say or something else, when you realize that artists are capable of speaking through time in some sense and reminding us that everybody and every time has gone through these moments, these anxieties. Everyone has struggled with their chapter of anxiety. And in that sense of bondedness, there's maybe some hope, I think. And I do think Whitman, what we were, you know, I think reflecting on was that Whitman, of all American poets, he really seemed to understand that though he stood somewhere in time, he was speaking to you and me right now, and he was thinking about us. And he. And he. And he wanted. He wanted to convey in some sense that we're still in this all together and it's possible. And, you know, he. Crossing Brooklyn Ferry and also Song of Myself, he has the most electrifying capacity to sound like he's sitting here with us right now.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's amazing.

[Edward Norton]

That's amazing about his work. Talking about anxieties and joys, right? And how to balance them and all of it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Would you. Is there any. I know you love crossing Brooklyn Ferry. Would you be able to do any of it for us?

[Edward Norton]

Sure. I. You brought that up. And I will say for the purists, for the Whitman purists, we have to acknowledge. He goes on and on.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, no, it would take days. 20 minutes.

[Edward Norton]

So 20 days. I've taken the liberty of distilling a little bit of Crossing Brooklyn Ferry and even Song of Myself, because I think in both of those poems he spoke to so much of what we're all going through and what we're talking about here.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, I don't know where you want to do this.

[Edward Norton]

I'll set this. Remember that Walt Whitman almost daily walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan here. And this is 170 years ago. 170 years ago, he wrote these lines about standing on the Brooklyn Bridge, crossing from Brooklyn into Manhattan. Flood tide below me. I see you face to face. Clouds of the west, sun there, half an hour high. I see you also face to face crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes on the ferry boats. The hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home are more curious to me than you suppose. And you, you, Stephen Colbert from New Jersey, you, and you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence, are more to me and more in my meditations than you might suppose. Just as you feel when you look on the river in the sky. So I felt. Just as any of you is one of a living crowd, I was one of a crowd. Just as you are refreshed by the gladness of the river and the bright flow. I was refreshed. So what is it then, between us? What is the count or the scores of hundreds of years between us? Whatever it is, it avails not. Distance avails not, and place avails not. I too, lived. Brooklyn of ample hills, was mine. I too, walked the streets of Manhattan Island. I too, felt the curious, abrupt questionings stir within me in the day among crowds of people. Sometimes they came upon me in my walks home, late at night, or as I lay in my bed. They came upon me. It is not upon you alone the dark patches fall. The dark threw its patches down on me also. The best that I had done seemed to me blank and suspicious. My great thoughts, as I suppose them, were they not in reality meager. Nor is it you alone who know what it is to see evil. I knew what it was to see evil. Lies, theft, grudges, guile, anger, lust, vanity, greed. The shallow, sly, cowardly and malignant hate, meanness, meanness, battles, the horrors of Fratricidal war, the fever of doubtful news, the fitful events. These come to me days and nights and go from me again. But they are not the me, myself, you men and women of a generation 50 years hence, 100 years hence, or ever so many hundred years hence, I am with you. There was never any more inception than there is now. Nor any more youth or age than there is now. And will never be any more perfection than there is now. Nor any more heaven or hell than there is now. So flow on river. Flow on with the flood tide. Ebb with the ebb tide. Gorgeous clouds of the sunset. Drench with your splendor. Me or the men and women of generations after me. Stand up tall masts of Mannahatta. Stand up beautiful hills of Brooklyn Throb baffled, curious brain. Throw out questions and answers. Live, live old life. Play the part that looks back on the actor or the actress. The role that says great or small as one makes it. But play your role.

[Stephen Colbert]

Edward Norton, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing.

[Edward Norton]

If you want to see more of

[Stephen Colbert]

me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

[Edward Norton]

I'm back. I'm really back.

[Stephen Colbert]

School Spirits returns. Why am I here?

[Pluto TV Promoter]

Not dead right?

[Stephen Colbert]

Disruption on this campus will not be.

[Pluto TV Promoter]

I look crazy. It's because that's how I feel.

[Edward Norton]

I don't know how to live in two worlds.

[Stephen Colbert]

Secrets lurk. There are others beneath the surface. They're not like us.

[Pluto TV Promoter]

We need to get out of here now.

[Stephen Colbert]

School Spirits new season now streaming only on Paramount.

[Pluto TV Promoter]

Plus Pluto TV has thousands of free movies and TV shows. You swear?

[Stephen Colbert]

If I'm lying, I'm dying.

[Pluto TV Promoter]

This is the mindset. Free. This is the mantra.

[Stephen Colbert]

Free.

[Pluto TV Promoter]

This is the mindset. Mindset. With movies like Titanic, Dream Girls and Gladiator why you not entertained? And TV shows like Survivor, SpongeBob SquarePants, the fairly odd Parents and Ghosts. Pluto TV is always free.

[Edward Norton]

Huzzah.

[Pluto TV Promoter]

Pluto TV stream now pay never.