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I Knew Danny Devito And He Knew Me, So He Wanted Me To Try Death To Smoochy. I Loved That Stuff And Had A Great Time Doing It.
-Edward Norton
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I Knew Danny Devito

Edward Norton
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I Knew Danny Devito And He Knew Me, So He Wanted Me To Try Death To Smoochy. I Loved That Stuff And Had A Great Time Doing It.

Understanding the Quote: "i knew danny devito and he knew me, so he wanted me..."

This quote by Edward Norton reflects deeply on the theme of trying. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Trying, Stuff, Had A Great Time, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Edward Norton interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Edward Norton

Edward Norton is celebrated for insightful thoughts on trying and stuff. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Topic
Trying
Stuff
Had A Great Time
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Moving
Water
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Degrees
Worried
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Character
People
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Proud
Be Proud
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Consistency
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Real
Two
I Just Don't Think Most Of Us Are Aware How Much Of What We Throw Away Ends Up In The Ocean, For Starters. Plastic Bags Are Among The Worst. The Us Is Actually Falling Behind The Curve On That Score. China And Many Other Countries Have Already Banned The Production And Use Of Thin Plastic Bags.
Country
Ocean
Fall
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Risk
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Inspirational
Motivational
Speech
All People Are Paradoxical. No One Is Easily Reducible, So I Like Characters Who Have Contradictory Impulses Or Shades Of Ambiguity. It's Fun, And It's Fun Because It's Hard.
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People
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Negative
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Children
Age
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Fame Is Very Corrosive And You Have To Guard Very Strictly Against It.
Fame
As An Actor, If You Step To The Side And You Look At [thornton's Performance] Technically, And You Try To Imagine Doing What He Was Doing, Most People Would Panic. Most People Would Be On The Set, And They Would Be Panicking, Going, "i'm Not Doing Anything!" All The Ham Instincts In You Would Be Screaming, "you've Got To Indicate Something Here." And It's Beautiful, In A Way. And So I Appreciate, Even As An Audience Member, The Courage That It Takes To Be... Frankly, To Be Subtle.
Beautiful
People
Appreciate
You Know, Independent Films Have Been Institutionalized, Practically. Every Studio Has Got A Boutique Arthouse Label.
Independent
Labels
Film
People Say You Can't Make Movies About Your Politics Or The Environment. And, Generally Speaking, I Completely Divide Those Sides Of My Brain.
People
Brain
Sides
Screenplays Aren't Written To Be Read, They're Written To Be Made Into Movies.
Made
Screenplays
Written
I Don't Get Much Out Of Doing A Red Carpet.
Red
Carpet
Red Carpet
I Do Subscribe To The Maxim That Generally Comedy Is Like Jazz. Either You Get It Or You Don't. You Can't Learn It And You Can't Be Taught It. I Don't Think That If You Are Not A Funny Person, You Can Fake It.
Thinking
Fake
Taught
Just Because You've Made A Couple Movies, You've Done Some Good Movies, You've Been Nominated For Some Academy Awards, Whatever, Nobody's Entitled. It's A Business. If They Don't See It, I Can Think They're Wrong, But I'm Not Entitled To A $15 Million Budget To Make A Film.
Couple
Thinking
Awards
I Remember As A Kid Having The Offer Of A Scholarship, That It Was Going To Be Like Going To Mars, And Deciding To Stay In My Public School.
School
Kids
Mars
I Think The Consensus Among Our Generation And People Younger Than Us Is That We Do Have A Defining Challenge In The Moment, So I Do Like Being Involved In Something Bigger Than The Finger-doodling I Do In Art. It Stimulates Your Brain In Certain Ways.
Art
Thinking
Our Generation
Most People Don't Relate To And Can't Generate Concern For Something They Don't Encounter Personally Or Feel Personally Affected By. People Have To Have The Palpable Negatives In Their Lives Dissected For Them In Ways That Let Them Understand The Root Causes Of Unhealthy, Unhappy Conditions In Their Lives And Then Be Allowed To Really See And Feel The Positive Alternatives.
Roots
People
Unhappy
I Don't Flatter Myself - I'm Not A Scientist, I'm Not A Conservation Expert.
Experts
Conservation
Scientist
I Never Think That A Film Should Answer Questions For You. I Think It Should Make You Ask A Lot Of Questions.
Thinking
Answers
Film
Anybody Who Is Running A Marathon Or Doing A Walkathon, Doing A Fundraiser For Their School, Their Company, By Far It's Guaranteed The Easiest And Most Fun Way To Quickly Set Up A Fundraising Campaign And Send It Around To Your Friends And Family.
Running
Fun
School
I've Observed Over And Over That People Seem To Get A Much Deeper Sense Of Fulfillment Out Of Something They've Done As An Act Of Service Than Out Of The Things They Do For Themselves.
Inspirational
People
Done
Making Really Great Music, Making Really Great Films, Writing Great Books Is An Antidote To All Of That. And, As People, As Artists, Some Of The Massive Disruption That Technology Is Causing Is So Exciting, The Way That People Can Share Creativity Now.
Book
Writing
Creativity
Young People Know How To Use These Social Networking Tools, And They Know How To Use Them Effectively.
People
Networking
Tools
There Is A Lot Of Interesting Product Coming To Market Already. Bags And Bottles And Cups And Such Made Of Potato Starch And Other Fully Biodegradable Materials. In Some Sense, Plastic Is More Chemically Complex. We Ought To Be Able To Simplify.
Interesting
Bags
Bottles
You Know, Independent Films Have Been Institutionalized, Practically. Every Studio Has Got A Boutique Arthouse Label. There's Like, 18 Different Independent Film-financing Funds. In Fact, I Think The Children Of Those Films Are Getting Made. A More Interesting Question Is Whether Those Films Are Going To Get Seen And Appreciated.
Children
Independent
Thinking
I've Been Friends With The Guys In Radiohead For A Lot Of Years, And I Watch The Way Those Guys Work With Incredible Envy. Because Whatever The Slings And Arrows Of Dealing With The Record Business, At The End Of The Day, They Have Total Creative Autonomy. They Don't Need A Lot To Do What They Do, And Thom [yorke] And Jonny [greenwood] And The Guys Have Their Own Joint In Their Hometown.
Years
Arrows
Envy
When I Think Of My Background, If I Was Privileged On Any Level, It Was In Terms Of The Kind Of Exposure To Experience And Bohe-mian Cultural Influence That My Parents And My Uncles And My Grandfather Gave Me. On Both Sides I Come From An Extremely Eccentric, Artsy, Intellectually Intense, Activist Family.
Uncles
Thinking
Parent
Obviously Plastics Have Served Very Important Purposes And Been Incredibly Convenient But As We Begin To Witness The Long-term Consequences Of The Chemical Components Leaching Into Our Water And Our Bodies, We're Going To Be Forced To Look For Alternatives To How We Package Goods And Food.
Water
Long
Important
If You Try To Make Interesting Films, You're Going To Be Disappointed Most Of The Time. I Choose Just Not To Look At It That Way.
Interesting
Trying
Looks
The Zionist Tulsa Jew Who's Pugnacious Is A Reality. I Grew Up Around It. And I Think It's Really, Really Funny And Surprising And Unlikely.
Reality
Thinking
Tulsa
You Dream As An Actor's Director Of Letting Moments Breathe Through Two-shots.
Dream
Two
Directors
I'm Pretty Busy In My Life And I'm Very Aware Of What It Takes To Direct A Movie. It Takes A Lot Out Of You; It Takes A Lot Out Of The Rest Of Your Life, From Other People In Your Life. I Don't Lie Around Hungering For That Consumption Very Often.
Lying
People
Rest Of Your Life
It's Dismaying To See The Unilateralism That The Government Is Doing.
Government
Unilateralism
The Best Films Of Any Kind, Narrative Or Documentary, Provoke Questions.
Narrative
Documentaries
Kind
There Are Things You Do For The Fun Of Doing Them Or To Work Or To Hang With Certain People. But The Projects That I've Invested Myself In And Cared About Most Deeply Have Absolutely Been Activated By A Desire To Chase Something That I Relate To, Or That I See As Having The Potential To Speak To Someone Else Directly.
Fun
People
Desire
The More You Do Your Homework, The More You're Free To Be Intuitive. But You've Got To Put The Work In.
Inspirational
Motivational
Acting
I Do Find Myself Drawn More To Pieces That I Feel Are Wrestling With The Way That We're Living Now, What We're All Going Through.
Wrestling
Pieces
Way
I Think We Really Feel Like Crowdrise Could Be Something That, 20 Years From Now, People Take For Granted Because That's Just How You Do It, Like If You're Going To Raise Money For Something, That's How You Do It.
Thinking
Years
People
You Always End Up Getting Involved In Things Because Of, You Know, The Strange Things Your Life Brings You Into Contact With.
Strange
Ends
Because Of You
Every Little Thing That People Know About You As A Person Impedes Your Ability To Achieve That Kind Of Terrific Suspension Of Disbelief That Happens When An Audience Goes With An Actor And Character He's Playing.
Character
People
Actors
Most Of The Movies That I've Made That I Really Felt Good About And Cared About Made Very Little Money Anyway, So I'm Not Particularly Worried About People Downloading And Sharing Them.
People
Littles
Worried
I Think There Is A Serious Corruption In The Idea Sold Through Advertising That You Can Attain Spiritual Peace Through Lifestyle And The Notion Of Building Your Happiness From The Outside-in By Acquiring Things . . . Which If You Think About It, Is The Essence Of Advertising
Happiness
Spiritual
Laughter
I Had A Huge Advantage With Edward Norton Because He's Directed A Movie Before, So One Thing He Appreciates Is How Hard My Job Is, He's Very Sensitive To That. We Actually Ended Up Finishing "leaves Of Grass" A Day Early.
Jobs
Appreciate
Leaves Of Grass
If Nick Broomfield Never Found Anyone With Affection For Courtney Love, It's Only Because He Conspicuously Avoided The Countless Friends, Colleagues And Fans Who Appreciate Her Talent And Admire Her As A Person. But Then, Why Would Broomfield Have Opened Up His Film To Those Of Us Who Work With Courtney And Are Close To Her When There Are So Many Bitter Left - Behinds And Desperate Attention - Seekers Eager To Validate His Attack On Her Character? Inquisitors In Every Age, Scared Of Forceful Women, Have Used All Kinds Of Half - Baked Testimony To Whip Up Chants Of 'burn The Witch!'
Character
Appreciate
Age
I'd Say That, In Addition To Actually Taking My Brother And Sister And I Camping And Hiking And River Rafting All Our Lives And Introducing Us To The Power Of Natural Landscapes, His [my Father's] Biggest Impact On My Thinking Has Been To Always Argue That The "spiritual Case For Nature" Was Not Going To Outweigh The Needs Of 7 Billion People And To Insist That Law, Science And Economics Were The Critical Frameworks Through Which We Had To Defend The Value Of Nature.
Spiritual
Brother
Father
Instead Of Telling The World What You're Eating For Breakfast, You Can Use Social Networking To Do Something That's Meaningful.
Meaningful
Use
World
I'm Not A Very Methodologically Pure Actor. Almost Every Time That I Start, I Feel Completely At Sea. Always At The Beginning I Feel Like A Fraud, Really, Because I'm Never Sure How To Get Started.
Sea
Actors
Fraud
I've Always Liked The Idea Of Taking Old Dramatic Ideas And Devices And Making Them Feel Relevant Or Contemporary Or Whatever.
Ideas
Dramatic
Relevant
As We Say In The Sewer, If You're Not Prepared To Go All The Way, Don't Put Your Boots On In The First Place.
Perseverance
Boots
Way
I Started, With Three Friends, This Website Called Crowdrise That's Sort Of The Facebook For Personal Philanthropy, A Place Where Anybody Can Have A Permanent Microsite Of Their Own To Stage Creative Fundraising Projects For The Charities And Causes That They Care About. And We Did It With Serious Intent But Without Any Ambition.
Ambition
Fundraising
Creative
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