‘Our hearts ache,’ says Ed Norton
Actor Edward Norton said early Friday that his heart ached “in solidarity” with the family of the firefighter killed in the Harlem building where his latest movie was being filmed.
“Our deepest condolences to the family of Michael R. Davidson,” Norton and his producers said in a statement about the 37year-old father of four and 15year veteran of the Fire Department.
The blaze erupted in the building on St. Nicholas Avenue late Thursday as the film crew on the set of “Motherless Brooklyn” was ending its workday.
“As soon as we noticed smoke coming up into our set, our crew immediately alerted the Fire Department and began alerting residents of the building even as we evacuated our cast and crew,” the producers said in the statement.
“To our great sorrow, we now know that an NYC firefighter lost his life battling the blaze that grew, and our hearts ache in solidarity with his family.
“New York City firefighters truly are the bravest in the world. We watched firsthand with astonishment as they charged into the smoke to make sure all were safely out and then fought to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading, putting their lives on the line as they do every day.”
Adapted from the Jonathan Lethem novel of the same name, “Motherless Brooklyn” stars Norton, 48, as Lionel Essrog, a private detective with Tourette’s syndrome in 1950s New York City.
Norton also directs the film. Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe and Alec Baldwin co-star.
It is due out next year.