Edward Norton is an Egg Russian Roulette ‘ninja’ on ‘Fallon’

It’s hard to say exactly what skills are needed to become an expert at the game of Egg Russian Roulette, but it’s safe to say that Edward Norton has them.

The actor, who’s hosting “Saturday Night Live” this week, stopped by “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” to talk about the gig, praise fellow guests Pearl Jam and play an infinitely silly game of Egg Russian Roulette. As Norton himself described it, “It’s like Willy Wonka meets ‘The Deer Hunter’ torture.”

The game, as introduced by announcer Steve Higgins in an over-the-top silly voice, required Fallon and Norton to select eggs from a standard carton of a dozen and smash them on their heads. Half the eggs were hard-boiled, the other half were raw. And once an egg was selected, it couldn’t be exchanged. Two raw eggs smashed on the head would cause that player to lose.

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While Norton did smash one raw egg on his head — perhaps to toy with Fallon’s confidence — his ability to select hard-boiled eggs and the confidence with which he did it was uncanny. It was so impressive, in fact, that he concluded the game with an unheard-of double hard-boiled egg smash.

“Zen and the art of egg-cracking,” Fallon gushed at his rival. “I’ve never seen that done! You’re a ninja!”

In life, it’s good to have skills. Even if those skills have a very narrow application. We should all aspire to Norton’s ability to tell a hard-boiled egg from a raw egg. It could save a life.

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