Article Category: Movies

Viggo talks about Hidalgo as a story that appeals to his love of mythology and the hero's journey. "I like the big stories and the big landscapes. I guess I am interested in ordeals, whether you are in the Sahara desert or you're in New Zealand or wherever, but I also like small stories that can take place in a room, in a kitchen sink drama.... Any ordeal clears and purifies your vision of yourself and how you fit in or don't fit into the world. Those are the stories I am drawn to." Other topics include Frank Hopkins, mustangs, history, politics, and the Middle East. In other words, just a typical Viggo Mortensen interview.

Standard Hidalgo interview with a nice quote from Viggo about working with Omar Sharif: "One of the great things about this experience was working with Omar; his casting was very important to the movie. It was already a good story, but him playing that part was a perfect piece of casting. It lifted the movie to another level, and personally it was a lot of fun to work closely with him and pester him for stories about making Lawrence of Arabia with David Lean and Peter O'Toole."

Descriptive review focuses on the moral depth of Hidalgo, as Frank Hopkins "chooses the narrow road and makes his motives clear to those trying to weaken his resolve or make him weak." The reviewer concludes that Hopkins embodies the best of the ideal of the American cowboy.

An article about Hidalgo from the perspective of the American cowboy heritage and horsemanship finds that the film's message is "cowboys are good guys, and what they represent can be found worldwide in men who love horses." Interviews with director Joe Fusco and horse trainer Rex Peterson describe Viggo's commitment to horsemanship.

Article and interview. After the release of Hidalgo, Viggo returned to South Dakota to participate in a trail ride and speak with Native Voice about the film, Miyelo, Native American culture, and the challenges facing people today. He also talks about the cost of stardom and his commitment to his fans: "You know, for me to look each person in the eye and listen to their question and answer them, and get their name right and be respectful—that takes a certain amount of energy for complete concentration.... At the end of the day you don’t have anything left, sometimes, for yourself. You have to find ways to hide out, that's all."

Filming notes from The Return of the King. Viggo comments on his son Henry's role in the film.

Viggo Mortensen was the last of the leading actors to join the cast of The Lord of the Rings, but today it is difficult to separate them. While he is not reluctant and doesn’t know any tracking techniques like Aragorn, the star is always involved in politics and in the struggle for citizen’s basic rights. […]

Step right up ladies and gents–and let me tell you all about the incredible shrinking leading man. Throughout Hollywood’s history we’ve seen our fair share of rugged manly-men, willing to risk it all in the name of a good cause or perhaps the right girl. Back in the day, we had Gable, Brando and even […]

This 12-page pictorial spread focuses on Viggo Mortensen in his role as Aragorn. In the interview, Viggo talks about his relationship with Uraeus, the horse who played Brego, working with the stunt team and training in swordplay, and his thoughts on the extended editions of the films.

Detailed review of the script, acting and production hails director Renny Harlin but pans Viggo Mortensen. "Judging from his performance here, it's hard to believe Mortensen managed to work his way up to a high class project like Lord Of The Rings. He is incredibly vanilla bland, whether he's being confronted by a Bubba-like prisoner, or trying to escape from the evil wraith that has enveloped the prison. His unemotional state ends up transforming him into some kind of holier-than-thou snot, making him quite an annoying hero.... In his defense, Mortensen's character is just as blandly sketched by the screenplay."

Director Gus Van Sant speaks about shooting in Death Valley and the state of American independent film. The most interesting part for Viggo fans comes in the last few paragraphs, where he discusses Psycho: "When we were shooting it, Viggo Mortensen and I were talking about the next one. We were going to do a black Psycho, a punk-rock Psycho... Viggo knows all the punk rockers, so he had some ideas about how to pull it off."

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Reviewer Dragan Antulov gives The Passion of Darkly Noon a 4/10 rating, saying that it "could have been quite remarkable film" but that in the last act "everything succumbs to clichés and [it] turns into "just another slasher film." He remarks that the casting was "perfect," and goes on to say that "Judd is seductive and innocent in the same time. Something similar could be said of Viggo Mortensen who is also effective in rather thankless role of her dimwitted and rugged boyfriend."

Comments from Viggo and other cast and crew regarding the filming of The Two Towers and their opinions of the extended version of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Reviewer Fazio reluctantly acknowledges how impressed he is with The Fellowship of the Ring, from the script to Peter Jackson's attention to detail to the acting. Excerpt: "It's McKellen, with a voice that truly could summon forth the spirits, who provides the film with depth and gravitas. His is a mesmerizing performance, with Gandalf at times looking like the aged, weary man who knows his time is getting short, and then, like a cat, suddenly revealing a flash of vigor and ferocity, the fire that still burns within. Subtract this performance and you could lop one star off this review."

Being three-foot-six tall, with pointy ears and hairy feet, may not seem like an enviable job. Especially when it involves being in New Zealand, away from family and friends, for 15 months. Plus 12 to 14 hour days, often in remote locations, with new physical skills to learn and scenes that had to be repeated […]

A barefoot Viggo Mortensen talks about Tolkien's work and his role as Aragorn. "He was the greatest traveler and huntsman of his age," Mortensen says about his quiet, stoic role. "There is no character in this story, in these books, that has traveled more extensively and had more contact with other cultures, races, languages, and an appreciation and understanding of the differences of all the free peoples of Middle-earth.... He has an understanding that the most precious thing that any intelligent being possesses is free choice."

After discussing his art and acting career, Viggo talks about The Lord of the Rings--book and movies. "In this movie, I had three directors: Tolkien, Peter Jackson and, of course, my own conscience. Tolkien and Jackson are different media, different men, but I've worked for both of them. While the first was very interested in exploring codes, poetry, history, the second is a film maker who likes entertainment, and that's why he centered his work more in the action episodes than in the reflective ones." He continues, "I found my strongest link to this author when I got to know the tongues, the languages that he made up for each race. That is why I miss certain things from the book, like some of the songs and above all, the languages that were born of this incredible man."

With The Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment of the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy, having become a massive box office and critical hit over this past holiday season, director Peter Jackson, its producers and the studio behind the fantasy franchise, New Line Cinema, are breathing easier these days. With an initial […]

Viggo Mortensen talks about making The Fellowship of the Ring, the Harry Potter phenomenon, sword-fighting and his new tattoo.