Article Category: Viggo Mortensen

"Brooding cinematic presence, Viggo Mortensen has skirted the fringes of stardom for over a decade. But as Aragorn, the sensitive action hero of The Lord of the Rings, this actor/artist is set to inherit his rightful crown."

Profile of Viggo Mortensen portrays him as a "steel-jawed hunk" who is also an "overall decent human being." A few anecdotes, quotes from co-stars.

Extensive interview in which Viggo Mortensen talks about how he views Aragorn's character, the filming of Fellowship of the Ring, The Prophecy, Leatherface and other earlier films.

In a land without mountains, you have to be happy with the few mountains there are. It can be reflected in a relaxed and well-balanced acceptance of the conditions of things, but it can also – sometimes – be reflected in a “sturm-und-drang”, an attempt to be more than you are. Reaching for the sky […]

Feature on actors and their children includes a page about Viggo Mortensen, with photographs taken by his son Henry and quotes from both. "What's the most special thing about being a father? Everything," says Viggo. And Henry echoes, "What's special about my dad is... everything." (scan)

Venice Beach might have been Coney Island, with Frank T. Rios’ classic New Yawk drawl drifting like jazz notes through an oblivious crowd. The fairly intimate gathering of agog bystanders, hardcore poet fans and press bugs huddled in the chilly pre-rain afternoon like a small raft in the storm to celebrate the new Poet’s Walk […]

The interviewer is slightly confused about Viggo's film roles, saying that Viggo spends "much of [his] screen time making love to the most beautiful and desirable women imaginable" and then names Demi Moore (G.I. Jane) and Julianne Moore (Psycho) as two of those women. But still, the article includes some interesting quotes from Mortensen regarding on-screen romance and his preparation for his roles in A Walk on the Moon and 28 Days.

Viggo Mortensen hates to disappoint his Danish relatives, who hoped Gwyneth would improve his dress sense, but he insists his screen love affair with the actress never became the real thing. When Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck broke up, a lot of people thought they knew where to lay the blame: at the feet of […]

Viggo explains the origin of the scar on his upper lip, and comments on steamy sex scenes with Paltrow and Walken. Excerpt: "It was a combination of a fist and a barbwire fence on a particularly bad Halloween night. I was 17 and so drunk that I didn't even need an anesthetic when the doctor sewed me up."

Rambling conversation between Viggo Mortensen and Dennis Hopper. Topics include art, poetry, acting and most anything else.

Pre-Lord of the Rings interview focuses on Viggo Mortensen's photography and other creative pursuits. "Mortensen makes obvious his obsession with the ordinary as he breaks to explain, for example, why the green countertop reflecting fluorescent light onto the cherry-red Coke machine in the background would make the perfect picture. 'I’d take it right now if I had my camera,' he lamented."

Interview sets the scene at a showing of Viggo Mortensen's photographs, then provides Viggo's take on Walk on the Moon and the upcoming 28 Days.

Viggo comments on his pre-1999 movies, including Prison, Leatherface, Reflecting Skin, Indian Runner, Crimson Tide, The Prophecy, G.I. Jane, A Perfect Murder, Psycho. He also discusses his art and upcoming showings. Finally, when asked, "In twenty years, would you rather be remembered as an actor who painted or a painter who acted?" he replies, "I'd like to know that I was honest. I was myself as far as just being an artist and being an actor or poet or photographer or painter or whatever the hell. Being an artist is being an artist. So just be."

Viggo comments on the rumors surrounding himself and Gwyneth Paltrow following the filming of A Perfect Murder. Excerpt: "My cousins in Denmark were so happy for me. They said Gwyneth was such a snappy dresser and had such fashion style that they hoped it would rub off on me...."

“A good actor is there, a bad actor is not. Sure it’s a craft but it also has to do with generosity of spirit. Some people just aren’t very generous by nature and, no matter how technically proficient they might be, they’re not much fun to work with because they don’t care and you feel […]

A brief, flirty interview about Viggo's "Renaissance Man" qualifications, film career, and the rocky start to his art career. Excerpt: "A couple days ago, I looked at all [my] paintings, and I was like, 'I don't know what these are.' Then it snowballed. 'What kind of actor am I anyway? What kind of father? I mean what a joke. God, I'm such a vain, self-involved creature, and I should just stop making these things and inflicting them on people!' I can see why people jump out of windows."

Viggo Mortensen describes his upcoming role in the Psycho remake, and shares plans for upcoming art showings, books and music.

Viggo Mortensen speaks briefly about how he chooses his film roles, and on recreating Psycho. "If you're going to do a remake of a movie, this is the one to do it with because the formula works so well."

A fun interview in which Viggo shares stories from the filming of movies from Witness to A Walk on the Moon, and describes his drag queen screen test for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.

NEW YORK — Viggo Mortensen started his career out by roughing up guys like Dennis Hopper in The Indian Runner and Al Pacino in Carlito’s Way. He even ripped out Christopher Walken’s heart in The Prophecy. And just look how mean he was as Demi Moore’s drill sergeant in G.I. Jane. But lately something has […]