Quotable Viggo

2012 hasn't exactly been the busiest year for meaty in-depth interviews and publicity events, but though there has been a lack of quantity, there has been quality and I've collected some wonderful gems. Here are my favourite Quotes of the Year and you won't be surprised to discover that quite a few of them are funny. I've presented them all over the last 12 months, but they all deserve another airing. What better way to get into a festive mood?



© 20th Century Fox/Haddock Films.


Q: Everybody has a plan. What´s yours?

A:. I actually don´t have one

"When I wake up I think of death"
By Karmentxu Marín - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El Pais
9 September 2012



'I'm not usually a suit person? You're lucky I'm wearing shoes!'

Viggo Q&A after accepting the Coolidge Award in Boston
Greendragon posting on TORn
6 March 2012



Viggo Mortensen has so much on-screen magnetism, he'll probably destroy the credit cards of anyone sitting in the first 10 rows.

Wallace Bain
Santa Cruz Sentinel
25 January 2012



Following the press Q&A, as he left the stage, he paused, looked at the huge 'Viggo Mortensen' image on the screen behind him, and said, 'You spelled my name wrong?' There was a horrified moment as the organisers checked in panic ? then he smiled, 'No, just kidding?.'

Viggo after accepting the Coolidge Awardin Boston
Greendragon posting on TORn
6 March 2012



Hi Viggo, aside from knowing your lines, what's the most important thing you do to prepare yourself before you go in front of camera?

Breathe.

Empire On-line Web Chat
31 January 2012



We talked a little about your work as an actor, painter, poet and musician. They all seem linked by story. So I'm wondering what you think is the significance or power of stories? Why are they so important?

We are the stories we tell about ourselves, the stories we tell about others, the stories we read about everyone and everything.

Viggo Mortensen's heroes
Ethan Gilsdorf,
Boston Globe
3 March 2012



What was it that got you interested in A Dangerous Method? Was it mostly working again with Cronenberg, or the psychological theme ? Or both?

Firstly, working with David Cronenberg again. Secondly, the bait that David threw my way, in the form of an elaborate system of undergarments that Sigmund Freud was reputed to have employed on some of his summer excursions deep into the Alps. They included an elaborate system of miniaturised pulleys and wires that assisted in muscular stimulation for the steeper climbs. I was allowed to wear these undergarments in all scenes whether I was climbing or not.

Viggo Mortensen
Empire On-line Web Chat
31 January 2012



I ask if he got to know Freud well enough to guess what the psychotherapist would have made of Mortensen. He cracks his knuckles and gives his first short answer.

"I have no idea."

Viggo Mortensen
By Lucy Kellaway
Financial Times
10 February 2012



DC: As I look at his nose, it appears much more Freudian than it used to.

VM: It's getting bigger, isn't it?

DC: Yeah, it is.

Cronenberg and Mortensen - Dangerous Minds
Shortlist.com
10 February 2012



Mortensen may take a bit of warming up, but once he's off, he goes at it like a fire hose, frequently switching subjects in mid-sentence as a new thought strikes him. Looking through the transcript of our interview afterwards is like reading Molly Bloom's soliloquy at the end of Ulysses.

Viggo Mortensen on 'A Dangerous Method'
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012



"We had our chances, but things didn´t turn out for us as we would have liked. I was furious, very depressed. I watched the match on my laptop, in the restaurant of a gas station near Boston, USA. People were staring at me, sitting there with my San Lorenzo shirt, behaving like a crazy man, talking to the little screen, shouting at the players."

Viggo on watching San Lorenzo lose
Knowing How To Lose
By Viggo Mortensen - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro
5 March 2012



Mortensen speaks five languages, and seems happy to discuss football in all of them.

Interview: Viggo Mortensen, actor
Scotsman.com
9 February 2012



"Have I behaved? I haven't talked about San Lorenzo too much, right?"

Viggo Mortensen in a Todos tenemos un plan interview
Soledad Villamil - Viggo Mortensen: Brothers In Arms
By Nazareno Brega - translated by Ollie and Zoe
Clarin
29 August 2012



"It comes from a very good tailor in Boedo, in Buenos Aires. San Lorenzo de Almagro".

Viggo on being asked who tailored his Golden Globes suit
Mortensen highlights his Argentinian team at the Golden Globes
By E J Tamara - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Publimetro
16 January 2012

In an interview with Indiewire.com yesterday, Cronenberg talked about the plans he and Steve Knight had to take Nikolai's story into the heart of Russia, and the frustrating reasons behind the cancelling of Eastern Promises 11. We were all hoping to see this film so much, not just because we hoped to see Viggo, along with the rest of the cast, take this story forward, but also because Nicolai is one of the most complex and fascinating of characters. Teetering between good and evil, we all had the same question: which way would he would fall?


">www.viggo-works.com/webpageimages/10epnikcap.jpg">
© Focus Features.


Like the movie surrounding him, Nikolai has many layers, and the complexity of his character is testament to how well-thought out Eastern Promises is.

Patrick Herald
Valley Vanguard
September 24, 2007



Nikolai, a man who knows how to hold his tongue and turn off his emotions...

J Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette
21 Sept 2007



Nikolai, as played by Viggo Mortensen, is icy, reptilian, monstrous and strangely charming all at once. It's the charm, however, that draws you to him - the indication that despite the horrific acts he's capable of, there's still a human being lurking inside.

Eastern Promises - Take Your Breath Away
J Clark Brewer
Atlanta INtown
25 September 2007



Lantern-jawed and taciturn, Nikolai says more with his eyes than with his words; we're often left tensely watching his dark, flashing orbs, seeking some clue as to whether he'll let a slight or an insult pass, or surrender to the suppressed brutality that simmers within his breast.

Promises, Promises
By Mike Gibson
Metro Pulse
3 October 2007



He is indeed a hardened criminal, a tattooed graduate of the Russian prison system, a stone-cold killer. The movies most-heralded scene - the fight for his life in a steam room shows that Nikolai knows how to kill. And yet he can exhibit the most unexpected and inexplicable acts of compassion, a betrayal of the dossier moviegoers are quietly assembling on Nikolai.

Eastern Promises A Gripping Mob Thriller
Robert J Hawkins
Bend Weekly
21 December 2007



Nikolai.... is a living and breathing entity. What the audience doesn't know about him?and Mortensen has endeavoured to discover and put in his performance?is as important as what's explicitly revealed.

Finding Viggo Mortensen
By Susan Thea Posnock
Awards Daily: Oscar Watch
awardsdaily.com



"The better you are at being undercover, the more likely you are to lose your own self. And to become that person. And you can see that this is something that Nikolai's going to have to deal with big-time, because he's basically cut off all ties with his former life by the end of the movie."

David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg & Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
By Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews
24 August 2007



He immersed himself into the mind of this man born and raised in the former Soviet Union, a dark figure with more good to him than anyone around him can even imagine. Mortensen played Nikolai as a real person (living in a very raw London, thanks to David Cronenberg's direction) and his idealization of this character other actors have similarly played to over-the-top results in many crime stories is among the best in the genre, ever.

THE TOP 10 OPINIONS: PERFORMANCES THAT WON'T WIN OSCARS...
Johnny Alba
The Oscar Igloo
7 February 2008



"The flip-side of Tom Stall," says Cronenberg, Nikolai is also burdened with secrets, though not in the same way according to Mortensen. "I don't think he's deceiving himself. I think he's quite clear on who he is, where he is, what's at risk and what his motives are."

I've taken on too much...
by James Mottram, The Independent / UK.
23 October 2007



"When you see the character sitting alone, he's like a monk. It's like you've given up things of this world for other purposes, to serve something bigger than you. It just happens to be something scary."

Viggo Mortensen
I've taken on too much...
by James Mottram, The Independent / UK.
23 October 2007



The final image of Nikolai is unsettling for being enigmatic. You say it's an honor for Nikolai to receive these tattoo stars, you say it is something he would strive for, and yet it is likewise repulsive and horrifying. When he reveals them to Yuri, Yuri winces and recoils.

Cronenberg: He's gone over a line. There's no coming back, in a way.

Mortensen: The unspoken thing from Yuri is, "Well, we'll make use of you as long as we can, but there may be a point where you're totally on your own, and there might be a time when we are on the wrong side of the fence from each other completely, and I can't vouch for you and won't know anything about you. If I have to, I'll arrest you."

David Cronenberg And Viggo Mortensen And The Hard Work Of Killing
By Michael Guillén
Green Cine
10 September 2007



"With Eastern Promises, I think each time you see it you see more and you have more questions."

And with exquisite timing, Mortensen pauses then adds, "And I'm not going to tell you what he was thinking.

"I know what he was thinking, obviously, but it's good that you wonder, you know?"

Eastern Promises A Gripping Mob Thriller
Robert J Hawkins
Bend Weekly
21 December 2007



It's hard to leave Nikolai, though, burning a hole in the screen. Mortensen has played a king of Middle-earth and, for Cronenberg, a man with two lives. This is the first time, though, his performance seemed so much bigger than the film surrounding it. That he manages the feat with so few wasted gestures puts him in line with the greats.

Mortensen Is Driving Force In Cronenberg Film
Boston Globe
By Ty Burr
14 September 2007

It won't be long now and all the waiting will be over. We will finally see The Hobbit up on the Big Screen. It has taken years of negotiations, false starts, meticulous preparation, casting speculation, hard work and herculean planning to get us to this point. But sometimes planning and preparation isn't everything. Who would have thought a casting disaster and a last minute panic to find an Aragorn would have given The Lord of the Rings not only the King of Middle-earth but a man who Elijah Wood called "...our king and inspiration". No small achievement after jumping on a plane, unprepared, to face 14 months of filming. After all these years of accepting that Viggo 'is' Aragorn, it's hard to remember just how amazing that initial commitment to take on the role really was.



© New Line Productions Inc


"We got a script to Viggo and his reaction was to say no! It took three more days to convince him."

Peter Jackson
The Making of the Movie Trilogy
By Brian Sibley
Harper Collins
2002



"Knowing Viggo now, his conversation was incredibly Viggo-like, but at the time it was incredibly off-putting," Mr. Jackson said. "He was asking about the character: how long has he lived with the elves? Where are his parents? If I didn't know the answer, I'd make it up. There would be this terrible long silence, and I didn't know if the phone had disconnected or not, and then he'd ask another question and there would be 30 more seconds of silence."

"At the very end of the call, I thought it had gone very badly, that he wasn't going to do the role," Mr. Jackson continued. "I was thinking, `What are we going to do now?' as I was waiting for the call to end, and then there was another long silence and Viggo said, `I guess I'll see you on Tuesday.' "

Peter Jackson on offering him the part of Aragorn
The Man Who Would Just As Soon Not Be King
By Sarah Lyall
New York Times
2003



"I've never before been in a position to do a job that another actor had already started. Although I was grateful for the role, I felt a little awkward about that. I never even met Stuart. It would have been much worse had he been my best friend or something. He's much younger than me and the character of Aragorn needed to be older. It was just a casting miscalculation - one of those things that happens sometimes. I also had to look older than I am for some scenes and that would have been hard for Stuart."

Viggo Mortensen
I've Loved All My Leading Ladies
By Garth Pearce
Now magazine
January 2002



"...as an actor I was a little nervous, because I hadn't read the book, and I wasn't sure if I would have the time to give them good value for their money, not knowing the material at all. From what they had told me the other actors had already been there for months, preparing and learning all the various skills, dialects and rehearsing."

Viggo Mortensen
Hail To The King
By Lawrence French
Starburst #305
December 2003



"So there I am on the plane for New Zealand, reading that enormous, telephone directory-sized book and then the scripts, and a couple of days later I'm filming. I continued to feel unprepared, but at least I didn't have much time to get nervous, which was probably good!"

Viggo Mortensen
Official Movie Guide



We knew we were blessed in having Viggo - who is part-Danish descent - step into the role of Aragorn when he arrived carrying a copy of the Volsunga Saga that he had taken from his bookshelf!


Philippa Boyens
The Making of the Movie Trilogy



"Viggo paced up and down and said, "Do you think we could just put a few more ties on these boots?" And in that moment - I had known the first time he put that costume on that it was ten times better on him and that was actually to do with the amount of - just Viggo's experience and age and life. He imbued that costume with its own life. The terrifying thing for me was that I might have an actor who simply wanted to get rid of it, but he did not do that.

He just wanted to add to it. I was in love with Viggo from the beginning. (laughs)"

Ngila Dickson
DVDFILE.com Interview



'I'd come to the project very late and worked hard, with little time off,' he says. 'I became worn out and concerned about my ability to be up to the task. I was so tired that sometimes I was practically hallucinating. It was a good job that there was always someone else from the cast to help me out.'

I've Loved All My Leading Ladies
By Garth Pearce
Now magazine
January 2002



"I was jet-lagged when I arrived in Wellington, and they drove me to these old army barracks. Inside was sort of a small gym. Against the wall, kind of vibrating and all tensed-up and sweating, was a whole group of people. It was the stunt team, some of them had real scars and they were very scary-looking, holding all of these rusty, blood-stained implements of destruction.

Bob Anderson, the sword-master, introduced them as the people I'd be fighting with for the next year-and-a-half or so. Then he gave me my sword, pointed me in their direction and said, 'Go.' They all came screaming, running at me. I didn't know quite what to do, so I sort of covered myself and they stopped right in my face, waving these weapons. Bob said, 'OK, good. You didn't run away, that's a start.' That's kind of how I got going on these movies. It was that way with everything."

MVP of Middle-earth
By Bob Strauss
U-Daily News
29 January 2004
U-Daily News



"Even before I spoke a single word of dialogue, I was forced to confront the physicality of my character. It was probably helpful to do something physical before speaking. More than for any other character, Aragorn's actions speak for him. His choices, the decisions he makes, his physicality, his body, tell you a lot about him. He's a man who throws himself into situations. Which is why it was good to begin my work with a swordfight."

Viggo Mortensen
Official Movie Guide



"I'm still shocked that that was the first thing he did," says Wood, who had an early dinner with Mortensen during which he found him hard to talk with. "But when he started working, there was no question. This was Aragorn, this was the man who was meant to play this role. We had an immense amount of respect for him being able to jump in so quickly."

Elijah Wood on Viggo shooting the Weathertop battle as his first scene
The Hero Returns
By Tom Roston
Premiere 2003



The filming was going on at the far end of the [Prancing Pony] set when I noticed this figure in a dark hood, smoking a pipe, sitting in another corner of the set altogether. Then I realized: it was Viggo. He wasn't required in the scene, he was just sitting there, observing the vibe, he was actually being Strider, being the outsider, the lonely man in the corner that no one spoke to.

Costa Botes, Video Documentarian
Official Movie Guide



'Ultimately, you create your own luck. Fate does step in. When we ended up with Viggo, fate was dealing us a very kind hand. Viggo, in hindsight, was the one person who was perfect for this film. He came out of nowhere, and suddenly there was Aragorn.'

Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Untold Story
By Ian Nathan
Empire
December 2004

Simona Coppa of Grazia describes Viggo as 'seductive' in our recently translated interview, something that goes beyond beauty and which is a mix of the physical and the intellectual, with a little bit danger thrown in because you never know where it might lead. Heck, he even managed to be seductive as Freud (who both Viggo and Cronenberg thought had a seductive personality) and as Lucifer. So what seduces Viggo, who's probably cornered the market in seductive characters? As always, the answer is very revealing.



© Neo Motion Pictures/Overseas Film Group.


Are you are aware of being very seductive?

"Only when I get into a character. And only if I believe in it myself."

By Simona Coppa - translated by Ollie
Grazia
9 October 2012



Viggo Mortensen is an extraordinarily beautiful man. But his handsome features are merely a suggestion of the tremendous sensitivity and resonant spirit that inform his inner self. He speaks with a gentle yet engaging passion and carries himself with a sense of calm that seems to radiate outwards to anyone in proximity - whether it be the ardent fans he enjoys speaking to while walking up red carpets or the hotel waiter who brings him boiling water so he can brew his cherished maté, a syrupy tea first tasted as a young boy growing up in Argentina.

Viggo Mortensen: "It's my nature to do a lot"
By covermg.com
10 July 2012



Mortensen is a matinee idol with a philosopher's soul ? Jean-Jacques Rousseau trapped in the body of Rudolph Valentino.

Viggo Mortenson is complicated
By Micjelle Devereaux
San Francisco Bay Guardian
12 September 2007



Mortensen - who, in playing heroes light and dark, has effortlessly come to embody the best of Us - is soft spoken, loyal to a fault, brainy, literate, artistic, hunky, sensual, athletic and strong; he's the ultimate ideal of what a male heterosexual should be. The ladies and the gay men love him and pretty much everyone else does, too. I bet the guy even turns off his cell phone in movie theatres.

Movie review: The Road will rivet you
Marshall Fine
Huffington Post
25 November 2009



There are very few actors that you can truly call an artiste. Someone with a level of talent in other forms aside from putting their face up on the screen to look pretty or handsome. It takes a very special and unique individual to offer up more than just a nice face for the camera, and one of those people would be Viggo Mortensen.

Interview with Viggo Mortensen
by JimmyO
JoBlo.com
14 December 2007



Almost serenading the audience with his Austrian accent, Mortensen is instantly Sigmund Freud without a shadow of a doubt. With a calm, cool and elegant demeanor he walks with confidence, cane at his side and cigar always hanging from his mouth. He seduces the audience and he seduces Jung...

Brad Brevet
Rope of Silicon
10 September 2011



He even manages the tricky balance of being horrible and seductive enough to slip you out of your soul, a balance few Lord of Darknesses achieve. Plus, he manages it in a mullet. Come on, you always knew that Satan not only invented that hairstyle, but rocks the business in the front and party in the back.

Stars in Rewind: Viggo Mortensen in 'The Prophecy'
by Elisabeth Rappe
Cinematical
12 October 2009



Viggo Mortensen, however, is that rare American actor who is both muscular and humane, tough and sensitive, fighter and lover. He seduces us with a threat of danger, his chiseled Nordic physique and stunning blue eyes. Never over the top, for Mortensen, less is more. His performances are slow reveals of hidden information and emotion.

Viggo Mortensen Talks The Road
By Anne Thompson
Indie Wire
13 September 200



I am being seduced by royalty. And not your garden variety Windsor, either. Admittedly, he looks more like a gypsy in his earthy tunic repaired to within an inch of its life, his hands and nails bearing the ingrained grit of a farmer. But he's a king all right: the King, the Lord of Men. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and any minute now he's going to reach out one of those taut brown arms, lift me up on his trusty steed and whisk me away from all this...

The King and I
By Julie Hosking
Sunday Telegraph
23 November 2003



David Cronenberg said that when he first met you to talk about A History Of Violence, his goal was "to seduce Viggo". How did he go about it?

He was honest. I think the most seductive or interesting thing is when people are honest.

In Conversation With Viggo Mortensen
Dorian Lynskey
Empire
March 2008
Empire



All great artists reveal themselves more in their work than in interviews. Every time Viggo's in front of the camera or picks up a pen or a canvas or a camera, he's opening the door to his heart. This is where he's telling you the secrets of his life . . . Viggo cannot strike a fake note. I say with absolute experience that if he doesn't believe it, he won't do it.

Philip Ridley, Director
The Reflecting Skin and The Passion of Darkly Noon
The Telegraph



"I think he has a quality of self-knowing that challenges everyone that he meets - perhaps unwittingly. But the electrical charge of that challenge of 'How well do you know yourself? Cause I know myself real well.' You know, that's kind of the unspoken Viggo experience. He's also fascinated by other people. And when you combine those elements, it's very charismatic. It can definitely be interpreted as sexy."

Diane Lane
The Hero Returns
By Tom Roston
Premiere 2003

He has an ancient Danish name and as a young man, Viggo lived and worked in Denmark for about 5 years, as a dock worker, a rose seller, at a Burger King and as a waiter. He constantly returns there to spend time with family and has brought several exhibitions there. Playing Aragorn helped him find his inner Norseman, Bill Manhire found the 'blood and honey' of Scandinavia in his poetry and Queen Margrethe of Denmark honoured him with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog. Very soon he will be getting ready to shoot his first film in Danish. Argentina may be one of Viggo's spiritual homes but Denmark is surely another, making him the world's only American Latin Viking. No wonder it's hard to pin him down.



ROTK: Copenhagen Premiere
Image Thomas Borberg.
© Polfoto.


What is it about Denmark that you like?

I don`t know. It`s just home somehow.

Viggo and Aunt Tulle Meet the Press in Denmark
TVA
22 October 2005



Following university, he travelled to Copenhagen to discover his Danish roots, exploring, picking up work at the docks and in a flower market. "It felt important that I should know about that part of me."

The Outsider
By Martyn Palmer
The Times
17 September 2005



"I spent all my childhood in Argentina and I feel at home in the Hispanic countries and cultures. In Denmark, I discovered the sense of family and a certain work ethic. I am very close to my uncles, aunts, cousins and I am emotionally very open with them. I am a strange mixture of very methodical North and more chaotic South."

Viggo Mortensen - The Anti-star
By - translated by Kaijamin
Paris Match
2 October 2008



"There is no doubt that my heart beats heavily for Denmark and, during my current visit to Denmark, the first thing I did was visit my aunt Tulle in Ringsted to have 'Biksemad'."

My Heart Beats For Denmark
By Kim Kastrup - translated by Rosen
Ekstra Bladet
25 September 2007



Amongst the more than 190 pictures from all over the world that Viggo is showing, there are many Danish themes, including the railway station at Odense and from the Mid-Zealand landscape around Jystrup, where both his Aunt Tulle and Uncle Henry have lived. There is, for example, a picture of a bird in flight over a forest island that Viggo simply calls Midtsjælland.

"I very strongly feel that I share a common past with my family in Denmark. And feel connected to the Scandinavian mythology, when I walk in the forest at Jystrup, where there are many tales told of what has happened. The Danish woods look like Tolkien's, they are the kind that doesn't look dangerous, but if you walk alone by night in the forests of Denmark, you can feel the energies of the past. I felt that already as a child, back then when I played with swords there outside my uncle's farm, played and felt like a Viking."

Viggo Mortensen
The American Dane
By Susanne Johansson - Translation by Majken Steen Thomassen
BT (Berlingske Tidende)
28 November 2001



I'd like to know about the origin of the name Viggo; do you know anything about that?

It's a name that's been in all the generations of my family, in the Danish part of my family. Like all names, it comes and goes. Right now, it's relatively common but when I was born, it was seen as an odd name, an old-fashioned one. Viggo is a name that can be found in Norse sagas; it's a very old name.

Web Chat with Viggo Mortensen
20 Minutos
Translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
6 September 2012



"It would be like being called Herbert..."

The Rebel King
Chris Heath
GQ magazine
April 2004



"I really would like to participate in a Danish movie. But to me it is essential that my first Danish movie is shot in Danish. To me it is a big challenge to shoot and talk Danish in an entire movie, so that it is believable."

My Heart Beats For Denmark
By Kim Kastrup - translated by Rosen
Ekstra Bladet
25 September 2007



"I´m in the project of Lisandro Alonso´s next film (La libertad) that will be filmed one part here and the other in Denmark. It´s in Danish. It´s like an experiment. With Lisandro, you never know how everything on the screen will end up," previews the actor."

Soledad Villamil - Viggo Mortensen: Brothers In Arms
By Nazareno Brega - translated by Ollie and Zoe
Clarin
29 August 2012



You have been described as the Robert De Niro of your generation, what are your views on that? And how much are you looking forward to becoming a Lego figure?

I already am a Lego figure! Very proud to be a part of Danish industry in that way. I'm not sure that Robert De Niro is a Lego figure yet, so he's got some catching up to do.

Empire On-line Web Chat
31 January 2012



"It felt like being thrown back into my childhood and I quickly found out that the books are based on things I already knew. As a child I was told a lot of sagas and fairytales as goodnight-reading and I have also been thoroughly informing myself about, for instance, Nordic mythology and the Celtic myths. It felt like I was finding my inner Viking."

Viggo talking about filming Tolkien
"I found the Viking inside me"
translated by Majken
Ekstra Bladet
8 December 2001



[His] poetry works because Mortensen is Scandinavian (Danish father, American mother), says Manhire, "and there is this Scandinavian myth about how poetry is a mixture of blood and honey - his poetry has that mixture."

Bill Manhire, Victoria University, NZ
"I'm a poet" - Rings star Mortensen
by Josie McNaught
Sunday Star-Times 2003



...slowly his trailer starts to get all this character. It was the World Cup at the time, so he's a massive football fan, so all these flags started going in his trailer. He had a picture of the Queen of Denmark up. I was watching him from my trailer, "What's he doing today?" [Laughs] He's a very interesting guy.

Michael Fassbender on meeting Viggo
Michael Fassbender Explores A Dangerous Method with Movie Fanatic
by Joel D Amos
Moviefanatic.com
25 November 2011



"A Danish journalist once asked me what I would do if Denmark and Argentina were facing each other in a World Cup. I said I would make a shirt, half and half, from the two teams' colors. The following year a gentleman gave me one like that. I'll use it someday, and amuse myself by rooting for both teams."

People And Field
By Viggo Mortensen and Fabián Casas - translated by Ollie, Rio, Sage and Zoe
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro
30 July 2011



If you could go back in time, where would you go?

To the first Viking ship to land in North America.

Q&A: Viggo Mortensen
By Rosanna Greenstreet
The Guardian
2 January 2010
The Guardian

There is no Viggo performance clearly in the running in this year and you're missing it, aren't you? Snippets and rumours from all the Oscar prediction sites (which are now in Oscar Overdrive), the tension while we wonder if there be a nomination or not (and the joy we experienced with Eastern Promises), the quiet rage while one of cinema's best actors around turns in one of the best performances of the year, the critics love it, but everyone else ignores it. Yup, we don't really care if there is a gold statue gathering dust on one of Viggo's shelves or not and neither, really, does he. But I'm kind of missing all the speculation and excitement this year. So, in a long and indulgent Quotable, this is the reason why...



© Dimension Films/2929 Productions/
New Line Cinema/Focus Features


Philip Seymour Hoffman, certainly one of the great actors of our time, told us in a Venetian hallway of the Hotel Excelsior how he regarded Viggo Mortensen as one of the masters of the profession. A point of view that is totally shared.

Viggo Mortensen in the Shoes of Dr. Freud
By Nicolas Crousse
Le Soir ? translated by Dom
4 September 2011



A Dangerous Method

Fortunately, things improve a great deal once Freud arrrives. Mortensen (aided by probably the most significant nose prosthesis since Nicole Kidman's in "The Hours") is, as he so often is these days, tremendous, bringing a patrician wit and real pathos to the part?..Mortensen caps off a trilogy of perfect performances for Cronenberg (and is the film's best bet for award nods, we imagine).

Oliver Lyttelton
The Playlist
2 September 2011



The Road

In Viggo Mortensen, Hillcoat is working with one of the current cinema's great quiet everymen, and if anyone can make the novel's stolid, unnamed hero empathic and emotionally alive on screen whilst remaining loyal to the novel's aesthetic minimalism, it's this immensely physical, restrained performer. It's a masterstroke of casting that I hope connects with its on-paper potential: if it does, I can see Mortensen leading the film's awards trail.

Kris Tapley
InContention.com
August 2009



Mortensen's performance as the lead is simply unforgettable and a sure lock for an Oscar nomination.

Filmblogger
TheFilmBlogger.com
19 October 2009



Viggo Mortensen's performance is definitely Oscar-worthy and so is John Hillcoat's directing. Do yourself a favor, see this movie as soon as it becomes available. And be ready to cry, scream and enjoy yourself.

The Best Movies from Toronto Film Festival
Worstpreviews.com
13 September 2009



Viggo Mortensen delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as a man whose humanity and strength of will must outlast the end of civilization.

Peter Howell
Toronto Star
13 September 2009



Viggo Mortensen gives one of his most haunting and emotional performances in "The Road," the post-apocalyptic tale from the pen of the great American author, Cormac McCarthy, whose book "No Country for Old Men" deservedly won the 2007 Best Picture Oscar. It may be premature, but I think that Viggo Mortensen's work in this tough, relentlessly grim but ultimately humanistic picture should get a serious consideration comes Oscar time.

Emmanuel Levy
Interview with Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Contender
Emmanuellevy.com
3 September 2009



Viggo Mortensen has never been better than he is in The Road. He arguably gives the best male performance of the year, starving himself down to nothing, and finding the terror in his situation. This is something I've only seen another actor do once: Adrien Brody in The Pianist

Sasha Stone
Awards Daily
14 January 2010



The look in Viggo's eyes secures his nomination, I feel confident. It's going to take a lot of wry grins, curmudgeonly scowls, and other baked ham recipes for any other actor to match the depths this role fathoms.

Ryan Adams
Awards Daily
October 2009



Just look at how skinny and dirty Viggo is in the picture -- give that man an award, 30 seconds of acceptance speech time and a sandwich.

IFC.com comment about the publicity photos
19 August 2008



When I left the Sala de Proyección after seeing this marvel, I did it with the conviction that this film would be one of the Hollywood Academy's important options for this year's Oscars. But the nominations announced this week make no sense to me when faced with a handful of films that in all cases don't even come close to surpassing the merits of The Road. The ways of Hollywood are inscrutable, leaving a great Viggo Mortensen out of the running in an especially unjust way.

Javier Lacomba Tamarit talking about The Road
Il Multicine
2 February 2010



Appaloosa

In 2000, Ed Harris made his directorial debut with the fantastic Pollock. Hollywood pundits fawned over the film and the actor-turned-director ad nauseum. Strangely, his follow-up, the wonderful western, Appaloosa got largely lost in the shuffle. Even more irking, the always-strong Viggo Mortensen got little recognition for a nuanced supporting turn. With the moustache of the year (that should be an award), Mortensen turned a rather standard best-friend part into a quiet tour de force.

Oscar nominations 2009
Scott Taverner
martiniboys.com
January 2009



Mortensen's Oscar-class performance as Everett Hitch was masterful as a poetic yet fierce officer of the law.

Parimal M. Rohit
Buzzine.com
19 September 2008



Eastern Promises

It's a watershed role for Mortensen and, such is the commitment he offers, it's not too rash to compare his performance to Robert De Niro's Oscar-winning turn as the young Don Corleone in The Godfather Part II.

Eastern Promises
I've taken on too much...
by James Mottram, The Independent / UK.
23 October 2007



Here is my personal take on the Oscar-nominated performances I believe will survive the "test" of time:

As driver/hitman Nikolai Luzhin, Viggo Mortensen not only mastered the Russian accent and dare to bare much more than his soul. He immersed himself into the mind of this man born and raised in the former Soviet Union, a dark figure with more good to him than anyone around him can even imagine. Mortensen played Nikolai as a real person (living in a very raw London, thanks to David Cronenberg's direction) and his idealization of this character other actors have similarly played to over-the-top results in many crime stories is among the best in the genre, ever.

THE TOP 10 OPINIONS: PERFORMANCES THAT WON'T WIN OSCARS...
Johnny Alba
The Oscar Igloo
7 February 2008



...a piece of complete immersion that I'm convinced will be remembered as 2007's defining male performance....Any clip from the bath house scene would make the best darned Oscar clip ever.

Daniel Feinberg
zap2it.com
23 December 2007



Mortensen is one of the most diverse, least mannered but most overlooked actors working in Hollywood...

Emanuel Levy
emanuellevy.com
1 Sept 2007



Someone, nominate this man for an Oscar already!

Jason Turer
Cornell Daily Sun
14 Sept 2007



A History of Violence

'Viggo Mortensen probably gave the best performance I have seen in a motion picture in as long as I can remember in A History of Violence .... Bill Hurt got a nomination for a rather bizarre, overly done performance in that film, but Viggo Mortensen is probably the premier actor in the business.'

Dale Olson, publicist
Oscar, You Insensitive Lout
by Sara Vilkomerson, New York Observer,
February 2006



The beating pulse of the movie comes from Bello and Mortensen, both of whom are award worthy. Viggo might have had a haircut since his middle-earth days, but he's lost none of his power. Look into his eyes, you'll see his soul.

Paul Greenwood
Future Movies
29 September 2005



And finally, there is Viggo Mortensen. If anyone has ever been more perfectly cast than he is here as Tom Stall, I haven't seen the film.

Nathaniel Rogers
Film Experience
September 2005



Fantastic performance from Viggo Mortensen.....he is absolutely a brilliant actor, he is the Robert de Niro of his generation, the Marlon Brando of his generation, the man is a genius.

Mark Kermode
BBC Radio Five Live
30 September 2005



But - thank goodness for this...


"I would rather see San Lorenzo win the tournament than get an Oscar, definitely."

Viggo Mortensen
By Juan Cruz Sanchez Marino - translated by Graciela
GENTE
26 December 2008



Have you ever thought what you would say if you won an Oscar?

Thank you.

El Mundo Webchat With Viggo Mortensen
By - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El Mundo
21 November 2011

He acts, writes, takes photos, paints, makes music... but there is one impressive skill that has constantly been overlooked. He cooks. I mean ? really cooks. I confess that I have long had a private fantasy of Viggo fronting a cookery programme... I'd pay for the box set of that any day. On top of that he washes, irons and gardens and does the odd bit of manly needlework. That might just make him the perfect catch.



© New Line Cinema/Good Films/Hollywood Pictures/
Don Simpson & Jerry Bruckheimer Films


This myth of the poor lonesome cowboy, the guy who has no need of others to be happy, is it really a trick to attract women?

On the contrary! Each time I have tried to charm them with my poetic cowboy side, it's ended in total failure. To seduce a woman, food is more effective than poetry. I love to make complex dishes. That always works!

Viggo Mortensen
Grazia Magazine
Translated by Chrissiejane
December 2009



Football is close to the artist's heart, he plays a bit himself. Besides that he writes poems, plays jazz music and paints. According to himself, he cooks well - and willingly does the dishes afterwards.

"Some might say I am a better cook than I am a painter," says Mortensen and laughs out loud.

"But that does not make it forbidden to enjoy it," the star jokes.

From Movies To Photos
By Jette Hansen - translated by Rosen
Morgenavisen, Jyllands-Posten
19 October 2008



...when it came his turn to enjoy an executive producer's morale-buffing dinner invitation for cast members, the producer, Mark Ordesky, never got a chance to reach for his wallet.

"When I called Viggo, he said, 'Pick me up at 8,' " New Line Cinema's Ordesky recalls. "I get there and he cooks. He's a Renaissance man. He paints, he acts, he writes poetry, you could bounce a quarter off of him and he cooks the way our mothers cook -- from scratch."

Valiant Effort: A Late Substitution, Viggo Mortensen Dived into Rings.
By Irene Lacher
LA Times
21 December 2002



"I love to cook," he admits. "When we did Lord of the Rings, I'd help cook these big Thanksgiving feasts on the set."

The Renaissance Man adds, "I do all the trimmings plus even make pies."

Viggo Starring In Different Sort Of Psychological Thriller
By Cindy Pearlman
Chicago Sun-Times
8 December 2011



'Madrid is very pretty to walk in; it doesn't have the ocean, but it's very beautiful. I also like to cook like they do in Spain, chatting with friends and eating slowly. I might make some shrimp with garlic.'

Viggo Mortensen
The Dark Side Of The Hero
By Walder & Castro - translated by Graciela, Remolina and Zooey
Marie Claire (Spain)
June 2009



'[Henry] likes to cook, and I miss his cooking. I like to cook too. I'm a bit frantic in the kitchen though. I'm calm while I'm doing it, but I'm pretty restless in that regard.'

Viggo Mortensen
Play It As It Lays
By Philip Berk
Filmink
April 2009



He is wearing a gray San Lorenzo goalkeeper's soccer shirt, and he throws a cigarette butt into the embers. Viggo Mortensen, 49, now has a needle in his hand and he starts sewing his red and blue flag, which suffered a passionate tear in the victory against Lanus: "I like to sew it myself."

A Trip With Viggo Mortensen Through The Heart Of The Province
By Robustiano Pinedo - translated by Graciela
El Tribuno Salta
14 May 2007



'Who knows, perhaps it was because [Viggo] washed and repaired Aragorn's clothes himself that he so perfectly came to inhabit them-to a point, indeed, where the costume seemed almost to blend with his body. [pause] You know, I really do think that particular costume is incredibly beautiful. It seems funny, perhaps, to talk about something that is so worn and broken down, so darned and patched, as being beautiful-but it is to me.'

Ngila Dickson
The Making of the Movie Trilogy



I understand that you're very neat.

Well, I'm very messy in a lot of ways, but there are two things I always do: wash my clothes and wash my dishes, and even though everything might be messy, it's clean.

Like David Beckham.

He must be neater than I am. Do I look like a disaster? The truth is that I wash everything all the time.

Viggo Mortensen: "When Mourinho speaks, you don't know if he's calculating or crazy."
By Gloria Scola ? translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
ABC.es
5 September 2011



Do you have a cleaning lady?

No, I do that all by myself. I don't even own a dishwasher. If you wash off plates and cups by hand, it has something meditative. It's like that with the fishing. The spirit is directed toward an action, one relaxes and begins to perceive things at the edge of view.

To do the Dishes has Something Meditative
Celebrity
14 April 2007



'I even vacuum...'

Viggo Mortensen
"It was a big, brutal mess"
By Leif Kramp - translated by Doreen
Kino
9 May 2007



"I like to write and paint and make music and go walking on my own and garden. In fact, gardening is probably what I enjoy doing more than anything else."

Really? Anything else?

He looks at me, his gaze is quite level. "I like gardening a lot."

Viggo Mortensen on 'A Dangerous Method'
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012

A recent review of Todos Tenemos Un Plan describes Viggo as 'innovative' and its certainly true that the one consistent thing about his work is that he likes new challenges. He has never settled into the 'safe' career that a lot of actors stick to. For Viggo it comes down to finding good stories and fresh experiences, working in new environments and often with first time directors.



©Haddock Films/Image Andrés de Gabriel/Teatro Español/Propaganda Films/
LME/Good Films/20th Century Fox Espana


It should seem somewhat moot to describe a man, who has had a film career run nearly three decades, as innovative but his last four films have made audiences aware just how multi-faceted he can be. Here, although they do not share the screen together for very long, he actually manages to suggest a real sense of individualism between Pedro and Agustín and, throughout, a manner of acting that relies upon physicality rather than the spoken word; few actors can emote so strongly and evidently.

Hel Jones
Eat Sleep Live Film
26 October 2012



?arguably the most unconventional, maverick A-list actor around.

Five Things We Learned In Toronto From The 'A Dangerous Method' Star
Oliver Lyttelton
The Playlist
14 September 2011



"I've always sensed that I'd be insulting him a little bit if I called him a movie star," Johnston says. "If he chose to be a movie star, he could've done it a long time ago. . . . He's in control. That's the bottom line. He's not waiting for someone to say, 'Hey, you've made it.' He'll decide when he's made it."

Joe Johnston
A Man of Many Parts
Teresa Wiltz
Washington Post, 2004



Having discussed the idea of directors becoming less interesting because of 'staying safe' strategies, it was wondered aloud whether some actors might have the same problem. "As you get older you get tired and it takes a lot to challenge yourself. But then it can be invigorating, probably rejuvenating," says Mortensen, enthusiastically.

Viggo's round-table at the Freud Museum
by Lucy Wiles
Felix Films
10 February 2012



Sometimes, during rehearsals, I have thought that I've been an idiot to get into this theatrical challenge, but then the doubt, the insecurity go away and I keep enjoying what I´m learning from my colleague Carme Elías, and from our director, Josep María Mestres. Ariel Dorfman´s script is demanding, but it´s full of little gifts that keep coming to you to the extent that you are deciphering the text and physically absorbing it.

Viggo Mortensen: "Sometimes I have thought that I´ve been an idiot to get into this theatrical challenge"
By Liz Perales - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El Cultural
31 October 2011



In a world of paste reproductions Viggo Mortensen is a rare gem of creative energy. His work as an actor goes far beyond the normal level of effort exerted by a conventional leading man which results in his performances being elevated into works of art as unique as his poems and pictures.

Viggo Mortensen: An Artist For All Seasons
By Richard Marcus
BNN Blogger News Network
6 May 2005



'Many actors tend to think of their work in terms of career - this strange sort of concept that acting is like climbing up a mountain, that they get bigger with each job - and art doesn't move like that. Viggo knows that instinctively.'

Philip Ridley
Super Natural
By Anna David
Daily Telegraph 2002



Trying to describe his movie career is like finding your way in a Middle-eastern medina.

Soon you think you're on the right way - only to end up in a dead end of spices and camel-mongers. The Danish-American has had his breakthrough in a - for an actor - mature age. As Los Angeles Times found out with a shake on the head: 'He was not less than 40 years old, before he got his own website'.

Viggo from Hollywood
by Poul Hoi
M/S (Danish magazine), 2001



'.... because he's capable of far more astute and profound judgements than most of the people he's around, I think there's a banality of mind in this industry that a man like Viggo would sort of despair of."

John Rhys-Davies
Viggo Trip
by Liane Bonin
Flaunt magazine #39, 2002



"To find a good story, you're generally going to find it in independent or lower budget movies? I wouldn't mind doing a big budget movie if it had a great story."

Viggo Mortensen
Five Things We Learned In Toronto From The 'A Dangerous Method' Star
Oliver Lyttelton
The Playlist
14 September 2011



Does saying no in Hollywood have a price?

Yes, of course there´s a price. People forget you quickly. They still offer me things from there, but one´s profile lasts less than you'd think. You are fashionable. Like clothes, like music. If you´re not active and don´t do interviews, you disappear.

"They brand me as a traitor, a communist"
By Juan Manuel Dominguez - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Perfil
26 August 2012



He never had Champagne dreams and caviar wishes?

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



"For me, there was no doubt that Mortensen was going to have great career after the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings. But he didn't wait for this saga to be excellent, he always made very good career choices, he always took very interesting options. Personally, I find him excellent in The Indian Runner. He is very fastidious in his choices and it is totally apparent in his roles, in a way that I admire. He has a work philosophy close to mine. He is a bit like a big brother. So, his course does not surprise me, I am proud of Viggo, proud also that he is such an accomplice to a director of the talent of David Cronenberg. I wish only one thing for Viggo: that he continues to cut a path in this medium, because the medium needs actors of his caliber, who make films of course, for the public, but also for themselves, their own personal enlightening."

Elijah Wood on Viggo Mortensen
By Clément Cuyer, Allocine
14 novembre 2007



''..if you asked my agent or somebody about why I'm doing these sort of movies, or going off to do a play or something, they'd say 'Well, I dunno, I think he has a death wish or something'.

''Career suicide,'' he says with a laugh.

''I don't really know. I think life is short and while I have the chance to do good stories, I'm gonna do 'em.''

Viggo on doing Good and Alatriste
Viggo Mortensen on his new film Good
Neala Johnson
Herald Sun
8 April 2009

Everyone on the set of Two faces of January must, by now, be experiencing The Viggo Effect so this week I have a mixed bunch of comments about Viggo which all reveal a little about what it must be like to work on a film with him ? a heady mix of fun, intellectual challenge, inspiration, chocolate, a pinch of craziness and, of course, gift giving!



Image Jack English.
© StudioCanal.


"I was nervous about improvising with Viggo because he is particularly well read, and a poet himself. The night before our scene, I was Wikipedia-ing as much information as I could about writers. I was worried that he might say something in the middle of our scene, like: 'What do you think of the Übermensch?'"

Sam Riley
Sam Riley Hits the Road
By Lanie Goodman
Wall Street Journal
4 October 2012



"He's an unbelievable man. He brings chocolates to the set, expensive haute cuisine chocolates, and he hands it out in plastic bags. He writes music and he's painting and doing poems; you feel pathetic around him."

Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs Loved Working With Chocolate Man Mortensen
ContactMusic.com
1 March 2012



"He's definitely a caretaker, which is a really beautiful quality, and a man of many passions ? poetry, photography, books.... I arrived on set and there was a library in my trailer."

Charlize Theron
Beautiful Dreamer
By Holly Millea
Elle (U.S.)
October 2009



"There was little glamour about the shoot, least of all the scenes where Mortensen runs naked into the freezing sea. "The insurance company told him not to do it," smiles Penhall, "but he's mad as a snake."

Joe Penhall, novel adaptor
The Ultimate Road Movie
By Nick Roggick
London Evening Standard
4 September 2009



"He did things on the horse that the stunt man had difficulty doing. He fell off the horse, he rode bareback, he jumped on the horse at a gallop, which is difficult to do, and he you know, he fell off a few times and he got knocked down and he got kicked a few times, but you know, he also got right back up and wanted to do it again. I think he knew that if there was anything that was really life-threatening, he would come forward and say, 'I don't feel comfortable doing this.' But he never did."

Joe Johnston
IGN gets the behind-the-action goods from the director, writer and star of Hidalgo.
By Jeff Otto, IGN
March 04, 2004



But as far as working with Viggo and Kodi, you know, I've had a few leads in indies since I worked on "The Road," and it's become an adjective when you do something: to "Viggo up." The guy is a mule -- he seems tireless. But he's kind and focused too.

Garett Dillahunt
By Paul Gaita
The Envelope
17 December 2009



"Viggo's an artist," said a movie exec and Mortensen fan during the Toronto fest. The way he said it underlined "artist."

Naked Viggo Mortensen: artist at work
By Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post Film Critic
September 2007



"He wanted to eat a real locust," Johnston says. "The locust he eats is made out of sugar. He said, 'You know, I can eat a live one.' I said, 'Let's eat all the fake ones first. If we run out, you can eat a live one.' "

Joe Johnston on filming Hidalgo
A Man of Many Parts
Teresa Wiltz
Washington Post, 2004



"When he knew about my big childhood fondness for Sugus sweets, one day I found on the floor of my dressing room the shape of my name all made out with sugus."

Unax Ugalde
The Court of Alatriste
By Rocío García, El País Semanal, 6 August 2006
Translated for V-W by Paddy



"It was a show of its own to see Viggo Mortensen, because he is such a perfectionist in his acting". Anyway, he said that the actor, "like all the great ones, is a bit crazy, and during the shooting Viggo believed he was Alatriste, and when he wasn't shooting, he still kept his sword and hat. I think he still believes he is Alatriste."

Pérez-Reverte
"En España no hay suficientes actores jóvenes buenos para rodar 'Alatriste"
By L.M.-L. Alatriste conference in Murcia
El Faro de Murcia



"?with Viggo you don't just get a violin, you get a whole symphony orchestra."

David Cronenberg
RT talks Eastern Promises
By Sara Schieron, Rotten Tomatoes
12 September 2007



"It became a classic Viggo issue. He was really upset,' Cronenberg recalls, remembering how the posters were promptly changed to reflect reality. "He's not afraid of what he is.'

Cronenberg on the airbrushing of Viggo's scar out of the posters.
Eats Roadkill, Speaks Danish, by Amy Wallace
Esquire magazine
March 2006



"It's funny: you look back on these things 10 years later and ask yourself, 'Who had a major impact on me?' As an actor, it was Viggo. I was unpacking a load of boxes recently, recounting old memories, and I remembered how lucky I was that he was around me at that time."

Orlando Bloom
April 2011
Shortlist.com

With two films now on general release there have been a plethora of reviews to plough through on the Todos Tenemos un Plan and On the Road threads. To make things easier, I've gathered together snippets of the best of them to show that, amongst some mixed responses to the films, Viggo's performances in both have received a lot of praise.



Image Gregory Smith.
© MK2 Productions.


On The Road


...but it's Viggo Mortensen who steals not only his scenes but the film, with a brilliantly unhinged performance as Old Bull Lee, Kerouac's pseudonym for writer William Burroughs.

Sophie Mayer
BFI.org
12 October 2012



Show- stealer Viggo Mortensen channels William Burroughs with relish.

Tara Brady
The Irish Times
12 October 2012



The supporting cast is tremendous: Kristen Stewart's restless child-bride, Viggo Mortensen's Burroughs surrogate and Kirsten Dunst's trapped Camille all make vivid impressions, as does Tom Sturridge's funny, lonely Carlo (the Ginsberg figure).

Tim Robey
The Telegraph
11 October 2012



The encounters with Old Bull (Viggo Mortensen) provide some of the most enjoyable moments where a faint echo of Kerouac's typewriter can be heard invoking the spirit of a generation in search of life that both embraced and defied the American dream.

Joe Walsh
Cine Vue
10 October 2012



Amongst the colourful characters encountered during the trio's several journeys is the William Burroughs-inspired, morphine-addicted Old Bull Lee (a gleefully entertaining performance from Viggo Mortensen) and his brittle wife (Amy Adams) who will all be immortalised in the thinly disguised fiction Sal will ultimately write.

Mark Naglazas
West Australian
29 September 2012



Viggo Mortensen's trigger-happy junkie Old Bull Lee (aka William Burroughs) is another high.

James Mottram
Total Film
2 October 2012



Supporting characters stun: Viggo Mortensen giving his usual all and total depth to a few minor scenes, Amy Adams coming a little unhinged, Kirsten Dunst breaking your heart.

Fred Topal
Crave online
7 September 2012



Even though the Beats were expert at perpetuating their own PR (so much of their work is about how great they all are) they were, you know, just guys. Young guys who thought they knew a lot more about life than they actually did. (That is, except for the spaced-out sage William Burroughs, played for marvelous laughs in quick scenes by Viggo Mortensen).

Jordan Hoffman
Film.com
7 September 2012




Image John Harris.
© 20th Century Fox/Haddock Films.


Todos Tenemos un Plan

Mortensen quietly piles desperation atop desperation here, his eyes showing that part of Agustín realizes how unlikely it is he'll convince neighbors and colleagues he's the man they've known for years.

John DeFore
The Hollywood Reporter
11 September 2012



Viggo Mortensen's trademark quiet strength and enigmatic stillness works to impressive effect in Ana Piterbarg's moody and evocative drama Everybody Has A Plan (Todos Tenemos Un Plan), largely set against backdrop of Argentina's tough and isolated the Tigre Delta, a labyrinthine tangle of islands and waterways which has its own codes and sense of justice....

Mark Adams
Screen Daily
13 September 2012



Agustín/Pedro is really a third main character to whom Mortensen offers that mask of ambiguity and fear that was so much required by the script....Technically the film gets 10 points ? with great art direction ? and Mortensen, who has given his all, is supported by Fanego with another great performance (remember ¡Atraco!).

I Know That You Know I Know
By Pablo O. Scholz - translated by Zoe
Clarin
29 August 2012



The film's narrative has a very fluid rhythm, and Bonelli´s cinematography is remarkable and key to building an atmosphere of suspense. Viggo Mortensen plays the brothers, each with their vocabulary, personality, and the circumstances in life in which they find themselves. He gets into their skin and succeeds in conveying credibility through his acting.

By Elena Marina D'Aquila
A Sala Llena
28th August 2012



Mortensen faces a deadly triple flip: to play a character, his brother and the version of Pedro that Agustín adopts in order not to set off the alarms of those who knew the real one. In that transition, please, someone point out which emotion is not out of range. Well, the actor nails them all. Even to the point of turning an impossible, farfetched situation into something as human and real as the news of incidents in any newspaper. In fact, the really surprising thing is that Todos tenemos un plan is not based on one of them.

Viggo Mortensen frees his evil, Argentinian twin
By Manuel Piñón - translated by Zoe
Cinemania
7 September 2012



With nature as the great protagonist of the film, Piterbarg constructs a plot that oscillates between a thriller and a love story, between friendship and hatred, between reason and the irrational.

And in the midst of all this, moves Viggo Mortensen, who plays two roles, two twin brothers, endowing each one with an opposing character but an absolutely identical depth.

Alicia García de Francisco - translated by Zoe
La Informacion
6 September 2012



There's no denying Viggo Mortensen's total intensity and rawness as an actor, in The Road, The Lord of the Rings, and as a muse in David Cronenberg's A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, and last year's A Dangerous Method, as a chatty, heady Freud. In Everybody Has A Plan, his fourth Spanish-language film (who knew?), helmed by Argentinean first-time feature writer-director Ana Piterbarg, the handsome blue-eyed actor wraps his arms around a dark, gritty role worthy of Cronenberg: identical twins.

Solvej Schou
Entertainment Weekly
10 September 2012



Viggo plays twin brothers and, like every roll he takes, commits to it completely. There are only two scenes in which the brothers interact, and while movie magic makes it seamless it is Viggo who makes it real.

Angelina
The Roaming Life Blog
10 September 2012

I've been working in the centre of London for most of this week and, fun as it's been, all I could think about was the fact that I'd rather be somewhere with open fields and more trees. Nature is a great restorative and we all know that Viggo is happy surrounded by it, even sitting 'on top of the most uncomfortable rock in the world.' Not only does it relieve stress, it inspires him, teaches him and brings about a deep connection with life.



© New Line Productions Inc.


'Mother Nature is the first school. She makes you wise if you watch her.'

Viggo Mortensen
A Multi-talented Hero
Dominical, by J. A. - translated for V-W by NacidaLibre
27 August 2006



"I have never been in a natural place and felt that that was a waste of time. I never have. And it's a relief. If I'm walking around a desert or whatever, every second is worthwhile."

Viggo Mortensen
The Brain Dane
By Ariel Leve
The Sunday Times, 2003



"I am a loner who flees from stress, I feel good living close to nature, living with the same rhythm as animals and weather, no pressure, no constraints, no deadlines. I write poems, I paint, I read, I phone my friends, I plunge into thought and all of a sudden without my having seen the hours go by, night falls?"

Viggo Mortensen, Beautiful Savage
Richard Gianorio
Le Figaro
26 September 2008



'When I'm out in nature it can be an inspiration. If I am going through a rough period, if I just go out for a walk, on some level everything is all right because I'm here, do you know what I mean? That's my way of dealing with stress.'

Viggo Mortensen: "It's my nature to do a lot"
By covermg.com
10 July 2012



"I like to go to new places and, above all, in spaces in the middle of nature, whether it's sea or mountains. It soothes me. Even if it rains, even in bad weather, even if I'm on top of the most uncomfortable rock in the world. I feel happy in that setting."

Viggo Mortensen - Passage To Hell
By Ruben Romero - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zooey
On Madrid - El Pais
5 February 2010



At the end of a day of filming in the desert, the crew would pack up for the two-hour drive back to the hotel. Mortensen, however, would stay behind and sleep in the sand dunes, the rare Hollywood actor who is happiest when alone with a book, his thoughts and the stars in the sky.

Viggo filming Hidalgo
Hot Actor - Viggo Mortensen
By G. E.
Rolling Stone
September 2003



"Watching the dedication of Viggo Mortensen is really inspiring. He is Aragorn. One time I wanted to film the sunrise and sunset for a Fellowship scene. Viggo said, "I'll just camp out," and pretty soon, we had everyone there--the makeup crew, Orlando Bloom and other cast members who weren't in the shot, like Miranda Otto and Bernard Hill. We made a big fire, camped out, filmed our early sunrise shot and went fishing. It was great!"

Barrie Osborne
Source Unknown
2003



"A change of light, a sunset, a sunrise. Things you may never see again. You grasp those moments. You don't see a bear in the wild and walk on, thinking: Oh, I'll see another bear. You just wait and watch."

Viggo Mortensen
Sympathy for the devil
By Chrissy Iley
The Observer
19 April 2009



'...when you are wandering in a hardwood or in the mountains or stand in a big, cold, mirroring lake, fishing. Then you are close to being happy - and what more can a man want.'

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo from Hollywood
By Poul Hoi
M/S (Danish magazine)
August 2001



"Every tree is something special, just like people are. All different, but... I look at them as I look at people. I get along well with most trees. I don't get into arguments with them, and if I do it's probably my own fault. If I don't watch where I'm going when I'm in the forest, it comes back and smacks me in the nose, and I only have myself to blame."

RUV Interview
Skovbo Exhibition, Iceland
Translated by Mums
30 May 2008



"Even though many people seem to be not interested in art or in things like nature or life itself, we must force ourselves to remember, we must force ourselves to be deep in life."

Viggo Mortensen, The Photographer Of Dreams
By Giovanni Valerio - translated by Cindalea
Panorama First
July 2008



"I wrote [the poem Chaco] while thinking about my childhood, the mental and physical strength children have: the daring, the innocent courage, the absence of prejudice, the visceral connection with nature, with the environment that surrounded me, which seemed to threaten me and embrace me,"

Viggo Mortensen
The Hidden Side of Viggo Mortensen
Fernanda Nicolini
Diario Crítica de la Argentina.
Translated by Graciela, Remolina, Sage and Zooey
1 July 2009



When I ask him where he'd like to be if the end was near, Mortensen briefly waxes poetic.

"My first impulse is to say I want to be in nature," Mortensen says. "By the sea, on a mountain, in the woods. But on second thought, it doesn't really matter where you are ? it's how you are."

Viggo Mortensen travels the 'Road' not taken
By Joe Williams
STL Today
22 November 2009



'The consequences of human interference with Nature speak for themselves, and so do trees. We just need to listen a little more. God Fornojeise!'

Skovbo Exhibition Brochure
May/June 2008

With Todos Tenemos Un Plan and On the Road now running around the Festival and cinema circuit, and Two Faces of January approaching the starting blocks (I've been watching too much Olympics...) I thought that this week I'd do another round-up of Viggo's comments on acting. Amongst other gems, there are some insights into how he started 'pretending to be someone else', what inspires him, thoughts on blockbusters and how best to prepare for a role.



© TeleShow/Infobae.


"There aren't that many good scripts, and as long as I find work and don't lack money, I'm never going to make a film, not in Argentina, or in Poland, not anywhere, if I don't like the story."

Viggo Mortensen
Soledad Villamil - Viggo Mortensen: Brothers In Arms
By Nazareno Brega - translated by Ollie and Zoe
Clarin
29 August 2012



His contempt for actors who engage in superfluous acts of self-promotion? extends to actors who appear in dopey blockbuster movies, just for the paycheck. "Sometimes you look at a movie and you can see that the actor or actress said, 'I'm taking this onboard because I'm making a ton of money, and not because it's going to be something special,' " he said, sounding scandalized.

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



"Every film capable of "seducing" me, as it had already happened with On the Road, represents a stage in my development as an actor", says the actor. "But also as writer, painter, editor, poet and photographer. Although I can no longer separate my interests one from the other."

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen: Interpreting the soul of Freud
By Giovanna Grassi
Sette Magazine ? translated by Ollie



"Acting is something that when it goes well it's the easiest and most enjoyable job you could imagine. But when it doesn't go well it's embarrassing and terrible and there's no way to solve a problem when you're in the middle of shooting a film."

Viggo Mortensen: "It's my nature to do a lot"
By covermg.com
10 July 2012



"People talk about Method actors, meaning someone that's prepared very, very well, or whatever they mean when they talk about it. But the right method is whatever works for you. And what works for me on any given day is going to be different. It's going to depend on things like, does the director, or do the other people involved, want to rehearse? Do they believe in rehearsing? How do they rehearse? Do they like to improvise or not? How do they want to shoot the scene? Is it all one master, or is it bits and pieces? What kind of character am I playing? Does he talk a lot, or does he not talk much? Do people speak quickly? There are so many factors. If you have only one way of doing it, you're selling yourself short and depriving yourself of a fuller experience, and possibly of delivering better work to the director, to use as raw material in building a story."

Viggo Mortensen
Tasha Robinson
The Onion, 2004



"If I've learned anything these past years it's that everyone is in some way your superior. Every movie I've made has confirmed the fact that this is a team sport."

AFI Fest: Viggo and The Road
The Bloggomist: The Local Boy
Evil Monito Magazine
17 November 2009



"When I saw Death in Venice, by Visconti, I had a big shock. It is one of the movies that has really inspired me. I saw it again recently, it's a little dated, especially the flashbacks, but still ... That mixture of beauty and sadness ... And also the performance of Dirk Bogarde is so extraordinary! Its impact on me has been enormous."

Viggo Mortensen: The Soul of a Warrior
By Juliette Michaud
Studio Magazine
December 2002



Mortensen?.never had any overwhelming desire to jump into anyone else's skin. Instead, he drifted into it ? prompted, in part, by an experience he had in Denmark when he was 21.

"When I was a volunteer at the Winter Olympics, I met this woman who asked me if I would go and look after her elderly parents in Sweden for three weeks. They were in their nineties, and they lived miles from anywhere. It was one of the strangest experiences of my life. Every morning, the old man would write a letter to the king explaining why he couldn't pay his taxes. The wife was obsessed with Björn Borg and with playing bridge. She would insist that I play with her, even though I had no idea of the rules. Also, you need four people to play bridge, of course.

"Every night we would sit down and pretend to play. We had imaginary partners and she would deal out the hands. I never had any idea of what I was meant to do, none at all. It was totally crazy, but it was one of the first times I had to try to pretend to be someone else and in an odd sort of way I found it fulfilling."

Viggo Mortensen
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012



'I've never been offered comedy and don't know why. But sometimes I subtly slip ironic touches into my roles.'

Viggo Mortensen
A Multi-talented Hero
Dominical, by J. A. - translated for V-W by NacidaLibre
27 August 2006



"I am an old romantic, and I love costume movies. Elizabeth is my favourite."

A Latin Man Comes From The North
By Riccardo Romani - translated by Cindalea
GQ (Italy),May 2007



"Dreams about becoming famous wasn't what got me into acting to begin with, but the dream about telling stories."

Dreaming About Telling Stories
By Einar Fal Ingolfsson - translated by Rosen and Ragga
Morgunblaðið
29 May 2008



"I'm glad when people like the work I've done and a little recognition is not a bad thing. The only problem is when you're recognized a lot. Then you can't sit at a table or walk down the street without people looking at you. I want to be the one looking at people. That's my research. I live to be a fly on the wall, soaking up everything and anything."

Superstar Viggo's a serious soul at heart
by Cindy Pearlman,
Chicago Sun Times
9 Sept 2007



Have you ever thought what you would say if you won an Oscar?

Thank you.

El Mundo Webchat With Viggo Mortensen
By - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El Mundo
21 November 2011

Last week I said it would be a very long Quotable if I hadn't confined myself to fellow actors who have been Viggo-tized. Well ? everyone loved it so much that this week I thought I'd pull together some of the quotes from everyone else. Some are oldies but goodies and as I never tire of reading them I'm sure you will enjoy them again, too.



© New Line Productions Inc.


'People say that all the time, but with Viggo, it's really true. And all that stuff they say about him - "No-Ego Viggo,' "he's not a star, he's an actor,' - that is so true. He's such a class act.'

John Fusco
Viggo, Ego and Hidalgo
By Brett Buckalew
FilmStew.com, 2004



'Viggo has that dark, mysterious, quiet-man quality. He's also very intelligent and private. A lot of people have said these movies are going to make Viggo a big star. I nod and smile, knowing that being a big star is the last thing in the world that Viggo wants. He's completely unimpressed and disinterested in that world. I think he'd prefer to stay home and paint, write his poetry, and enjoy himself rather than play the Hollywood game. That's an aspect of him that I respect a lot.'

Peter Jackson
Movieline Magazine



"For me, Viggo is one of the heroes of the film and a personal hero, in that he's a great friend and someone I admire in his approach to making the film.'

Barrie Osborne (LotR Producer)
Viggo Mortensen
by Desmond Sampson
Pavement #62, 2003



'Viggo is one of the pillars supporting The Road. I´d say he is everything. I have seldom seen an actor so dedicated, so ambitious and so ready for his work. Mortensen immersed himself in the project to the extent of giving all. He placed inconceivable demands on himself. After every take he would look me in the eyes and say: Have we got it? He's been a lesson in professionalism and comradeship.'

Javier Aguirresarobe (cinematographer)
On the Road with Javier Aguirresarobe
by Blanca J de la Hoz
Fotogramas
February 2010



Mortensen ? an intriguing man, serene and philosophical ? spoke during our interview with such tender sincerity about the two characters and their unremitting and inexpressibly vital bond that it seems clear that he has invested a large but vulnerable part of his soul into his performance. I don't care that this sounds indulgent because there is something about this film, this novel, something so pure, so intrinsically human that forces one to shove aside smart-arsed scepticism and just marvel ? humbled ? at so crucial and compelling a message.

Dan Hollis
PureMovies.co.uk
May 2010



When the world goes boom, I want Viggo Mortensen to be my dad.

Marshall Fine
Huffington Post
24 November 2009



Getting to know him has been a gift from life. During the shooting of Alatriste, he behaved like a true gentleman; he not only made the movie, but he also did many more things. He is a 100% professional, a superb actor.

Agustín Díaz Yanes
Portrait - A Good Friend
By Agustín Díaz Yanes - translated for V-W by Graciela
El Mundo
20 November 2009



He doesn't need to wield a sword to be recognized. For those who can see beyond that, his personality stands out from the rest with no need of spotlights. He has his own light.

Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno
Reunion with Alatriste in Uclés
Diario de León
by Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno - translated by Paddy
26 June 2005



'I especially enjoyed working with our cast, particularly Viggo and Ryo, both of whom I hope to someday get a chance to work with again if the Fates should allow it. I didn't need Lord of the Rings to know Viggo was a prince.'

Richard Clabaugh, Cinematographer for American Yakuza
www.rclabaugh.com



'Viggo is one of the few people I've worked with who, I feel, is a true kindred spirit. From the moment we first met - when I was casting The Reflecting Skin in Los Angeles - it was as if we'd known each other all our lives.'

Philip Ridley at the Tokyo International Film Festival
From "The American Dreams: Two Screenplays by Philip Ridley'
Methuen 1997



'He's never different,' the guitarist says. There's a long silence. 'He doesn't seem like he belongs in this time.'

Buckethead on Viggo
Eats Roadkill, Speaks Danish, by Amy Wallace
Esquire magazine
March 2006



Q: Aren't you scared to work with an actor like Viggo?

A: Of course, I'm scared. I'm anxious. I'm looking forward to it. I'd love to start it right now.

Vicente Amorim (Director)
Rede CBN radio interview
3 June 2006
Translated by Claudia



"He's... completely devoted to the project. He was always there. We worked him a lot more than we should have. He never complained, and he was there dawn to dusk and beyond. He's largely responsible for making that whole aspect of this really work. He's really amazing."

Joe Johnston
IGN gets the behind-the-action goods from the director, writer and star of Hidalgo.
By Jeff Otto, IGN
March 04, 2004



"I love Viggo - it really is a collaboration," Cronenberg says. "It's like a marriage. You might see two people together and not understand why they are, but they know. We know. We feel we can get the best out of each other."

Viggo's 'Promises'
By Sara Stewart
New York Post
26 Aug 2007



'Viggo! Viggo! I chant in my head, my heart racing faster, fever burning, face flushed with anticipation. Then it dawns on me. I'm a freakin' journalist, for Chrissakes?

Viggo, we love you, yeah yeah yeah
By Michelle Devereaux
Totonto International Film Festival
September 2006



When rumour had it that Captain Alatriste had returned, even the roe deer of Vegarada rushed to receive him. And the young ladies from the place, being dressed in all their finery, intoned that famous Leonese "jota"(tr. note: popular Spanish dance and music): "Even the ends of my petticoat/ are telling you/ do not leave. Do not leave/ stay here/ even the ends of my apron.'

Viggo returning to Leon after filming
Reunion with Alatriste in Uclés
Diario de León, by Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno - translated by Paddy
26 June 2005



"Oh wow. It's Viggo," says the "Dorian Gray" star. The observation was understated -- no hoots, hollers or autograph mania here. But the surprise was unmistakable as a publicist escorted the handsome British star down a corridor at Toronto's Intercontinental Hotel.

"You sound impressed," the woman comments, hurrying the 28-year-old actor off to another interview.

"Sure I'm impressed," Barnes smiles broadly. "That's Viggo Mortensen!"

Ben Barnes spots Viggo at Toronto
Constance Droganes
CTV.ca
12 September 2009

This week we had a lovely quote from Karl Urban who still considers Viggo the person he's learnt most from working with, even though Lord of the Rings finished a decade ago. He's clearly been Viggo-tized and he's not the only one. This is a long Quotable, and it would have been even longer if I hadn't confined myself to just fellow actors. Even then I've probably left out 30 more I could have used. Maybe it's all the chocolates he plies everyone with...



© New Line Productions Inc.


Who have you learnt the most from working with?

Viggo Mortensen, in terms of he way he approaches a scene, his commitment to the people he's working with and his follow-through in support of the film that he's made.

Karl Urban: I had 14 weeks of intense training to get fit for Dredd
By Andrew Williams
Metro
7 September 2012



'Come on, we've all been Viggo-tized before. He has that charisma, he has a swagger. He's a great dude.'

Michael K Williams
'Wire' Hero Michael K. Williams Loved Getting 'Viggo-tized' on 'The Road'
Popeater.com
Bryan Alexander
19 November 2009



'I find peace in Viggo´s eyes. Confronted with the giddiness of the text, you can take risks with him, walk the tightrope.'

Carme Elías
Viggo Mortensen And Forgiveness
By Ulises Fuente - translated by Ollie and Rio
La Razón
1 November 2011



'Viggo Mortensen -- he is the most beautiful man in the world! He is! He's just like, wow! He's such a special dude.'

Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender, future superstar
By Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com
8 March 2011



'Viggo made such a point of wanting me to know that I was going to be completely supported. He?s definitely a caretaker, which is a really beautiful quality, and a man of many passions: poetry, photography, books.... I arrived on set and there was a library in my trailer.'

Charlize Theron
Beautiful Dreamer
By Holly Millea
Elle (U.S.)
October 2009



'Viggo's a real artist. He cares about what speaks to him. He doesn't care about how much he's paid, doesn't care where he lives, doesn't care how nice the hotel is. He's a horse. I feel like he could go all day, work all day and he's polite and creative and generous. That made it easy. Not only is he physically gifted, he's graceful and tough.'

Garret Dillahunt
Fred Topel
CraveOnline
20 March 2009



"I just really enjoyed working with him. He's a really decent guy, a wonderful actor, a great-looking actor. I thought the two of us could capture this kind of unspoken love, appreciation that these guys have for each other. And his sense of humor. He's got kind of a weird sense of humor I like."

Ed Harris
Mortensen Packs a Big Gun
By David Germain
Associated Press
17 September 2008



"He's a really beautiful, delicate artist of a man. He's nothing like any other actor I've worked with."

Jason Issacs
Good premier, Toronto
7 September 2008



"...when you act with him in a scene, even when his part is done, he stays close to the camera in order to help you. We function very differently, especially in the way we channel our energy. He is always calm, and speaks softly. I have a more brutal side. I learned a lot from knowing him."

Vincent Cassel
Viggo Mortensen the Insatiable
Studio Magazine
By Sophie Benamon
November 2007



'I knew "Vig" as an artist before I knew he was an actor, like eight or nine years ago, I went to an art show in L.A. and saw these incredible paintings and photographs and said "Who is this man?" and found out he was an actor. So I've always had an artistic, intellectual crush on him, and people told us throughout the years, we'd be friends, and when we met, it was certainly like that.'

Bello on A History of Violence
Coming Soon!, by Edward Douglas
September 23, 2005



"Viggo is not pompous or pretentious. He doesn't arrive with an entourage. He's grounded, quirky, and observant. He is artistic. I deeply appreciate that since I basically arrive on the set with my shovel in hand and go to work as well. And I love it when someone else does that."

William Hurt
Cannes Film Festival 2005 Press Kit



'I can not believe that somebody can be so perfect. This man must carry a deep secret with him, or he has a skeleton in his cupboard, or something like that. Because Viggo Mortensen is the nicest, most artistic and most generous person I've ever met. And not only towards me, but he also has eye for the 'little/small people'. He gives you things all the time: his poems, paintings, pictures. I have to take all these things home with me to Paris.'

Omar Sharif
Source unknown



"From the moment that I saw him onscreen," says Otto, "I thought, 'Shit, he looks incredible. Here's a character I don't have to pretend to be in love with.'"

Miranda Otto
The Hero Returns
By Tom Roston
Premiere 2003



'Viggo is just the coolest guy, it's hard to say too much about how cool he is. If you spend enough time with people they will do something to piss you off, or that shows them to be just a normal human being, but I think Viggo does like to push himself to be just the best person he can, and that comes across. If you believe in reincarnation, he does seem to be quite far along his line.'

Billy Boyd
Lone Star
By Peter Ross
Sunday Herald, 2004



"He got this reputation as an eccentric because he would carry his sword around, but I found it quite inspiring. There was a glimmer in his eye - he was aware of how other people were perceiving him - but he really reawakened in me a sense of the possibilities of what it can be as an actor enjoying a role."

Sean Astin
A Fantastic Leap of Faith
by Brent Simon
Entertainment Today, 2001



'It was great doing [the death scene] with Viggo because he is such a generous, truthful actor and I'm glad he was there with me at the end, as it were, and he brought a sort of peacefulness to it and a spirituality to it, which I think he naturally has as a person. So that was a great help to me.'

Sean Bean
Toronto Sun
Dec. 17, 2002



"Viggo's a leader, just by sheer dint of his personality. He's an example to us all. He's a massive work-horse, like a massive multiplex. You can go through one door and he's a photographer, then you go through the next door and he's a singer. Then you go and look at his poetry and his art and there's his films! I'm not jealous at all [laughs]. And he's just a great guy and my friend."

Bernard Hill
Viggo Mortensen
by Desmond Sampson
Pavement #62, 2003



"He kind of makes the film for me."

Jed Brophy
Viggo Mortensen
by Desmond Sampson
Pavement #62, 2003



Viggo wears his beauty so carelessly and deflects flattery with a wry head-on-the-side smile of modesty.

Ian McKellen
"The White book"
Mckellen.com



"We're talking about how much integrity he has and how brilliant he is," says Wood. "He's also completely insane."

Elijah Wood
The Rebel King
By Chris Heath
GQ magazine, 2004

Ana Piterbarg says she wanted Viggo for the two brothers in Todos Tenemos Un Plan ?Because the subject of ambivalence is very important and I don't know if there are many actors that can do that..". Time, I thought, to look back at the two roles which have established him as the master of ambivalence, secrets, masks and identity and have given Viggo the chance to really flex his acting muscles: Tom Stall, the mobster trying to be a good man, and Nikolai Luzhin, the good man trying to be a mobster.



©New Line Cinema


A History of Violence


"The challenge in preparing and playing Tom Stall was to be thoroughly honest and specific with behaviour, to lie as truthfully as possible. But that's what actors are always ideally trying to do anyway."

Viggo Mortensen
V-Life magazine, Jan 2006



'Identity is [an] important aspect of A History of Violence. I play someone who's escaped from somewhere to become someone else and create a new identity. It is one of the basic acts of human existence that we create an identity. It's not a genetic thing that's given to us as an absolute like the colour of our eyes; it's something we are involved in creating as we live our lives by the choices we make.....'

Viggo Mortensen
Ol' Blue Eyes is Back, by Marianne Gray
Take1
8 October 2005



'Tom doesn't go from wearing a white hat to a black hat....David's hope, like mine, was that his transition would be subtle and that you couldn't really fix exactly when you feel it happens because it's normal for people not to show what they are thinking or feeling.'

Viggo Mortensen
Interview: Viggo Mortensen, By Ingrid Randoja
Famous, September 2005



It's a role that soon reveals itself as playing to Mortensen's strengths -- his humility, his forcefulness and a certain odd unknowable quality. Even before Tom proves himself a capable man when danger lurks, there's something about Mortensen -- or is it something he does as an actor? -- that makes the audience think, "No. There has to be more to this guy."

Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
23 September 2005



He is an ordinary man, and vengeful gangsters have turned up in his home town, claiming to recognize him from the bad old days. He claims they are mistaken. And it is to Mortensen's credit that, despite the movie's giveaway title, we still can't be certain until he reaches breaking point. The scene which confirms the truth is a masterclass in understatement - it's a shot rather than a scene, the merest flicker on Mortensen's face, but you couldn't say it wasn't dynamite. The actor nailed it on his first stab; Cronenberg knew instantly that there was no need for take two.

On Viggo Mortensen
By Ryan Gilbey
Filminfocus.com
4 December 2007



His Tom Stall has two completely different identities, both are held under control and he is able to snap between them at will. With skilful underplaying, Mortensen ensures that Stall's violent outbursts are shocking.

Jon Salt
Channel4.com Cannes Diary
17 May 2005



What Mortensen does brilliantly is to keep us guessing.

Anthony Quinn
The Independent (UK)
30 September 2005



If you see this film twice, you'll see two different performances from Viggo, and that's the real genius of the movie. The first time through, you're watching him the same way his family is, accepting him as Tom Stall, loving family man, quiet and kind and nearly invisible. But when you see it a second time, you'll see Joey Cusack lurking behind those eyes, pushing through even in the moments before the thugs bring violence back into his life.

Moriarty
Ain't it Cool News
29 September 2005



Eastern Promises



©Focus Features


...Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of laconic chauffeur Nikolai is truly astounding and keeps us guessing the true nature that lurks behind his shades.

Ben Rawson-Jones
Digitalspy.co.uk
23 October 2007



I would describe Mortensen as a revelation in the role, had he not already demonstrated what he was capable of in his previous collaboration with Cronenberg, A History of Violence. As he did then, Mortensen shows himself more comfortable with darkness and ambivalence than he ever was with the gaudy heroism required of a king in Middle Earth. His Nikolai is an enigma, an evidently decent man surrounded by, and comfortable amidst, heinous evil, one whose motives, at least initially, are unclear.

Christopher Orr
TNR Online
15 Sept 2007



In ?A History of Violence,? Mr. Mortensen seamlessly impersonated an ordinary, decent small-town guy who was also a cold, professional killer. Nikolai is a similarly ambiguous ? or perhaps divided ? character. He is all hard, tense muscle, and yet an almost subliminal hint of compassion occasionally shines through his icy, impassive face.

A. O. Scott
New York Times
14 Sept 2007




Mortensen's character does the skillful cinematic equivalent of an intellectual striptease during the course of this story. Slowly, ever so slowly, bits of my first impression are stripped away, destroyed. In the end, Nikolai is nothing at all like I first imagined, and yet he is all that I imagined.

'Eastern Promises' a gripping mob thriller
Bend Weekly
Robert Hawkins
21 December 2007



Since it would be an injustice to the film to reveal any of the plot points, suffice it to say that the character of Nikolai, played with amazing grace by Viggo Mortensen, is a complex and troubled man.

Evrim Ersoy
Monstersandcritics.com
12 September 2007



"The flip-side of Tom Stall," says Cronenberg, Nikolai is also burdened with secrets, though not in the same way according to Mortensen. "I don't think he's deceiving himself. I think he's quite clear on who he is, where he is, what's at risk and what his motives are."

I've taken on too much...
by James Mottram, The Independent / UK.
23 October 2007

Over the last few days Todos Tenemos Un Plan has been at the forefront of all our news here with articles, clips and photos coming out daily. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that the more clips I watch, the more desperate I am to see it! It's almost the perfect Viggo film, filled with ambiguity, subtle shifts in identity, duality and plenty of action. We also have the double delight of two Viggo's on-screen for the price of one, in some technically challenging scenes. I've been gathering quotes for some time that give us a taste of the film, with huge thanks for our intrepid team of translators. What would we do without them?



© Haddock Films


Why Viggo?

"Because the subject of ambivalence is very important and I don't know if there are many actors that can do that," she says. "It was hard for me to think of Argentine actors like that. He has something very soft and very hard at the same time and one doesn't find that so easily."

Ana Piterbarg: Life Change
translated by Zoe
Clarín
8 July 2011



'For a long time, I'd been thinking about who would be the appropriate person and I thought of him, but in an ideal way. I liked him because he's an actor who, although he's made action or violent films, offers something else behind that tough character that he portrays. And this story has to do with that other thing that is seen behind, that is intuited, or that is felt, but that isn't literally put on the screen.'

The Argentinian Who Convinced Mortensen
By Agustina Ordoqui - translated by Ollie and Zoe
Infobae
16 June 2012



Ana Piterbarg didn't have such an easy time. She had directed a short and assisted on films like "Goodbye Moon" -- a thin resume for landing big talent for her debut feature. Yet when she ran into Viggo Mortensen in Buenos Aires, she asked if he would read her script for "Everyone Has a Plan," a thriller about a man who takes on the identity of his deceased twin brother.

Local filmmakers use Hollywood stars as lure
By Charles Newbery
Variety
15 May 2011



"I gave her my address, she sent [the script to me, it surprised me. I liked the script very much. It was a strange story, but strange in a very positive way, because it's very original. It's a very original thriller. What I liked immediately and what I continue to like a lot are the contradictions, the dualities that it contains, not only between the two twin brothers that I play, but also the landscapes, the city and the river, and all the characters have certain contradictions."

Viggo Mortensen
Todos Tenemos Un Plan Press Conference
By - transcribed and translated by Rio, Zoe and Ollie
La Metro Television
9 August 2011



"With the entry of Viggo, what wasn't viable became possible,"

Vanessa Ragone, producer.
Local filmmakers use Hollywood stars as lure
By Charles Newbery
Variety
15 May 2011



'It freed me to be able to act in Spanish, speaking more or less as I normally do. I'm not saying that I speak the same way for Pedro and Agustín. Neither of the two speaks exactly as I do, but I had the measure...I know the accents of Pedro and Agustín; I grew up with those accents. It was something immediate.'

Viggo Mortensen - Todos Tenemos Un Plan Production Notes
By - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Todos Tenemos Un Plan website (Spain)
July 2012



"The filming in Argentina was hard, because of the weather, but we were very lucky and miraculously finished on time. The encounter between the two brothers, which we're filming here, we knew that that was going to be complicated, because it was another challenge, a more technical challenge on the one hand, more mental, a puzzle, and I almost had more fear of that as an actor than of filming in the winter and on the river..."

Viggo Mortensen
Mortensen faces the "mental challenge" of playing both twin brothers in 'Todos tenemos un plan'
By - translated by Ollie, Rio, Sage and Zoe
Terra.es
9 August 2011



'The scenes where I play both brothers together were technically complicated to make because at some points I had to talk to empty space. We'd film a shot and then, without moving the camera, two or three days later, when I hadn't shaved and had a different 'look' to play the character of the other brother, I had to play the part of the brother I'd been talking to three days before - that is to say me, talking to myself, but talking to empty space.'

Viggo Mortensen - Todos Tenemos Un Plan Production Notes
By - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Todos Tenemos Un Plan website (Spain)
July 2012



"At work he is one of the crew, a great workmate, deeply involved in the film in every aspect and not only with his character. He is a person with enormous warmth and great honesty. We rehearsed, we read the script, we got to know each other a bit and build up a relationship as people...I like him as an actor, he goes beyond the screen. He has an impressive level of communication. I was interested to know how he faces work, someone who comes from filming with Cronenberg. And the truth is he is very professional, very serious on the set, and he knows very well how to control his energy."

Soledad Villamil
Soledad's Gaze
translated by Ollie
Clarín
8 July 2011



"He's very deep in his way of preparing the character," Godino said, referring to Mortensen. "He's living in Tigre, he dresses like somebody from there and I admire this. He's an actor that connects with the character and he's a little crazy, crazy enough to play these characters that he plays."

Javier Godino
Viggo Mortensen at home in first Argentine film
By Luis Andres Henao
Reuters Canada
22 July 2011



Javier Godino recalled some anecdotes experienced by the crew during the shooting in Argentina, a crew that Viggo Mortensen took care "to transform into a family" through his love for San Lorenzo de Almagro´s soccer team, he said.

"The first day, Viggo arrived and hung up a San Lorenzo pennant. That´s the way it started, little by little, and then he brought a pennant from Tigre and later the one from Boca. In the end, he filled the entire wall with jerseys from all the teams from Argentina, but also from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Uruguay. And this has been the only thing that succeeded in uniting everybody."

Javier Godino
Mortensen faces the "mental challenge" of playing both twin brothers in 'Todos tenemos un plan'
By - translated by Ollie, Rio, Sage and Zoe
Terra.es
9 August 2011



"What this film has that is interesting and original to me is that somehow the truth is arrived at through lying. The character Agustín lies. Obviously he does it when he acts as his brother Pedro, but to a certain extent, he's also lied as Agustín. In reality, he's never been Agustín. He's been the Agustín that he believed he should be, like many of us do in some way."

Viggo Mortensen - Agustín and Pedro (Production Notes)
translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Todos Tenemos Un Plan website
July 2012



'Because I was raised here, there are a lot of memories. I look around and the way people speak, talking to the crew each day, it's as if I were with my people, It was very special for me to be able to work in Argentina again and reconnect with the way of life here and with the people.'

Viggo Mortensen: "It's my nature to do a lot"
By covermg.com
10 July 2012

While we are caught up with all the new movies, how about a look back at some of the older ones? I have a selection of fairly random quotes, some newish ones from reviews and interviews that have emerged over the last couple of years, and some that haven't seen the light of day for a while but which are worth another look.



Courtesy of sagralisse.
© New Line Cinema.


Prison

When I was casting this little million dollar horror movie, I really wanted to get good actors though to make it stand out. We saw something like eighty guys in Hollywood, guys you would know from TV and bit parts in movies, but they all felt like the same old thing and I was really frustrated. After we get done with the eighty guys in comes Viggo who had hardly done anything at that point, I think Witness was his only film but I just looked at him and thought please let him know how to act. My mantra was that I wanted to find the next James Dean and he was awesome, very low key and on the spot I said this is our guy."

Director Renny Harlin
Daily Grindhouse
19 December 2011



Viggo Mortensen is something of a find as Burke, an inmate apparently bred on James Dean and Montgomery Clift films. All the supporting roles are solid as well. As for the Spirit of Forsythe, he's not just another masked menace or a flesh-rotted presence, but more of a malevolent specter à la The Keep. When his hell breaks loose, it's quite chilling.

Source: Hollibonitos
Starblog.com



Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

Viggo, just like everyone else in the cast was always there, ready to go and had great ideas. Just a joy to work with, and I'm not just saying that. I can guarantee his approach to stuff now is exactly the same as it was then. He's just so committed and he's such a really good guy. All the family members were great.

Interview with Director Jeff Burr
Icons of Fright
by Robg. & Mike C
October 2011



"That was fun. I don't know how many times they sent that to the censors. People think that the ratings board is some kind of official [body which has an] answerable objective, answerable to the public or something. It's not. It's just a bunch of guys making decisions with certain codes to go by. I do think that if that movie had been put out by a big studio I think they would have gotten away with more ....Anyway, they kept getting X's and so they cut so much out that I think the movie is only like 70 minutes long. Unfortunately most of the really funny jokes were associated with gruesome bloodletting of some kind or another. There was a lot of funny shit that was going on."

Viggo talking about Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 111
The Fire That Fuels an Artist's Heart
By Carnell
Carpe Noctem magazine #15
March 1999



The Reflecting Skin

Mortensen also gets to shine in a smaller than expected role but one which is typically interesting of the actor. This is an early role for the actor but one which really begins to show the brilliant talent that would emerge post Lord of the Rings.

David Bishop
Suite 101
16 June 2010



His voice is such a growl that you find yourself leaning toward the screen to catch the words. His features are well defined but suggest a curious amalgam of Kirk Douglas' and Burt Lancaster's. His credits include Swing Shift, The Purple Rose of Cairo and Young Guns II, but his onscreen time is so limited that you still may not know who Viggo Mortensen is. In his latest film, The Reflecting Skin, British writer-director Philip Ridley's disturbing tale of repression and decay in the American heartland, Mortensen doesn't appear until an hour has passed - but when he does he immediately marks himself as one of those actors who doesn't need fancy lighting to be incandescent.

Viggo Mortensen Interview
by Martha Frankel
June 1991



The Indian Runner

'Seeing his face and his expression, I knew it was him. I was praying for such a wonderful actor. I wasn't disappointed.'

Sean Penn recalling seeing Viggo on a cable channel
Viggo Mortensen: The magician of The Lord of the Rings
by Aurelie Raya
Paris Match
Jan 8, 2004



American Yakuza

One of my favourite movies of yours is American Yakuza. What drew you to that part and can you share any stories on making it?

I was quite broke and needed a job. It turned out to be a very good experience. Although a very brief shoot, I ended up becoming very good friends with Ryo Ishibashi, my co-star in that movie. I have since visited him in Japan a few times, and he has also come to the US. My son was inspired to learn Japanese as a result of our getting to know Ryo, a language he writes, reads and speaks.

Empire On-line Web Chat
31 January 2012



I'm quite proud of this film. Although low-budget and a little uneven, this film and The Prophecy, in which Viggo also appeared, doing a memorable turn as "Lucifer", are the films I most often refer people to for examples of my work. And Viggo was truly outstanding to work with!

Richard Clabaugh, Cinematographer for American Yakuza
www.rclabaugh.com



Crimson Tide

In Tony Scott's searing post-Cold War thriller Crimson Tide, Viggo Mortensen gives a superbly taut performance as a nuclear-submarine weapons lieutenant - the only officer who knows the missile code - caught in a power showdown between hawkish captain Gene Hackman and by-the-book commander Denzel Washington. It's a rare studio role for the Danish New Yorker, who selects his parts with no concern for celeb kudos and has consequently retained the saturnine edge he showed in films like The Reflecting Skin and The Indian Runner.

Viggo Mortensen on Crimson Tide
Interview with Patricia Arquette
Interview magazine, 1995



Passion of Darkly Noon

Fraser isn't the only person who shines here. Mortensen is quite the revelation as well. Although he has no dialogue throughout as Clay is a mute, his silent actions are evidence that this actor is not one who doesn't need lines to act the role of his career. To a lesser-talented actor, this restriction might have resulted in a poor performance but does not.

"The Passion of Darkly Noon" Review
By Russell Hill
WILDsound



The Prophecy

Cast as Satan, he's really the only one in the whole movie who actually holds his own with Walken on screen, and while you feel like Walken did this for kicks, you really do feel like Mortensen was doing his level best to channel evil in a way we haven't seen for quite some time.

Box Office Prophets
Scott Lumley
23 October 2008



Hailed as 'mordantly witty', a young vaguely edgy actor named Viggo Mortensen wound up stealing the remainder of the film from Walken, creating one of the most memorable embodiments of evil ever put to screen. 'The devil doesn't really need to yell at people and slap 'em around,' says Mortensen now, six years later, 'because he knows he's powerful. That was one superficial guiding principle I tried to keep in mind. You are it. You are the Dark One and you don't have to prove it.'

On "The Prophecy'
His Occult Fellowship,
by Lisa Maccarillo
Fangoria magazine #208
2001



A Perfect Murder

In the end, the actor who makes the biggest impression is Viggo Mortensen, whose gentle presence seems to be masking some diabolical undercurrents. He's the only character who keeps us guessing throughout, and he manages to steal every scene he appears in by slyly underplaying the role.

Judge Clark Douglas
DVD Verdict
12 June 2012



Psycho

'I vindicate the Van Sant Psycho remake as exercise. It's an obsessive work. The search for the literal in this remake interests me. I had a small role, but I enjoyed working with him.'

Viggo Mortensen
The Other Mortensen
By Mariana Enriquez - translated for V-W by Margarita
Página 12,
20 November 2005



A Walk on the Moon

Originally called ''The Blouse Man'' in honor of its traffic-stopping title character, ''A Walk on the Moon'' has its elements of attractive fantasy. The blouse man is one of the peddlers who visit the camp to sell their wares, and it took Ms. Gray many rewrites to turn him into an object of desire. However, as played with silky eroticism by Viggo Mortensen, the gentlemanly Walker Jerome arrives to charm the camp's old ladies and weaken Pearl's knees.

Janet Maslin
New York Times
March 26, 1999



....Following its world premiere at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, A Walk on the Moon received a standing ovation from the 1300 viewers in the Eccles Theater - an occurrence that's a testimony to the film's emotional strength and truth. It's easy to make a bad movie about a woman finding herself by cheating on her husband, but difficult to fashion one that hits most of the right notes.

A Walk on the Moon
Reelviews
James Berardinelli
1999

There isn't a specific theme to this week's Quotable, just a mixed bag that I've collected. There's a childhood memory, some useful advice on facing the camera, pre-performance rituals (something shared by several Olympians according to various interviews I've read this week!), several thoughts on acting and yet another reason why Viggo should always receive awards.



© 20th Century Fox.


Q: What makes you happiest in life?

There's no one thing. I like a certain amount of solitude at times. I like feeling very free and open to the world. Any time I'm outdoors, whether it's in a desert or a sea or the forest. I like the elements - whatever the weather is, I don't feel that any moment is wasted at all.

Viggo Mortensen: "It's my nature to do a lot"
By covermg.com
10 July 2012



"...I was always running away. I did that a lot. [Another time] when I was a child, about two-and-a-half, I crawled out of bed and across the road and crawled into someone's house on a Sunday morning. I was in the kitchen playing with all the pots and pans, and they called my parents, who had been calling the police. I think they said: 'You are missing someone, and he is here playing with our kitchen knives.'"

Viggo Mortensen
Sympathy for the devil
By Chrissy Iley
The Observer
19 April 2009



"I have all kinds of little rituals, when I'm getting ready", he confesses with a slightly embarrassed laugh. "Before takes I dress in my costume in exactly the same way every day. If I do it wrong, I will do it all over again. I always put on my clothes in a certain order with my left sock first. There are also objects that I always carry around."

Verdensborgeren
By Patricia Danaher
Ekko Magazine
Translated by Estel
May-August 2012



"Most of Hollywood ignores or disdains . . . the Venice poets and Leimart Park painters," Davis says, "but Viggo is a passionate homeboy. Multiply him by one hundred, and Hollywood might be worth sparing when the Red Cavalry next rides down Sunset Boulevard."

Mike Davis
Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



Hi Viggo, aside from knowing your lines, what's the most important thing you do to prepare yourself before you go in front of camera?

Breathe.

Empire On-line Web Chat
31 January 2012



Having discussed the idea of directors becoming less interesting because of 'staying safe' strategies, it was wondered aloud whether some actors might have the same problem. "As you get older you get tired and it takes a lot to challenge yourself. But then it can be invigorating, probably rejuvenating," says Mortensen, enthusiastically.

Viggo's round-table at the Freud Museum
by Lucy Wiles
Felix Films
10 February 2012



Viggo Mortensen -- who is pickier than a five year-old at a salad bar...

The Playlist commenting on how selective Viggo is choosing films.
Kevin Jagernauth
The Playlist
29 June 2012



'There's no better thing as I'm concerned in my profession than to be called reliable. Sounds boring, but if someone can count on you to do a job well, or as best that you can, that's what I strive for...'

Let's Get Viggo'd at The Coolidge
by Megan Johnson
Boston Herald Blog
6 March 2012



His contempt for actors who engage in superfluous acts of self-promotion... extends to actors who appear in dopey blockbuster movies, just for the paycheck. "Sometimes you look at a movie and you can see that the actor or actress said, 'I'm taking this onboard because I'm making a ton of money, and not because it's going to be something special,' " he said, sounding scandalized.

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



The brevity of life and the importance of grasping the day are, one quickly learns, big themes for Mortensen. The sound of time's winged chariot is very loud in his ear, it seems, and the imperative to "use time well" crops up repeatedly in his conversation...

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



MC: Are you always so positive?

VM: Almost always, but at times, I'm not. Often I wake up thinking of all the bad things that could happen. It's my way of facing the day; I'm cautious. You could always fall down the stairs...


The Dark Side Of The Hero
By Walder & Castro - translated by Graciela, Remolina and Zooey
Marie Claire (Spain)
June 2009



He will always be Aragorn to us, but the 'Lord of the Rings' actor has been in over 30 films spanning three decades and seems to get more handsome with every rugged wrinkle.

Celebuzz
June 2012



Viggo Mortensen visited the Coolidge Corner Theatre yesterday to receive the 2012 Coolidge Award, which honors a film artist whose work "advances the spirit of original and challenging cinema." I would have just given him an award for being a total hot piece, but whatever.

Let's Get Viggo'd at The Coolidge
by Megan Johnson
Boston Herald Blog
6 March 2012

With the Olympic Games opening yesterday in spectacular fashion, who could resist a topical look at all things sporty? Although football makes its appearance (I wouldn't dare leave it out!) a lot of what follows would never make it into an Olympic stadium...



© New Line Productions Inc.


There's no doubt about it, Danish-American world star Viggo Mortensen's heart beats for Denmark. He proved it once more when this afternoon he presented his photographs at an exhibition at Palæfløjen in Roskilde, dressed in an old, red soccer jersey that the Danish national soccer team used in 1960, when the team won a silver at the Olympic Games in Rome.

Viggo Wants To Live On Samsø
By Kim Kastrup - translated by Estel
Ekstra Bladet
16 October 2008



Best sporting event you've attended?

The 1972 Olympics in Munich. I didn't have tickets, but there was a huge glass wall at the swimming hall, and me and some other kids illicitly climbed up to the glass to watch. I saw Mark Spitz and Gary Hall Sr. Since I swam it was amazing.

Viggo Mortensen Q&A
By Richard Deitsch
Sports Illustrated magazine
5 August 2004



You're a painter, a musician, a photographer, an actor, a poet and you're a natural at swordplay. Is there anything you won't try at least once?

VM: You know what? I'm not so interested in skydiving. I'm not sure why anyone wants to jump out of a plane that's working perfectly well.

The Last Word : Viggo Mortensen
Canadiens Magazine
8 December 2009



I order a margarita. He orders a whiskey and a beer. The waiter sees a notepad on the table and his celebrity antennae pop up like Ray Walston's extraterrestrial ones in My Favorite Martian.

"So just who is interviewing who?" the waiter asks us. This is a formality. He's pretty sure that this is the guy from The Lord of the Rings. I start to reply, but Mortensen holds up his hand. "She has just set the world record for the longest distance windsurfed by a human being," he says, tilting his head in my direction.

"No!" the waiter gasps.

"She windsurfed from Hawaii to the mainland," he continues. "Sure, there was a boat that followed her, and she slept at night, but still. That's what, how many miles?" He looks at me.

"Um, thirty-seven hundred?" I say. I have no idea.

"And not even a man has done that yet," Mortensen tells the waiter. "Isn't that cool?"

The waiter asks me to sign a menu.

Finding Viggo
By Alex Kuczynski
January 2004
Source: Vanity Fair magazine



... you took up surfing for the first time in New Zealand. How did that go?

Let's just say I'm not as good as the hobbits.

Viggo after getting a black eye from a surfboard
Chairman Of The Sword
By Liane Bonin
Entertainment Weekly
10 December 2003



Viggo Mortensen has a trick. He performs it to amuse himself during back-to-back interviews, when he needs something, other than cigarettes, to keep himself alert.

The trick is this: He is wearing a Canadian Hockey League pendant - one of those pewter souvenirs you buy at any arena gift shop. He starts the interview with the pendant facing forward on his chest. Then, at some point, he flips the pendant over. On the other side is a Montreal Canadians sticker.

"First I try to guess if the interviewer is a hockey fan and secondly if they're a [Toronto Maple] Leafs fan. Then I wait to see how long it takes them to notice," he says. "This one guy stopped the interview and just starts going, 'No, no, no!' "


Profile: Viggo Mortensen
By Leah McLaren
Globe and Mail
23 September 2005



At the 1980 Games in Lake Placid, you worked as a translator for the Scandinavian teams. How did you pull that off?

I was at St Lawrence University in New York, and there was a call for volunteers with language skills. I spoke the Scandinavian languages because I'd lived in Denmark. The best thing was, I got free passes to events, and every night I'd watch hockey. The only game I didn't see was the U.S. final against Finland, because I had to go back to school.

Viggo Mortensen Q&A
By Richard Deitsch
Sports Illustrated magazine
5 August 2004



So who would Viggo side with if, for example, Denmark and Argentina met in the next World Championship final?

"Oh, that's a very difficult question that I have often asked myself. It's not unthinkable at all, because both Denmark and Argentina play good football," Mortensen says, and adds: "But if they really met each other in the World Championship final, I'd buy both countries national team jumpers and cut them through the middle. And then I'd sew them together again to make one jumper. In that way I could cheer both Denmark and Argentina. But I think it would be very difficult as far as I can see if the two teams play against each other."

I Love Danish Football
By Kim Kastrup - translated by Chrissie
Ekstra Bladet
24 July 2007



Wearing all manner of Buenos Aires and soccer trappings (socks, bracelet, and a San Lorenzo pin, plus a complete mate set and the sports section of The Nation on hand), Viggo Mortensen greeted the Argentinean press on his recent visit to Buenos Aires..... He takes off his black boots and allows us to see the wide stripes on his socks in the colours of the team he loves.

Viggo Mortensen: The Biggest Soccer Fan In Hollywood
By Lorena García - translated by Margarita
La Nacion
16 November 2005



"I don't play soccer well... I sing just like I play soccer! But I like it, so I do it anyway, it's just a matter of starting, fear is useless..."

Viggo Mortensen
A Hollywood star in RSM
Argentinean TV interview with Mariana Fabbiani
11 October 2008



As he turns away I see that his football shirt has been signed by a player called The Frog, who wrote: "Thank you for being simple," which I ask him to explain. Is he thanking you for being a half-wit? He laughs. "I think he means thank you for being real. He was a childhood hero of mine. A great player. Kept it simple." Simple is the last thing you would ever think of Mortensen. He's very complicated, but also very real.

Sympathy for the devil
By Chrissy Iley
The Observer
19 April 2009



'Yesterday, my limousine was blockaded by people. The fans were banging against the windows. I opened the door and escaped down a small alley. And who did I run into? King Pelé and his bodyguards. I asked for an autograph...but his bodyguards stopped me. King in his limousine, poor beggar in the street. A good lesson,' concludes Mortensen, who invites you to reflect on the morality of such a story.

Viggo Mortensen - The Lord Touches All
By François-Guillaume Lorrain - translated by Margarita
Le Point
27 October 2005

In a Quotable I posted a few weeks ago, I included reporter Micjelle Devereaux's remark that Viggo could 'run on in at least six different languages'. It's not just everyday fluency in English, Spanish and Danish, and conversational French and Italian, his facility for languages gives him confidence on screen in a whole series of roles where another language is required. Viggo has used a smattering of Japanese in American Yakuza, sung and spoken onscreen in Lakota and Elvish, and done sizable chunks of dialogue in Russian. Only this week we discovered on the Todos Tenemos Un Plan Production Notes how much he likes "the challenge, the transformation".



© Estudios Piccaso/Origen Producciones/Focus Features/New Line/
Touchstone/Buena Vista Pictures/Image Andrés de Gabriel/Teatro Español.


You're doing a play in Spanish right now. In how many languages are you proficient enough to perform for paying customers?

Once you learn a second language, it's easier to add more. As a child, I learned English, which has Germanic roots, and Spanish which has Latin roots, so I was well-prepared. I could probably do a role in Danish or French or Italian. If I had to.

A Few Minutes On The Couch With Viggo Mortensen
By Joe Williams
St Louis Post-Dispatch
7 January 2012



"Language changes you. The accent too, but the language, speaking a Latin language, compared with English or Danish in my case, is different; it changes you. I like the challenge, the transformation. I'm comfortable learning, adapting. When I have to do different accents in English, regional accents of the United States or of other countries, or put an accent on top of an English accent, like Russian, it's not that hard for me. It´s work you have to do and you have to prepare well. In Spanish, I´m less flexible, and I think it´s because it was my first language, or the one that marked my childhood most. I´ve shot in Spain and I had to think much more about the accent; it took me a bit more to get adapted then because I had not lived in that country before. But everything can be learned and be done well with time and patience."

Viggo Mortensen - Todos Tenemos Un Plan Production Notes
By - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Todos Tenemos Un Plan website (Spain)
July 2012



How come your Italian is so flawless?

VM: Because I spent many years in Argentina, where the Italian culture is deep-rooted, so I spoke Italian and Spanish fluently.... Moreover, ten years ago I even worked in Rome, and I have to admit that I deeply love the musicality of your language..."

Viggo Mortensen hero in Alatriste in the Spain of King Philip IV
By - translated by Cindalea
Corriere 17 October 2006



'Many people have said that I wasn't able to master the rhythm of Spanish speech but what I was looking for was a specific manner of speaking: the pace and the rhythm, as they would have been spoken by a terse Northern Spaniard. I found that way of speaking, a little slow, very cautious, without revealing too much, because that's how they speak in the mountains of Leon in the north of Spain, near Asturias.'

Viggo Mortensen talking about Alatriste
An Old-Fashioned Hero
Cinemania (Mexico)
By Daniel Ritz - translated by Margarita
April 2007



The American star delivers his own lines in Castilian Spanish, having lived as a child in Argentina and Venezuela, with a curiously more authentic accent than the slurred modern diction of the supporting cast (including Eduardo Noriego in a minor role).

Peter Besas reviewing Alatriste
Screen Daily
7 September 2006



It seems a luxury to me to be able to see a star like Mortensen onstage in Madrid, speaking Spanish (with an Argentinian accent; something that surprised some people, but not me, having already listened to many of his interviews in Spain). Viggo is often criticised for his accents. I don´t agree. He´s an actor capable of changing, not only his tone, but his voice from one film to another, from a film to a stage. If you don´t believe me, listen to the sombre accent they work on in A Dangerous Method. Or the differences between his Alatriste and his Aragorn. It seems incredible to me that the guy I had seen the day before in Freud´s skin in Cronenberg´s flick was the same actor we had less than a metre away (we were in the first row, facing the stage). He looked like another, completely different person. With another voice, other features, other movements...If this is not a huge actor, I don´t know who could be.

Purgatorio Review
By José Angel Barrueco - translated by Ollie and Rio
Globedia
28 November 2011



They say that childhood is the homeland.

I suppose it is. From time to time, I´d read a book in Spanish. After some years, I began travelling; I met people in New York, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Spaniards, Argentinians, Uruguayans, and re-entered that world with my out-of-date slang.

Viggo Mortensen - All of Us are Mestizos
by Carlos Shilling - translated by Ollie, Remolina, Rio and Zoe
LaVoz
November 2010



"I could really see Viggo in that role [Nikolai]. You don't do an actor a favor by miscasting him, even if he's a good friend and you like working with him," said Cronenberg, who, to this point, has done all the talking. "I absolutely thought he would be great for the role, and in particular because I know he has a musical ear for languages."

David Cronenberg
Mortensen, director discuss their noirish Eastern Promises
By Dixie Reid, Sacramento Bee,
12 September 2007



"My goal was that when people in Moscow see this film they say, 'I didn't know he was Russian.' We began preparing when Viggo came back from Russia - where he was very inspired. He's a stronger linguist than most actors."

Olegar Fedoro, Russian dialect coach
Eastern Promises Production Notes
Focus Features
20 August 2007



French co-star Vincent Cassels says he and Mortensen "tried to use as much Russian as possible because, to be realistic, when two Russian characters are speaking together, they wouldn't be speaking English, so we kept trying to add more Russian phrases. David Cronenberg was going, 'What are you two saying to each other?' "

"It was like some creeping disease," Cronenberg says. "You wake up one morning and everyone is speaking Russian."

Festwatch
Globe and Mail
10 Sept 2007



Rove: I know you used to be a translator with, I think, the Swedish Hockey Team in the Winter Olympics?

Viggo: Well, I was meant to be a translator for the Danish Olympic Team but nobody showed up. Literally. And they said "Well, can you understand the Swedes?' I said "I probably can. I'm not sure they can understand me.' But it became...what I really got to do was go to a lot of hockey games with drunken Finns and Swedes...'

Rove Live interview
Melbourne
February 28 2006



"The sport that I grew up watching and still love is football - or soccer. When I moved up to northern New York in 1970, we didn't have Internet or cable TV. I would listen to Canadiens games on Radio-Canada, which is actually how I started learning French; watching Montreal play in the early '70s is when I really started to learn about hockey. My favorite player was always Guy Lafleur!"

Viggo Mortensen
The Last Word : Viggo Mortensen
Canadiens Magazine
8 December 2009



His dedication to his roles is obvious and for Hidalgo Mortensen learned to speak Lakota, the language of the Sioux. His tutor was Sonny Richards who plays the older guy in the wagon at the end of the movie and it wasn't just a case of being able to repeat words or sounds in a parrot fashion. "I understood what I was saying," stresses Mortensen.

Comes A Horseman
By John Millar
Film Review (Special #51) Summer
2004



How was learning an almost lost Native American tongue, say in relation to having to learn Elvish for the Lord of the Rings trilogy? "It helps if you know more than one language," Mortensen states. "You have a little head start on adapting, you can get your mouth around certain words and vowel sounds a little easier than if you only come at it from an English speaking background."

The Lord of the Rings & Hidalgo Star Discusses Horses, Learning New Languages, Photography and More.
By Spence D.
FilmForceIGN.com
3 March 2004



"For our love scenes, he would come to me the night before and say he wanted to change all the lines to the Elvish language. He was trying to make that connection stronger, and I thought it was beautiful that they'd speak Elvish to each other because it adds a layer to their history that you wouldn't otherwise see."

Liv Tyler
Mellow Warrior
By Anthony Breznican
South Coast Today
15 December 2003



RP: If you got the opportunity to meet Tolkien today, what would you say to him?

VM: I would want to hear him speak the elvish tongue, hear his accent and find out, how close our version is.

The Star Is Named Viggo
by Rolf Pedersen
M! magazine
2001



You sense that what Mortensen prizes in Aragorn, he prizes in himself. When he tells me that Aragorn understands the value of "stretching yourself, being passionate about other cultures and languages", I discern only the thinnest of veils separating observation from autobiography.

Viggo Mortensen: A Method Actor in Middle-Earth
by Ryan Gilbey
The Independent.uk
2001



"Now, Viggo, you speak seven languages, you write poetry in three languages, Danish, Spanish and English, you ride horses superbly and you're a great swordsman and all our womenfolk are in love with you... do you understand how annoying you are?"

Radio interview with Richard Glover
ABC Sydney
24 March 2009



The Empire Icon award this year went to the disgustingly multitalented Viggo Mortensen, who speaks more languages than God, paints, writes poetry and still finds time to do a bit of acting.

Jameson Empire Award Winners Announced!
Helen O'Hara
Empire Online
30 March 2009

Before A Dangerous Method and Purgatorio gave him the chance to do a lot of dialogue, Viggo was more known for roles with few words, conveying meaning through presence (wouldn't he have been a great silent screen actor?). This has always amused me because off camera the reverse is true and he is well known for talking and talking and talking.... but, as interviewer Susanne Johansson found, 'no smart pop-quotes fly from his mouth'.



© Hanway/Lago.


Mortensen is a voluble man, off-screen -- he frequently responds to questions with dense, uninterruptible monologues -- but as an actor, he is usually allotted taciturn, still-rivers-run-deep roles.

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



Anyone familiar with Mortensen's career will know that he tends not to be a big talker. Instead, he makes his presence felt on screen by way of a steely, periodically murderous intensity...

Viggo Mortensen on 'A Dangerous Method'
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012



Mortensen's buttoned-down and highly verbal Freud is something to behold -- and also to listen to. The actor has been the quiet man of volcanic physical intensity in two previous Cronenberg films, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. Here his tongue is more lethal than his fists..."

Peter Howell
Toronto Star
12 January 2012



"It was an education, it was an education in terms of acting, using different tools, speaking a lot more, speaking really well written words. Christopher Hampton's script is like a very well laid out well manicured garden with very exotic blooms, in the shadows of which are really disturbing little creatures and secrets (laughs)."

Viggo Mortensen
LFF 2011: A Dangerous Method Press Conference
24 October 2011



"I don't usually play characters that have as much to say, verbally. Or they'd say as much, I play characters who have a lot to say but they don't say it or they choose not to express them, they express themselves with physical gestures rather than through language. In this case, Doctor Freud is a man who doesn't stop talking and he uses words instead of gestures as a way of defending himself or protecting himself or attacking or avoiding or lying, hiding things, manipulating, controlling situations. He does it with language, he can do it sitting quite still, you know, which is an interesting challenge."

Viggo Mortensen
Venice Film Fesitval Interview
Scanpix.com
4 September 2011



Viggo Mortensen doesn't talk with his hands so much as he batters the air.

On 'The Road' and off, Viggo Mortensen walks the walk
By Scott Bowles
USA Today
3 December 2009



"I can talk on film," he quipped on the red carpet, poking fun at the many roles in which he is a man of few words.

Viggo accepting his Genie Award
Viggo Mortensen wins
CBC.ca
8 March 2012



The surprising thing about Viggo Mortensen is how talkative the guy is. Seriously: The smolderingly still presence of "Eastern Promises," "A History of Violence," and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy turns out to be a regular Chatty Cathy in person.

An actor lured by western promise
By Ty Burr
Boston Globe
September 28, 2008



As for conversation, he doesn't do it. At least he doesn't appear to, not at first. This, however, turns out to be deceptive. Mortensen may take a bit of warming up, but once he's off, he goes at it like a fire hose, frequently switching subjects in mid-sentence as a new thought strikes him. Looking through the transcript of our interview afterwards is like reading Molly Bloom's soliloquy at the end of Ulysses.

Viggo Mortensen on 'A Dangerous Method'
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012



He... speaks quietly and thoughtfully, and often at length, on every question, hammering his subject from all sides until it submits to the truth.

Viggo Mortensen v the apocalypse
By Kevin Maher
The Times
3 October 2009



He's shy, but a bit of a motormouth (and can run on in at least six different languages).

Viggo Mortenson is complicated
By Micjelle Devereaux
San Francisco Bay Guardian
12 September 2007



Viggo Mortensen is, besides a great actor, an inexhaustible conversationalist, so full of curiosity that he doesn't hesitate to occasionally take the role of the interviewer.

The Dark Side Of The Hero
By Walder & Castro - translated by Graciela, Remolina and Zooey
Marie Claire (Spain)
June 2009



VM is not one of that kind of actors where you insert a dime and then they jabber on for half an hour. Everything he says is well-considered, well-founded. No smart pop-quotes fly from his mouth.

The American Dane
by Susanne Johansson
Translation by Majken Steen Thomassen
Berlingske Tidende, 2001



...the actor tends toward abstractions and diversions in conversation. Entire paragraphs can pass by without a concrete noun, but you don't mind because he's friendly and easygoing - a man with the attitude of a surfer, the eyes of a killer, and the brain of a slacker bookworm.

An actor lured by western promise
By Ty Burr
Boston Globe
September 28, 2008

Viggo recently revealed that he has been working on a photo project based around a single room, which got me thinking about personal space, not only at home but on the move. Whatever room he's focussed on, one thing I would bet money on is that it won't be an example of Zen-like minimalism. His home may no longer be the giant paintbox revealed in the intro to Recent Forgeries (on the other hand, maybe it still is...) but from the evidence of his movie trailers, he's never stopped surrounding himself with stuff. He decorates every home-from-home, creating both a personal space with his flags and photos, and the personal space of the characters he's playing by collecting props and ephemera that help immerse him in their world. This extends to the odd bit of set decorating, with his finds spilling into the films themselves. So from home to set, Viggo has always been a collector of quirky stuff that enriches his world. No wonder he felt completely at home in Freud's study.



© New Line Productions Inc.


Mortensen has the soul of a junkman, and the old signs, chunks of wood, and broken toys he's salvaged may or may not be incorporated into artworks, but he wants them on hand just in case.

Treasure Island: A visit with Viggo Mortensen
Recent Forgeries
Kristine McKenna 1998



'My house has gradually, over the past year and half, turned into this work shed almost. I have moved the furniture aside and there's drop cloths [everywhere]. I just have boxes of these paint sticks and paint stuff so that, if I think of something, I can make it.'

Viggo Mortensen on painting at home
The Fire That Fuels an Artist's Heart
by Carnell
Carpe Noctem magazine #15, 1999



The house is like a giant compost pile that provides an inexhaustible supply of mulch, and when you see how Mortensen lives, you begin to understand how he produces so much art; it's as if he resides in a paintbox.

Treasure Island: A visit with Viggo Mortensen
Recent Forgeries
Kristine McKenna 1998



'He kept a lot of his poetry inside his refrigerator,' says Cervenkova, 'which endeared him to me forever.'

Exene Cervenkova
Viggo Mortensen
by Steve Pond
US Magazine #236, 1997



'I like to keep things that I find on the street, things that draw my attention. I love going to old bookstores and strange antique shops where you find everything, old belongings from anonymous people. They are tangible representations of life. My house is full of such things, things that have no material value, but are interesting to me.'

Viggo Mortensen Interview: "This film has made me feel closer to my father"
By Laura Sacksville - translated by Ollie, Rio and Sage
Cuore
13 February 2010



Emptying Henry's pockets to wash his clothes, Viggo is used to finding the detritus of his son's imaginings: rocks and pebbles and bottle caps. Like father, Viggo concedes. He has always collected rocks and stones. He speaks to me of that dilemma you face when you have collected thirty or forty stones in a hotel room and you have to decide which one or two are special enough to take home with you, as though it is a quandary every guest routinely faces before checkout. Only two days ago, he found a particularly interesting small rock by the road in Topanga Canyon. It is almost perfectly round, except for a single small dent. The rock now sits outside his back door, and other chosen rocks litter the house. A few more favored rocks are in the corner of the kitchen, next to where Aragorn's sword leans against the wall.

The Rebel King
By Chris Heath
GQ magazine
April 2004



I recently had the unfortunate experience of losing practically everything I'd written during the last three years. As I was in the process of moving from one house to another, my car was loaded with boxes of books, clothes, kitchen utensils, and all the usual household appliances and sacks of hurriedly packed scraps of letters, papers, drawings, photos, soaps, music, hood ornaments, lucky sticks and stones, spurs, superfluous combs, and outdated to-do lists. While I was carrying some of this debris into the new house, someone broke into the passenger-side window of my car and grabbed the backpack containing several notebooks I'd filled, since early 2001, with handwritten stories and poems.

Introduction to Best American Nonrequired Reading 2004
By Viggo Mortensen
The Best American Nonrequired Reading (ed. Dave Eggers)
2004



'....slowly his trailer starts to get all this character. It was the World Cup at the time, so he's a massive football fan, so all these flags started going in his trailer. He had a picture of the Queen of Denmark up. I was watching him from my trailer, "What's he doing today?" [Laughs] He's a very interesting guy.'

Michael Fassbender on meeting Viggo
Michael Fassbender Explores A Dangerous Method with Movie Fanatic
by Joel D Amos
Moviefanatic.com
25 November 2011



Instead of the standard luxury lodging demanded by most stars on set, Viggo and co-star Orlando Bloom shared a converted bus while filming Rings. Viggo stocked the bus with a wine cellar and wallpapered the inside with candid behind-the-scenes photos. A source on the set said the bus was the site of frequent cast parties, with the motto, "Everyone is welcome, but when it's time to go, get out!"

Could Viggo Mortensen Be The Perfect Man?
By Nathan Cooper & Mike Glynn
Star
23 December 2003




During the film shoot, Mortensen had with him artefacts that he had brought back from Russia - including worry beads made in prison from melted-down plastic cigarette lighters. He decorated his trailer with copies of Russian icons and created an atmosphere that was conducive to maintaining his character.

Eastern Promises Production Notes
Focus Features
20 August 2007



One day, after wrap, he invited me to have a glass of wine in the makeup trailer. I was surprised to find in the space of a wide trailer hundreds of photographs stuck next to the mirrors. They were funny images of Kodi, of him, and many people. The entire film crew, practically. Some were cut up to compose amusing puzzles. I also appeared there as one of them. In one of the closets, there were bottles of wine from different places. And packets of chocolate, their brands completely unknown to me. There were also pennants and emblems from San Lorenzo de Almagro, the soccer team for which Viggo is a fanatic supporter. That room breathed the taste of your own home. The home we always long for.

Diary of The Road's Shooting
By Javier Aguirresarobe - translated by Ollie, Remolina, Rio, Sage and Zooey Esquire (Spain)
January 2010




Mortensen's commitment translated to a collection of artifacts he purchased in the Midwest on his travels, which included ducks and a bank in the shape of a fish head that says 'fishin' money' on it and is set on the diner's cash register, posters of Birds of North America, some landscapes, a small ceramic eagle and other animal sculptures for his daughter's room which he thought Tom's character would have in his home."

"Viggo has been very active in helping to create the surroundings that his character will emerge from. That is unique," says Cronenberg.

Cannes Film Festival 2005 Press Kit



This is room 202, practically at the top of the stairs, which has been dressed as Frank's crash pad. Mortensen walks in and surveys its detritus. He takes a washcloth from the room's sink, folds it, and drapes it over the railing at the foot of the bed...no, not just yet. First, he goes to the bottle of Southern Comfort that sits on the dresser, lies on the bed, and puts the bottle between his legs to open it. Then he splashes some sour mash on the washcloth and re-drapes it. With his thumb over the top, he sprinkles more over the sheets and replaces the bottle. Finally, he ponders the room's Bible: Should it go over the bed? No. Under the pillow? No.

Then he seems to get an idea: he grabs his switchblade, inserts it as a bookmark, and places the Bible on the bed. There.

Viggo's attention to detail on the Indian Runner set
Sean Penn Bites Back
By Christopher Connelly
Premier,
October 1991



Mortensen brought onto the set items he'd discovered that reminded him of his character and explained that this something he does for many of his roles.

"Well, it's always things that - and it's not necessarily with a mind toward that I'm being used or accepted or understood - it's just sort of like part of your point of view. For me, it makes me comfortable. And if they don't use them on the set, I'll probably keep them in my trailer or in my hotel room as tokens or reminders. Whether it's bits of clothing that I find that seem right or props or decorations, things that would be in the house, objects mostly. Things that are good luck or right or comfortable. And in this case there were a lot of things. Probably because I think we'd done so much communicating before we started, that I was on the right wavelength with him and his crew so they did use a couple of articles of clothing, and some of the decorations in the diner and in the house - little bits and pieces."

Viggo Mortensen on 'A History of Violence'
By Rebecca Murray
About.com
27 September 2005

Tolkien said that Aragorn was Middle-earth's greatest traveller. While not quite laying claim to the title yet, Viggo certainly spends a lot of his time travelling here, there and everywhere, lugging his luggage, his carrier bags and his assorted flags through airports and hotel lounges. He's confused airport security with his passport, his yerba maté and his football watching habits and spent endless amounts of time in hotel rooms promoting films. Why are we not surprised he's been in two films with the word 'road' in the title?



©Touchstone/Buena Vista Pictures.


"Traveling is probably the number one most effective anti-war weapon there is"

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen on "Good"
By Aaron Hillis
IFC.com
31 December 2008



'I have to tell you...what an awful combination it is to have a US passport and a Buenos Aires accent when you arrive at the Chile airport. A pretty long delay... my friends that had Spanish passports had already gone through (customs), and they were waiting... and the guy kept checking, very kindly, but he wasn't letting me go anywhere, and he talks to me in a pretty tortured English, and so I tell him: "I speak Spanish, you can talk to me in Spanish". And so he gave me a long look, and then I realized I had f***** up, really, because the combination of the accent and the passport... I was going straight to jail, or so it looked. And so another customs officer comes and says, "No, no, he is the Lord of the Rings", and so..."Welcome to Chile" and (pam, pam - sound of passport getting stamped) "Here you go...go ahead".'

Viggo on Radio Cooperativa, Chile
By - transcribed/translated by Graciela
Radio Cooperativa
27 March 2007



"It's true that they've checked my luggage more than once because of the yerba maté; they don't know what it is, it looks like a pipe. I once carried a kilo of yerba in a bag, and that was the problem... It looked like a kilo of something else!," commented this maté fan about the unpleasant moments he has had to go through when he has been held back at several airports.

A Hollywood Star in RSM
Translation by Graciela
Infobae.com
10 October 2008



"Sir, what is WRONG with you???"

Airport security get a taste of Viggo the football fan
They Want To Throw Me Out Of The Airport
By Viggo Mortensen - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro
28 May 2012



"We picked him up at the airport one time, and he wasn't wearing shoes. I still have no idea how he got through the airport barefoot."

Fran Walsh
On 'The Road' And Off, Viggo Mortensen Walks The Walk
By Scott Bowles
USA Today
3 December 2009



Viggo Mortensen stacks his case and suit protector neatly in the corner of the room. The precision of the movement is entirely in keeping with an angular formation of razor cheekbones and sharp suit. We probably shouldn't be surprised the Danish-American-Argentine has this travelling thing down.

The Mad Men
Tara Brady
The Irish Times
10 February 2012



'You know, they have nice beds in this hotel. It's a nice change once in a while. Just like TV. I don't watch TV at home, but when I come to the hotel, it's like, all these pillows and TV! And it's like, this is great! God, why didn't I do this before, but every time, it lasts about 15 minutes before I get bored and switch off the TV.'

Viggo Mortensen
A Sense of Finality
By Markus Tschiedert
Green Cine, 2003



"If you're going to prepare your role as an actor or as a director properly that takes quite a lot of time and focus and energy.....But you know, I manage to get off a few pictures, take a few pictures, write a few things down late at night in hotel rooms as I bounce around the world."

Viggo Mortensen
Air America Radio Interview
Transcribed for V-W by Zooey
12 September 2007



Viggo Mortensen's temporary headquarters during the Toronto Film Festival were bare except for one corner, where there was a sculpture assembled from a plastic grocery-store bag draped over a tripod.....While Mortensen used the restroom, I tried to decide if the bag-on-tripod sculpture was a comment on our throwaway culture or a meditation on the relationship between art and reality. Turns out it was his luggage.

"Want to see my luggage?" Mortensen asked, emerging from his hand-washing and following my gaze to the "sculpture." "Let's see what's in here," he added, removing underwear, several T-shirts - one with fishing records on it, another emblazoned with "Bring Our Troops Home" - and a United Nations flag from the bag. "I travel light."

Renaissance man jousts with career-changing role
By Chris Hewitt,
Twin Cities
28 September 2005



The following morning he flew towards Buenos Aires. At night, he left for the USA; he had to start working on the character of his next movie. "I'll come back," he said before taking the airport escalator. I began to lose sight of him. He had a bombilla in his back pocket, a white plastic bag, and a San Lorenzo flag wrapped around his shoulders.

A Trip With Viggo Mortensen Through The Heart Of The Province
By Robustiano Pinedo - translated by Graciela
Source: El Tribuno Salta
El Tribuno Salta
14 May 2007



Viggo Mortensen loves rituals. He never changes his habits, no matter where he goes. For example, he enters the villa in Deauville - made available by the French top jeweler Cartier - in bare feet, as if he is in his own living room.

In his right hand, he is holding a cup with his favorite beverage: maté - an herbal drink from Argentina, the country where he spent the majority of his childhood. He also remembered to bring a silver straw, the bombilla.

The actor explains why he always behaves the same way, no matter where he is in the world. "In this business you're travelling half the time. Sometimes I feel like a world traveller who doesn't know where he'll sleep the next day. I am exaggerating a little, but I do value my habits, so I can quickly feel at home. If I don't, it takes me too long to adapt to strange surroundings. That's very important for an actor. That way he can more quickly concentrate on his role."

Viggo Mortensen Goes To Bed With A Shotgun
By - translated by Airwin
Algemeen Dagblad
27 April 2009



He... presents me with two large chocolate squares, one wrapped in pink paper that has a handwritten "Venezuela" on it, and another in orange paper that has a handwritten "Indonesia".

I am not sure whether he handwrapped them himself or whether they came from a hand-wrapped chocolate shop. I imagine him travelling the world with a suitcase of wrapped chocolates.

Sympathy for the devil
By Chrissy Iley
The Observer
19 April 2009



"See you soon, traveller of the world, Leonese at heart!"

Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno
"I never imagined such an affectionate and multitudinous welcome"
By Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno
Translated for V-W by Paddy
Sept 2006



'To travel hopefully is better than to arrive, and the true success is in the labor.' That's a great line, 'To travel hopefully.' That's what I'd like to do."

Viggo Mortensen quoting Robert Louis Stevenson.
The Other Side of Viggo Mortensen
By Paul Young
Variety Life, 2003

Continuing my look back over Viggo's films, we're joining the Master Chief this week for some press-ups and very short shorts. As always, Viggo brought added depth to the role through literature, careful preparation and interrogating a willing Ridley Scott. Interestingly, many GI Jane reviewers thought Urgayle would be Viggo's 'breakthough' role and maybe it would have been if the film had been better received by critics and audiences.



© Hollywood Pictures/Trap-Two-Zero.


'The quality that really stood out to me was his quietness,' says Ridley Scott, who cast Mortensen in GI Jane as the Navy instructor who makes life miserable for aspiring SEALs, including Moore. 'He has a still, modest quality to him that was perfect for these guys. I noticed that in some of the movies I'd seen him in, and he also had it in real life.'

Viggo Mortensen
by Steve Pond
US Magazine #236
1997



His work in GI Jane was brave - he brought understatement to the kind of role that offers grandstanding opportunities on a silver platter.

Viggo Mortensen: A Method Actor in Middle-Earth
by Ryan Gilbey
The Independent.uk
2001



'The profile of the average survivor of the underwater demolition training is a guy like me. Not a big guy, they're not big monsters, you know, "cause it's really more about mental toughness. It's like, in spite of being exhausted, wet and cold and tired and injured and browbeaten and all that, you stay focused on your objective."

Do you think you'd pass this sort of test?

"I'd like to think so, but I don't know until I do it."

Viggo Mortensen
The Master Chief
by Michele Manelis
Marie ClaireNovember 1997



'While Demi and the entire cast endured a mini-boot camp in Florida preparing for the film, I worked with Navy SEAL guys, but on my own for several months. The other cast members, with the exception of Demi, were pissed I didn't go through what they had to go through. And that's what I wanted.

Vim and Viggo
By Merle Ginsberg
W
September 1997



'He is absolutely dedicated to the process,' says Ridley Scott. 'He was constantly revisiting me with questions and notes and suggestions, none of which I ever got tired of.'

Ridley Scott on GI Jane
Viggo Mortensen
by Steve Pond
US Magazine #236, 1997



For Mortensen's first scene, in which his character addresses some 40 prospective SEALs, Scott was looking for something more unusual than a normal drill instructor's spiel. Mortensen brought in a short D. H. Lawrence poem ('I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself...') that the director says showed richer and more intriguing sides of a character whose ensuing act of violence are so horrific that many viewers may not get past them. The poem, in fact becomes a crucial part of the film. For a key scene in which Mortensen's character gives a copy of the book to Demi Moore's character, the actor used his own dog-eared copy.

Viggo Mortensen
by Steve Pond
US Magazine #236
1997



'... it was I who suggested to Ridley Scott the use of a poem by D.H. Lawrence for the introduction scene in "GI Jane'. This reference gave my military character another dimension. It made him a lot more original, it was also my way of making him less misogynist! And the book which I give to Demi Moore, in which there is that poem, it was mine, all battered, really old ...'

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen: The Soul of a Warrior
by Juliette Michaud
Studio Magazine
December 2002



Urgayle is an intriguing character, played by Mortensen to suggest depths and complications. In an early scene he is discovered reading a novel by J.M. Coetzee, the dissident South African who is not on the Navy's recommended reading list, and in an early scene he quotes a famous poem by D.H. Lawrence, both for its imagery (of a bird's unattended death) and in order to freak out the trainees by suggesting a streak of subtle madness.

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
August 22, 1997



Doing his best to steal the film, however, is Mortensen, who is simply terrific as the Master Chief who brings everyone to the brink and uncharacteristically loses it when a mock prisoner interrogation with Jordan gets out of hand. This fine actor has been an arresting presence in numerous films in recent years, but he cuts such a strong profile here that he may finally have found his breakthrough role.

Todd McCarthy
Variety
7 August 1997



It would be all too easy to imagine a story of spiteful male Seals and slow-burning sexual tension, but ''G.I. Jane'' doesn't much bother with that. Moments like Jordan's first appearance in a tight T-shirt and her shower- room confrontation with a commanding officer are interestingly underplayed.

So is the pivotal role of her commander, known as Master Chief and played with cool, charismatic aplomb by Viggo Mortensen. The role, as underwritten, becomes fascinatingly ambiguous in its mixture of veiled sadism and unconcealed patriotic fervor.

Janet Maslin
New York Times
August 22, 1997



"A lot of people thought [my] character was just a sadist," he laments, pointing out that the master chief is arguably doing the honourable thing in treating Moore as harshly as he would one of the male candidates.

Viggo Mortensen
The Man Who Would Be King
by Nick Dent
Black & White magazine
2001



"She actually got me in the balls a couple of times," he recalls with a laugh, "but it was unintentional, I'm sure."

Viggo Mortensen on fighting with Demi Moore in GI Jane
The Man Who Would Be King
by Nick Dent
Black & White magazine
2001



The most refreshing performance is by Mortensen as her commanding officer. He espouses the usual military-sadism spiel, including excusing apparent cruelty with the explanation that it saves lives. Mortensen, who appeared in Portrait of a Lady and Crimson Tide, has rarely looked so sleek, appealing and ready to play romantic leads as he does this time, gleaming out from behind a clipped mustache and a dangerous attitude. This ought to launch his career into the highest spheres.

Barbara Shulgasser
San Francisco Examiner
22 August 1997



'The other day I came across a Mad Magazine. For the first time I felt like I had arrived when I saw a GI Jane parody of me called GI Shame. [Laughs] My favorite part was the idea that the candidates were dropping out of the SEALs not from the physical abuse but from my awful poetry readings.'

Viggo Mortensen on GI Jane
The Hot New 39-Year-Old
by Dennis Hensley
Movieline magazine
1998

The second part of Pérez-Reverte's wonderful Alatriste Q&A (thank you Ollie, Rio and Zoe!) has made me realise that I'm not quite done with El Capitan yet. That, and the release of the exciting Todos Tenemos Un Plan trailer, where we once again get to enjoy his Spanish. So I thought we'd take a second visit to Alatriste's uncertain world of swords, battles, pride and lifelong friendships and relive the glory days.

And while you're reading the Quotes, how about listening to some of Rogue Baños's terrific music to get you in the mood!



© 20th Century Fox Espana.


"I didn't know Arturo Pérez-Reverte's novels. Long ago, I had worked in Spain with Ray Loriga, in "My Brother's Gun". One day, Ray told me he was going to be in Berlin, where I was promoting "The Return of the King", by Peter Jackson. Loriga went with a friend, Tano (Agustín Díaz Yanes), who brought a script that he gave me to read. I liked the plot as a tale, as a story. And it captivated me. So I decided to do it, against everyone and against everything."

Viggo Mortensen
The filming of Alatriste, by Jesús Martin - translated by Paddy for V-W
Acción Magazine
July 2006



Interviewer: How did you manage to convince such an international star like VM, who had just worked in the succesful LOTR, to play the lead in the film?

Díaz Yanes: It was very easy. I didn't know Viggo, but Ray Loriga is a good friend of him, and he [Loriga] is a close friend of mine. I thought in Viggo because this is a very high-budget film and he fulfilled two basic things: he looked like Alatriste and he was a Spanish speaking star, for something was clear to me: I'd had never made this film in English. So Viggo fulfilled all requirements. Ray Loriga passed him the script and it happened that Viggo had watched my two films and we went to Berlin and met him. He liked the script a lot and said yes at once.

By Rocío García
El País - translated by Queneplace
21 February 2005



'Without Viggo this wouldn't have been built up ever. Viggo could have done any film, especially after The Lord of the Rings. He fell in love with the project. He insisted on it and this could be done thanks to him.'

Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Mano a Mano
XL Semanal - translation for V-W by Paddy
20 August 2006



"Some people in Spain thought it was strange that I came to do this story. In the United States, some people asked me why I was going to do this. I answered them that the script was very good, that it was the best thing I had ever read; that not only did I like the story of Alatriste, but also the period. It's a valuable project, an interesting character, a historical period that is very unknown outside the academic world. '

Viggo Mortensen
The Court of Alatriste
By Rocío García - translated for V-W by Paddy
El País Semanal
6 August 2006



I went to the Prado Museum, which I had visited many times, but now I saw the paintings in a different light, searching for the character, so I'd call Tano (the director) at 2 am and tell him, "listen, I found this painting by Góngora". Viggo makes a face and changes his voice to imitate Díaz Yanes: 'Okay, let me explain it to you. You're an idiot.' But nothing. I saw the characters in those paintings."

Viggo Mortensen
The Lord of Simplicity
By Ernesto Garratt Vines - translated by Margarita
Wikén - El Mercurio
30 March 2007



"...Agustín Diaz Yanes is the son of a bullfighter, and he told Viggo that the attitude of the bullfighter is the attitude Alatriste has, in the contact with death, the steel as a companion, and he was with bullfighters. And there are scenes in the film in which Viggo is composing his gestures, his attitudes before the enemy like a bullfighter..."

Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Talk About Alatriste
By Luthien 66 (transcription) - translation for V-W by Paddy
4 April 2006



'I was behind the cameras, a privileged spectator watching hundreds of riders charge again and again against the loyal Spanish infantry and Viggo in the front line, his head uncovered and sword in hand, defending his life and that of his comrades. "He truly believes he is Diego Alatriste," Agustin Diaz-Yanes (the director) told me between takes. "Actors are all a strange breed," he added, "but this one is a special case."'

Arturo Pérez Reverte
Translated by Elessars Queen
El Semanal
July 2005



The executive producer insisted that the actor spent the entire day, "I think even the weekends, filthy and with his make up on, because he said that he had to feel as uncomfortable as the character in order to portray it correctly." The difference is that, when he wasn't shooting, due to doctor's advice, he would take off his boots and walk barefoot, "so in Seville he walked into a store and the owner, an old man who did not know who Mortensen was, gave him a pair of used canvas shoes."

Pérez-Reverte
"En España no hay suficientes actores jóvenes buenos para rodar 'Alatriste"
By L.M.-L. Alatriste conference in Murcia
El Faro de Murcia



'Generally, until you start to shoot, everybody is very polite and very friendly. But Viggo is very nice before, during and after shooting.'

Agustín Díaz Yanes
Action, history...and skilled swordsmen
By Andrés Rubin de Celis - translated by Paddy for V-W
Citizen K Espana
July 2006



"Some supposedly great stars doubt you and call you and say. 'Man, what are you doing?!' But Viggo went for the kill. He was the first one to throw himself into the cold water, into a filthy mud puddle, and the rest followed him."

Agustín Díaz Yanes
The Lord of Simplicity
By Ernesto Garratt Vines - translated by Margarita
Wikén - El Mercurio
30 March 2007



As far as I see, for the film Viggo has been something more than a famous international actor that grants the shooting prestige

Of course, he is not just a cultured actor that speaks Spanish perfectly and knows Spanish History inside out, this time (XVII c.) in particular, but also he is so integrated that for me he is another Spanish actor.

Diario de León
By Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno, translated by Paddy
June 6th, 2005



'When you are used to filming in the U.S., the way things are done in Spain may feel like a great chaos, because there is a more relaxed atmosphere. But you soon realize that it is something that has to do with the culture, and I loved it!'

Viggo Mortensen
Top Men - Viggo Mortensen
Glamour Magazine - translated for V-W by Graciela
August 2006



"...Viggo was so extraordinary that he surpassed everything that Arturo, and obviously I, could have thought. His physical presence on screen is tremendous"

Diaz Yanes
The Biography of Captain Alatriste
By Jose Edurado Arenas - translated by Ollie, Rio, Sage and Zooey
ABC.es
6 June 2010



Among clouds of dust and in the middle of a group of officers I see the Captain's gallant figure, leant on the musket fork, without the hat on his head, while smoking with pleasure his umpteenth cigarette of the morning. He doesn't speak. He looks at the crowd with half-closed eyes, and stays imperturbable exhaling puffs of smoke. Heat is crushing.

Reunion with Alatriste in Uclés
Diario de León, by Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno - translated by Paddy
26 June 2005



"There's nothing more respectful with the original texts. Nothing more straightforward, fascinating and terrible than the mirror that, through Viggo Mortensen's masterly performance - he looks impressive on the screen, that son of a bitch - is put before our eyes during the two hours and a quarter that the film lasts. "

Arturo Pérez-Reverte after seeing the film
That Captain Alatriste
XL Semanal, 20 August 2006
Translation for V-W by Paddy



"No longer can we imagine another Alatriste that is not Viggo".

Unax Ugalde
20 Minutos
Frank Marta
26 the April 2005

Arturo Pérez-Reverte recently answered a whole Q&A in the character of Alatriste. As the author, Pérez-Reverte has probably found that once Alatriste took up residence inside his head he developed an endlessly evolving life of his own, of which the books record only a part. Viggo must have also found himself playing host to a personality so strong that it's hard to imagine he didn't really exist, so I thought that this week it would be interesting to take a look at how Viggo imagines Alatriste and his life.



©Estudios Picasso/Origen Producciones.


"He's a man with lots of nuances."

The Filming of Alatriste - Viggo Mortensen Interview
By Jesús Martin - translated by Paddy
Acció
July 2006



"I have always thought... that the character of Alatriste, though a fictional one, needed to have a place of origin where to link his personality, so I decided that that place could be the highlands of El Curueño, those lands where the cold hardens one's character and people are succinct in manner, like Alatriste, but they are noble and natural when you can get to know them slowly. Pérez-Reverte told me that the Captain of Los Tercios de Flandes, as he had conceived him, was similar in character to the Northern people, and after studying the character carefully, I firmly believe I could place him in any of the Curueño lands."

Viggo Mortensen finds Alatriste in Curueño
By Miguel Ángel Nepomuceno - translated by Paddy
Diario de León
20 March 2005



"...if it was set today the character would be a career solider like a sergeant. Never an officer because he doesn't know how to be discreet...or politically correct with his superiors. He'd be a guy today who is a sergeant in Iraq and had been in the first Gulf War, you know, a career soldier..."

Viggo Talks About Alatriste
By (transcription) Chrissie
IESB.net
21 September 2005



"I'd say it's someone who isn't afraid to lose, who undertakes actions with no guarantee of triumph."

New Heroes
By Virginia Galvín - translated by Paddy
Marie Claire
August 2006



VM: ....He's served as a soldier since he's 13 years old and until his death he's loyal to the crown, to the flag and, especially, to his comrades.

APR: Especially to his comrades.

VM: Above all. Although he has problems with authority, he's always on his people's side.

Man to Man - Reverte Vs Viggo
By David Benedicte - translated by Paddy
XL Semanal
20 August 2006



'Alatriste does not always behave correctly, he is crafty and breaks the law, and he lies to women and gets drunk. He even kills mistakenly, out of anger or jealousy, but he is more real than Aragorn, who always behaves correctly. Alatriste is a more real and darker story. Alongside it The Lord of the Rings is like a fairy tale.'

Viggo Mortensen
A Multi-talented Hero
Dominical, by J. A. - translated for V-W by NacidaLibre
27 August 2006



"I know that my character is bitter and upset. He has good things within him, but it is difficult to find them."

Viggo Mortensen
The Soul of Viggo (El Alama de Viggo)
By Miguel Juan Payan
translated by Chrissie
Accion magazine
April 2005



If you ask him to explain his Captain, he answers: "Proud. But pride in a war can be a very bad thing. It prevents you from quitting when you should do."

Now Viggo Mortensen is a Captain from the 17th Century: "I play in a classic movie"
By Michele Anselmi - translated by Cindalea
Il Giornale
17 October 2006



"As any single man of certain age, I think that people get used to do things their way. He's a man who hardly ever is at home, let's say, he's always at war; that's why he shows the characteristics of any soldier who has a long professional life. It's a bit difficult for him to open up to feelings and he's vulnerable, and he finds in María de Castro the perfect partner, because she also has a hard life and it's difficult for her to be more communicative."

Viggo Mortensen
The filming of Alatriste
by Jesús Martin - translated by Paddy
Acción Magazine
July 2006



What is your favorite aspect of Alatriste?

Well, his resiliency, his natural nobility. Maybe not always, but almost always, he treats other people well and behaves, he takes care of his stuff, and he doesn't complain.

Gente Interviews with Viggo Mortensen and Eduardo Noreiga
By - translated by Graciela
Gente
30 August 2006



"We know very well that the experience of fatherhood is always unique, bringing up a son is a real adventure. What really counts is the example we give to our children, our behaviour, especially when we are tired or stressed. In the beginning, Alatriste is not so happy about taking care of the son of his dead friend. He prefers to get drunk with friends: he was not a good candidate to be a good father, but in the end, in spite of all his failures, he makes out alright with it."

Captain Alatriste: betrayed by life, by his woman and his king
By Chiara Ugolini - translated by Cindalea
TrovaCinema
16 October 2006



"...the scarf is an important element in this story; it heals wounds in the night raids, and during the movie and at the end of it, it helps Copons", and grabbing the scarf he had by his side, he showed it to me and told me: "Look, it's really worn out and it has some bullet holes; it was in Rocroi, but it survived."

Alatriste's Scarf
By Joan Mundet - translated by Graciela
joanmundet.com
December 2006



"Viggo has made Alatriste human..."

Swashbuckling Alatriste set to break hearts, records
By Elisabeth O'Leary
Reuters, Madrid
1 September 2006



'Later, during a break in filming, I shake hands with Viggo, stained with special effects blood. We chatted for a while and then went to eat underneath the tent that protected us from the sun, while I observed his soldier's moustache, his scars, his doublet covered with dust and blood, his light and engrossing eyes that looked only like those of veterans, more beyond life and death. He wasn't an actor, I suddenly thought. He was the exact image of the tired hero........

.......I understood that I could never repay Viggo Mortensen the debt of gratitude that I felt towards him during this long and complex adventure of filming.'

Arturo Pérez Reverte
Viggo, The Captain
El Semanal - ranslated by Elessars Queen
20 July 2005

We seem to have been waiting forever, but On the Road has finally premiered at Cannes and although reactions to this complex road film have been mixed, Viggo's incarnation of Old Bull Lee has garnered some very good reviews. I'm sure it's no surprise to any of us that he's delivered yet another spot on performance! Many thanks to Chrissie and all those at V-W who have hunted down the reviews!



© MK2 Productions


...Viggo Mortensen is purely glorious playing a thinly-veiled William Burroughs, the trio's wise but wonky mentor.

Xan Brooks
The Guardian
23 May 2012



...I would love to see a whole movie about Old Bull Lee, played by Viggo Mortensen, who does a spot-on William Burroughs here.

Drew McWeeny
HitFix
23 May 2012



The other actors hit their notes effectively, particularly Mortensen and Sturridge as the respective alter egos of William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg;

Justin Chang
Variety
23 May 2012



Viggo Mortensen makes things jump with his sepulchral growl as Old Bull Lee (William S. Burroughs)

Manohla Dargis
The New York Times
23 May 2012



The most fun appearance by far is Viggo Mortensen's work as William Burroughs doppelgänger Bull Lee.

Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out Chicago
23 May 2012



The supporting cast of Tom Sturridge, Kirsten Dunst, Danny Morgan, Alice Braga, Elizabeth Moss, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen and Steve Buscemi -- each has their own stand-out moment, as if they're riffing their own solo in an ensemble.

Jerry Cimino
Huffinton Post
23 May 2012



And Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams play the book's stand-ins for William S. Burroughs and Jane Vollmer with drugged-up grit and gravel, a cautionary tale about to happen.

James Rocchi
IndieWire
23 May 2012



....Viggo Mortensen is two-for-two in portraying esteemed intellectuals lately -- he follows his role as A Dangerous Method's Sigmund Freud with an appropriately cracked take on William S. Burroughs here. Dispensing heroin-addled wisdom in a gravelly drawl while firing off a pistol, he injects a spark of life into the veins of a film that needs it bad.

National Public Radio
wwno.org
24 May 2012



...older thespians like Viggo Mortensen (nailing a spot-on William S. Burroughs) and Steve Buscemi pop up to add a touch of classy decrepitude.

Steven Garrett
New York Observer
24 May 2012



...and Viggo Mortensen amusingly nails William Burroughs' dry, paint-chip voice in the role of Old Bull Lee, a Burroughs-esque junkie already deep into violence and paranoia.

Owen Gleiberman's
Entertainment Weekly
23 May 2012



But spare attention too for Viggo Mortensen. He gets two minutes in which to draw a spot-on caricature of William Burroughs.

Nigel Andrews
Financial Times
26 May 2012



...there are several excellent cameos - both Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams are inspired choices as Old Bull Lee and his wife Jane.

Gail Tolley
The List
25 May 2012



Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams shine briefly as the represented William Burroughs and wife Joan Vollmer...

Dan Mecca
The Film Stage
25 May 2012



Viggo Mortensen, priceless in Old Bull Lee / William Burroughs, highly intelligent and completely smoky.

Norbert Creutz
Le Temps
26 May 2012



The show is stolen in eccentric style by Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams, playing characters based on William Burroughs and his wife...

Jonathan Romney
The Independent
27 May 2012

The recent self-portraits published in Ekko Magazine and the turning up again of two photos which Viggo took of John Doe, possibly for one of his early albums, sent me back again to all the images Viggo has conjured up over the years. Some taken with a camera, some painted and collaged, some springing from the written word and others on celluloid. All different media but all part one man's incurable curiosity about the world and how he lives in it.



©Viggo Mortensen/Flaunt/Warner Brothers/Ekko Magazine


Photography, acting, painting, poetry, music...what would you give up?

"Nothing! It's like if you asked me what arm I prefer.

Viggo Mortensen, The Photographer Of Dreams
By Giovanni Valerio - translated by Cindalea
July 2008
Source: Panorama First



"Whether you paint or act or write, you're giving importance to a given moment, a place, an emotion, and you're communicating the discoveries you've made as you engage in that process. So in that sense, everything is connected."

Viggo Mortensen, Photographer
Massey University, 2003



"People who are creators create," he says. "People say to me all the time, 'Why don't you just focus on one thing?' And I say, 'Why? Why just one thing? Why can't I do more? Who makes up these rules?"

Viggo Mortensen
Finding Viggo
By Alex Kuczynski
Vanity Fair magazine
January 2004



We talked a little about your work as an actor, painter, poet and musician. They all seem linked by story. So I'm wondering what you think is the significance or power of stories? Why are they so important?

We are the stories we tell about ourselves, the stories we tell about others, the stories we read about everyone and every thing.

Viggo Mortensen's heroes
Ethan Gilsdorf,
Boston Globe
3 March 2012



"This world is a dream we all contribute to, in one way or another. We are part of the dream, if we are aware or not, if we like it or not. These pictures are a part of my dream, of the way I exist and act in the world."

Viggo Mortensen, The Photographer Of Dreams
By Giovanni Valerio - translated by Cindalea
July 2008
Source: Panorama First



'Inspiration is a notion, an impulse that has its own shape, before you stumble onto it. If you're in too much of a hurry, you try to tell it what it is, instead of having it tell you what it is. And I think if you do that, you're gonna miss out.'

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen ('80) Remembers
By Macreena A. Doyle
St. Lawrence University
2003



"He is a very multifaceted and slightly compulsive individual, constantly creating in every medium. His creative energy is boundless; I assume acting is another extension of that."

Robert Mann, New York Gallerist
In the Spotlight But Shining On Its Own - Celebrity Art
by Lisa Crawford Watson
Art Business News, 2001



'So much has already been done and there's not much that's new,' he concludes. 'You can't let that stop you though, because the actual exercise of just poking around the debris is worthwhile. Even if you produce stuff that's interesting to nobody but yourself, the activity justifies itself. Making things is a way of finding out.'

Treasure Island: A visit with Viggo Mortensen
Recent Forgeries
Kristine McKenna 1998



Mortensen's work - photographs, paintings, and poems - all seems to me to be intensely autobiographical. I mean that his works are autobiographical in the sense that Robert Creeley gives to this term, "auto-bio-graphy', which felicitously translates as "as life tracking itself'.

Kevin Power
Viggo Mortensen: A Life Tracking Itself
Singlanguage 2002



"The connotation of celebrity art isn't very good," Mann says. "It implies dilettante. I wouldn't put Viggo in that context. He doesn't have to paint, that's not the point. I think he really needs to make art, really needs to."

Robert Mann, New York Gallerist
In the Spotlight But Shining On Its Own - Celebrity Art
by Lisa Crawford Watson
Art Business News, 2001



'A photo, a painting, a poem or music that we use to express our experience is not the main thing, but what you are expressing. How you sense the world around you is art in its own form. To stop for one silent moment and just see what happens.'

Viggo Mortensen
Margt til lista lagt article from Fréttablaðið
visir-is
Translated by Ragga
June 2008



'This is only me and my camera. I sit down and watch the sky, stop, and maybe sing a little or write something down. When I have time to do that, I am as happy as I can be.'

Viggo Mortensen
Capable Of Many Things
By Hanna Björk Valsdóttir - translated by Ragga
30 May 2008
Source: Fréttablaðið

Some weeks back I commented on our General Comments thread that I didn't really have enough quotes on A Perfect Murder to do an APM Quotable. Well - I don't like to be beaten, especially on a film that saw Viggo adding painting to his artistic cannon of writing, photography and acting! And, even after all this time, it's still nice to get the film out and enjoy bad boy, David Shaw and that 'grimy loft'!



Courtesy of Sagralisse.
© Warner Brothers.


"Normally I think it's an extreme lack of ideas to make re-makes," Viggo Mortensen says, "but on the other side - when you can make "Hamlet" over and over again why not Hitchcock?"

Nice And Sensitive Movie-Star
By Susanne Johansen - translated by Majken
Berlingske Tidende
10 October 1998



In 'A Perfect Murder' he is - in spite of Michael Douglas's and Gwyneth Paltrow's presence - the star.

Viggo from Hollywood
by Poul Hoi
M/S (Danish magazine)
2001



'I played a painter and I needed to have all of this artwork around me, so I asked if I could do some paintings myself. I just went crazy. I couldn't sleep. I did about 45 paintings in two weeks.'

Viggo Mortensen on A Perfect Murder
The Hot New 39-Year-Old
by Dennis Hensley
Movieline magazine
1998



'...I'm surprised they let me do that, actually. There was just a little time before we were going to start and I just asked, "What if I did this myself? I showed them a couple of small samples and they said sure if I made this bigger and I said OK.'

Viggo Mortensen on doing the paintings in A Perfect Murder
The Fire That Fuels an Artist's Heart
by Carnell
Carpe Noctem magazine #15, 1999



'I like to draw and stuff but the reason they used photography in it was because that was something that I did know and I had a certain stock pile of images I could play with. That helped!'

Viggo Mortensen on doing the paintings in A Perfect Murder
The Fire That Fuels an Artist's Heart
by Carnell
Carpe Noctem magazine #15, 1999



'At my first meeting with Gwyneth, I took two photographs of her. I used both of them for the main art work in Murder. It helped me to believe in my character.'

Versatile Viggo
By Louis B Hobson
Calgary Sun
5 June 1998



Because of his role Mortensen had to face an interesting phenomenon: Would David Shaw's images reflect the artistic feelings of himself, Viggo Mortensen or do they belong to the character of David Shaw? "I think both are right", answered Mortensen, "I didn't have time to occupy myself too much with this duality. I think that the artwork represents on the one hand my own subconsiousness and on the other hand my ideas on who David is."

Warner Brothers German Press Release
Translated by always smiling



Since then, Viggo the actor, poet and photographer also becomes a painter.

Viggo Mortensen
Text Bernd Volland
Stern Spezial Biografie
30 October 2003



'Viggo is a real artist. He lives for creating art and be absorbed by it - not for talking.'

Gwynneth Paltrow
By Cindy Pearlman
The Chicago Sun-Times
1998



If you're a woman you will remember the way he slid his hands backward over her cheeks as they made love in his grimy loft.

Talking about 'A Perfect Murder'
Finding Viggo
By Alex Kuczynski
Source: Vanity Fair magazine
January 2004



Interviewer: Is it true that you sang serenades to calm Gwyneth Paltrow before the love scenes in 'A Perfect Murder'?

Viggo: How do you know that?

Interviewer: She has said that herself.

Viggo: That is correct. To calm her and create a certain atmosphere of intimacy I did sing a couple of love songs that I learned in Argentina when I was young. I don't know if that ended up scaring her instead.

Viggo from Hollywood
By Poul Høi
M/S Magazine
August 2001



Q: What surprised you about your other costar, Michael Douglas?

A: Just before Christmas, Michael was singing Christmas songs all day long, but he'd change the lyrics and he'd make the crew sing along, too. It was just goofy. You don't think of him as being that kind of a dorky guy.

The Hot New 39-Year-Old
By Dennis Hensley
Movieline magazine
August 1998



'He's a method actor. He is able to scream loudly if he has to - just watch G.I. Jane. He's an excellent actor, but a shy actor'.

Michael Douglas
By Cindy Pearlman
The Chicago Sun-Times
1998



Mr. Mortensen has the movie's richest role as the duplicitous painter who is coerced into agreeing to murder his lover. In the scenes in which he is supposed to appear sympathetic, he insinuates enough surliness to give his character a disquieting undertone of potential violence. But once David has been established as a rat, the actor shows flashes of pained regret for having to kill a woman he half loves.

Stephen Holden
New York Times
June 5, 1998



But Viggo Mortensen, well heck, now there's an actor with some bite!! If you have yet to hear much about this man, open your ears, and listen wide. This guy can act...and act well goddammit! I have loved almost all of his performances, with his role in THE INDIAN RUNNER (5/10) and last year's G.I. JANE (6/10) standing out in my mind, and certainly a force to reckon for all great future character roles. Watch for him...he's hot!

Berge Garabedian
Joblo.com
November 2, 1998



Viggo Mortensen undergoes an interesting transformation in his key scene with Douglas; we believe him when he's a nice guy, and we believe him even more when he's not; he doesn't do a big style shift, he simply turns off his people-pleasing face.

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-times
June 5, 1998

This week's Quotable is all about acting and takes a look at why Viggo is an actor, how he chooses parts, his thoughts on acting technique, fame and why comedy has never some his way. As Cronenberg once said to Metro 'he's never showboating, it's always about the character'.



Image John Harris.
© Haddock Films.


Have you ever asked yourself what you're doing in the world of movies?

Many times, but I always come to the conclusion that I'm in the right profession, one that permits me to share what I have inside and, by chance, allows me to explore other means of artistic expression.

Viggo Mortensen
"I'm permanently dissatisfied."
by Amelia Enríquez, Lecturas Magazine
30 August 2006
Translated for V-W by Margarita



Film reconciles the sprawl of his interests: philosophy, history, psychology, photography, music. Sure, it's an odd business, with plenty of pitfalls, but he thinks he has a pretty healthy take on it. "But then," he says, "if I had a really healthy attitude, I wouldn't be in the industry at all. So I must be somewhat contaminated."

'My mother is very happy about it'
By Harriet Lane
The Guardian
February 22, 2008



"If there's something in a story that might be good for me to explore and learn about, that pricks my conscience or even scares me on some level, then that's where I try to go.

Viggo Mortensen
"Life's Too Short to Do All This Work and Not Do It Right": An Interview with Viggo Mortensen
By Scott Thill, Morphizm.com,6 April 2004



"Immersion is essential for me. I consider each film like a new school."

Viggo Mortensen the Insatiable
By Sophie Benamon, Studio Magazine
November 2007



"...my approach to a role, even if it's an action one, it's never only physical but "from the mind". It´s been like this even with Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen: Interpreting the soul of Freud
By Giovanna Grassi
Sette Magazine - translated by Ollie
September 2011



...did the bad guy roles never give you problems with your conscience?

Yes, a couple of times. Like in the Sean Penn movie. But whenever I had to face up to a bad guy, I looked for the reasons he was bad (no-one is totally bad). If I could find those reasons, I took the role. A couple of times I turned down roles which displayed gratuitous violence. However the bad guy roles are nearly always better written, they are richer characters and are more interesting.

Viggo Mortensen
A Multi-talented Hero
Dominical, by J. A. - translated for V-W by NacidaLibre
27 August 2006



"I don't have a five year plan or a five minute plan. For some people that does work. That's a safer way to do it, it's maybe more remunerative. You can make a fortune and be on the cover of every magazine or whatever, but that's probably a type of prison."

Viggo Mortensen
A Fantastic Leap of Faith
by Brent Simon
Entertainment Today, 2001



Are you a disciplined actor, one of those that just obeys the director or are you one of those that asks many questions, constantly needing notes from the director?

Of the second kind... Any time of the day or night. I fry the director.

Viggo Mortensen
A Multi-talented Hero
Dominical, by J. A. - translated for V-W by NacidaLibre
27 August 2006



"I've... seen advertised, teachers saying, 'I'll show you how to not only win in auditions, I'll show you how to win every scene.' You can't win every scene. That's not even a goal. The goal isn't to win anything. The goal is to be there. That's how you tell a story. And so when you're thinking in terms of results, then you're skipping the reaction part, the foundation of good acting."

Viggo Mortensen
Good Fellow
by Jamie Painter Young
Backstage West
5 January 2004



"People talk about Method actors, meaning someone that's prepared very, very well, or whatever they mean when they talk about it. But the right method is whatever works for you. And what works for me on any given day is going to be different. It's going to depend on things like, does the director, or do the other people involved, want to rehearse? Do they believe in rehearsing? How do they rehearse? Do they like to improvise or not? How do they want to shoot the scene? Is it all one master, or is it bits and pieces? What kind of character am I playing? Does he talk a lot, or does he not talk much? Do people speak quickly? There are so many factors. If you have only one way of doing it, you're selling yourself short and depriving yourself of a fuller experience, and possibly of delivering better work to the director, to use as raw material in building a story."

Viggo Mortensen
Tasha Robinson
The Onion, 2004



'....in recent roles, a little bit more each time I think I've tended to trust my instincts and trust whatever preparation I've done. I mean, I've always felt dependent on others, which I think is a good thing; I don't think it's a weakness, I think, really, my performance depends on other people all of the time. Not just the actors, well, mainly the actors but the crew [as well]'

Interview: Viggo Mortensen
By Todd Gilchrist
Cinematical
26 November 2009



'I've never been offered comedy and don't know why. But sometimes I subtly slip ironic touches into my roles.'

Viggo Mortensen
A Multi-talented Hero
Dominical, by J. A. - translated for V-W by NacidaLibre
27 August 2006



"Good luck talking someone into that: ' History of Violence , The Road - that guy? Forget it.'"

Viggo after the interviewer suggests a comedy
On the Road, signs of the apocalypse hit home
Johanna Schneller
Globe and Mail
27 November 2009



I'm not in a hurry to [leave characters behind]. I appreciate other actors that say "it was difficult to shed the skin of this character'. I don't know what the hurry is. As far as I'm concerned, I don't see that it ruins my life to have gotten involved with the character I'm playing. Our memories are finite and they decrease in their efficiency over time as we get older, so what's the hurry to forget something you learned something from and you explored in an interesting way? I'm never in a hurry to shed it. I don't see it as a problem.

Goin' Fishin' with Viggo Mortensen
By Lynn Barker
Teen Hollywood
28 September 2005



"...when I was watching the reel of clips, going back to the mid-eighties, I just went on a journey personally about where I was at the time. I'd look at Patricia Arquette [in 'The Indian Runner'] or Diane Lane [in 'A Walk on the Moon'] or how Al Pacino was in that moment [in 'Carlito's Way'], and just the things that happened that are beyond technical explanations, that magical thing that has to do with a leap of faith. And people go, 'How did you get to that place?'

And honestly, in some cases you don't know, we were lucky it happened. You just hope those things happen once in a while."

Viggo talking about the Telluride Film Festival Tribute
Viggo Mortensen: 'A Grown Man in an Era of Boys'
Jay A. Fernandez
Risky Biz
12 September 2009



'I don't care about being famous. I don't care about having my face on posters. It doesn't massage my ego. It's nice to have a poster, but in the end it's about the movie. Nobody walks around saying "The movie stunk, but the poster was awesome'.'

Viggo Mortensen while promoting Hidalgo
A Reluctant Star
By Barry Koltnow, Orange County Register
7 March 2004

This week I have a round-up of quotes looking forwards to On the Road - soon to be unveiled at Cannes after what seems like an eternity of waiting. From the first photos and the trailer it's clear that Viggo has completely transformed himself yet again. I'm also taking a look backwards to Viggo enjoying himself and sharing thoughts on acting at the recent Coolidge and Genie Awards.



© Gregory Smith


Viggo Back "On The Road," But With an Upgrade on the Shopping Cart

Headline announcing Viggo's participation in 'On the Road'
Bryan Alexander
NBCWashington.com
5 August 2010



"Walter [Salles] seems like a very nice man, and On The Road is a book I read and enjoyed reading. And I knew it was one of those books people like Francis Ford Coppola had been trying to make for decades.

But when I read the book, the last person I'd have seen myself playing was Bull Lee, the William Burroughs character. But I kind of said to myself, 'Don't forget you were surprised by David's idea you could play Freud. And they both were mentors in a way. You had people like Jung came to Freud for advice. And (Allen) Ginsberg and Kerouac and other authors went to Burroughs to soak up his knowledge."

Viggo Mortensen
Mortensen up for Burroughs role
By Jim Slotek, Kevin Williamson, QMI Agency
Toronto Sun/Tiff
18 September 2011



"It was such a crazy experience. There were things that were not in the script and you were asked to do on the day, like improvising with Viggo, which is quite crazy. He's a very cerebral man. He turned up with these beautiful old antique books from the time, like Baudelaire, and things that his character would have had. He had a bag of goodies that he brought with him and a hat, a tie and a shoulder holster. I thought, 'this guy is f**king cool.' I was quite intimidated."

Sam Riley
Sullivan on Cinema: Sam Riley
By Chris Sullivan
Redbull.com
9 June 2011



'Walter Salles, the director, has a light touch and is very kind, extremely intelligent, and very helpful with the actors. Great crew on that shoot. The images I have seen are strikingly beautiful; they really capture post-WW2 USA landscapes, people.'

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen Talks Working With Kristen Stewart in On the Road
by Allie Merriam
Buzz Sugar
29 November 2011



'There's no better thing as I'm concerned in my profession than to be called reliable. Sounds boring, but if someone can count on you to do a job well, or as best that you can, that's what I strive for...'

Viggo Mortensen
Let's Get Viggo'd at The Coolidge
by Megan Johnson
Boston Herald Blog
6 March 2012



Dressed as if he might be preparing for a role as a sailor -- in black pea coat, striped nautical shirt, and boat shoes -- Mortensen faced a throng of cameras and journalists, thanking everyone "for showing up."

Actor Viggo Mortensen honored at the Coolidge Corner Theatre
The Boston Globe
05 March 2012



'I'm not usually a suit person... You're lucky I'm wearing shoes!'

Viggo Q&A after accepting the Coolidge Award in Boston
Greendragon posting on TORn
6 March 2012



Mortensen: ...I know that the previous recipients have been some pretty admirable artists. So I feel like I'm in great company. I was quite surprised actually to be offered that. And I actually thought, well, why are they doing this?

Gilsdorf: Any ideas?

Mortensen: I suppose it speaks to the types of movies I've been lucky to be in and the kind of people I've worked with.

Viggo Mortensen Speaks
Wired
11 March 2012



"Well, I'm ambivalent about awards, because, as you say, there's a lot of them... but something like this is pretty unique and I have to say that one of the main reasons that I even tried my hand at being an actor was Meryl Streep," Mortensen said. "And I know that she was given this award and when I saw that I thought, well, it's a very prestigious award and the fact that she is one of the previous recipients, I'd be an idiot not to say yes. You know, what an honor, really."

Viggo on his Coolidge Award
The Coolidge: A Hub For Independent Film
by Jim Sullivan
Radio Boston
6 March 2012



"I don't really have a preference [in roles]. But I think people have a mistaken idea about how much say actors have in what they end up doing in their careers. Even actors who are relatively well known like I am, or much more well-known, even the George Clooneys of the world, they don't get offered everything.

Viggo Mortensen
The Coolidge: A Hub For Independent Film
by Jim Sullivan
Radio Boston
6 March 2012



Following the press Q&A, as he left the stage, he paused, looked at the huge 'Viggo Mortensen' image on the screen behind him, and said, 'You spelled my name wrong...' There was a horrified moment as the organisers checked in panic - then he smiled, 'No, just kidding....'

Viggo after accepting the Coolidge Award in Boston
Greendragon posting on TORn
6 March 2012



"I can talk on film," he quipped on the red carpet, poking fun at the many roles in which he is a man of few words.

Viggo accepting his Genie Award
Viggo Mortensen wins
CBC.ca
8 March 2012



Mortensen, a Habs fan, dedicated his award to the Montreal Canadieans, before wrapping it in a Canadiens flag.

A Dangerous Method earns supporting actor trophy for Viggo Mortensen
CBC.ca
08 March 2012

OK - I give in. Although I'd rather pull my own teeth without anaesthetic than watch a football match, I realise that it's time we had another Quotable about San Lorenzo. There are fans and then there's Viggo, proudly carrying that blue and red flag to the ends of the earth for his team...



© N/A.


"I'm not very fond of passports, borders or flags, but [laughing and pointing at the SL flag behind him] for San Lorenzo de Almagro, I do have unconditional love! They can almost do no wrong!

Out of superstition, that flag, or one like it, is everywhere, on a film shoot or wherever..."

Viggo Mortensen
Inside The Dressing Room
By - transcribed by Ollie and translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El Mundo
15 December 2011



....the Cuervo ambassador to the world.

Jorge Barros
San Lorenzo Supporters Subcommittee interview
Transcribed/translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
SCH tv
20 May 2011



"I'm spreading "the cuervo gospel" all over the world. That's not only my mission, but my career, that's my job. Cinema, poetry and all the rest are hobbies. Spreading the cuervo gospel, that's what I'm dedicated to..."

Viggo Mortensen
In The Name Of The Father
By Natalia Trzenko - translated by Ollie and Zooey
La Nacion
22 June 2010



"I like how the San Lorenzo supporter behaves; I like their traditions. They have the best songs and are the most witty, and the other supporters recognize that. And besides, they sing non-stop; it doesn't matter if we're losing 0 to 7. San Lorenzo supporters have a very rich history, of endurance above all, and a special dignity."

El mundo de Viggo Mortensen
By Manuel Martínez - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Esquire Latinoamerica
15 March 2012



"I left when I was eleven years old, at the beginning of the '70s, and only returned in '95. More than twenty years in which I was cut off from Argentina. There was no internet; it was very difficult. Do you know what I had left of those years? All I had were these soccer picture cards of the Carasucias of San Lorenzo, a Martin Fierro, a Don Segundo Sombra, a little San Lorenzo jersey...and nothing more."

Viggo Mortensen: "Writing and acting are like being a kid again"
By Eduardo Bejuk - translated by Zooey
Gente
25 August 2009



"Go San Lorenzo! My membership card says "supporter from another country", but I am not a supporter from another country; that does not describe me properly... I am a "local" supporter, [a supporter] from the bottom of my heart, from a heart that is ours, that belongs to all the "cuervos", in the past, in the present and for ever."

Viggo's speech
100th year San Lorenzo celebration
Buenos Aires
Translated by Silver
2 April 2008



It's almost three o' clock in the morning. He is sitting next to the fire on a wood and leather chair. The "asado" (barbecue) is over. The people he was preparing mate for, two at the same time, have said goodbye. He is wearing a gray San Lorenzo goalkeeper's soccer shirt, and he throws a cigarette butt into the embers. Viggo Mortensen, 49, now has a needle in his hand and he starts sewing his red and blue flag, which suffered a passionate tear in the victory against Lanus: "I like to sew it myself."

A Trip With Viggo Mortensen Through The Heart Of The Province
By Robustiano Pinedo - translated by Graciela
El Tribuno Salta
14 May 2007



"We had our chances, but things didn´t turn out for us as we would have liked.
I was furious, very depressed. I watched the match on my laptop, in the restaurant of a gas station near Boston, USA. People were staring at me, sitting there with my San Lorenzo shirt, behaving like a crazy man, talking to the little screen, shouting at the players."

Viggo on watching San Lorenzo lose
Knowing How To Lose
By Viggo Mortensen - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro
5 March 2012



[He]....wears a San Lorenzo shirt like it's tattooed on his skin.

"I feel honored to be able to give a hand to poets"
By - translated by Zooey and Sage
Pagina 12
14 August 2009



"These characters, the father and his son, in spite of seeming to be very cold, in fact, beneath the rags they wear, happen to have San Lorenzo t-shirts," says the actor, and laughs.

Viggo talking about The Road
In The Name Of The Father
By Natalia Trzenko - translated by Ollie and Zooey
La Nacion
22 June 2010



"To me, soccer is a metaphor for many things, like struggle in life. It's a sport in which someone really little like Messi - who looks like an ordinary guy who could be riding a bike delivering newspapers or sandwiches, whatever - does unforgettable things every time he comes out to play. It's impressive."

El mundo de Viggo Mortensen
By Manuel Martínez - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Esquire Latinoamerica
15 March 2012



"Every time I go to a match I get excited and enjoy myself just as much, no matter what happens soccerwise. As the song says "... it´s a feeling you carry deep inside..""

Viggo, A True Cuervo
La Revista de San Lorenzo
Translated by Ollie, Rio, Sage and Zooey
18 April 2010



How would you define San Lorenzo fans?

Brothers, sisters - forever.

Viggo, A True Cuervo
La Revista de San Lorenzo
Translated by Ollie, Rio, Sage and Zooey
18 April 2010

Following my recent look back at Good, Eastern Promises and Hidalgo, I thought it would be fun to head out West this week and revisit Appaloosa. How this wonderful film could slip under the radar is something we've debated a lot on V-W. The film is a powerful study of real friendship, beautifully filmed and superbly acted. Every scene between Hitch and Cole is a joy and the film (and Viggo) garnered some well-deserved top notch reviews. Maybe one day it will get its full due and be recognised as a must-see classic.



© New Line Cinema/Warner Brothers.


"These were two guys who had to communicate a lot about being who they were and the knowledge of each other without really talking about it ... If Viggo couldn't have done it, I don't know if I would've made the movie"

Ed Harris
Viggo is one straight shooter
By Kevin Williamson
Toronto Sun
6th September 2008



"Viggo is very detailed and he really got into the fact that Hitch had been at West Point - so he was particular about all of his gear, the saddlebags and his haircut. In the book, his character is probably a little more of a hick. But Viggo's thing was I don't want to say 'ain't.' Viggo wanted to refine Hitch a bit, to clean him up. It made sense and was a nice choice."

Ed Harris
Globe and Mail
22 September 2008



"I like characters who find themselves at the brink of change. Everett is in the centre of the transition from anarchy to civil law in America. My characters always stand for crossing a ford. Years ago, Everett studied at West Point but I love imagining him as the black sheep of the family because he has gone West, looking for adventure and he has found it. In the book he says: I'd been in West Point, like my father, but I found it boring. While the hairstyle, gun, saddlebag, riding positions are based on the photos of that period; it was me who added the dandy touches to him; the gilet, the Victorian manners, formalistic as well as brutal, he can't erase them."

Viggo Mortensen
Appaloosa - 5 Questions For Viggo Mortensen
By Antonella Catena - translated by Ewa
Max
16 January 2009



Viggo Mortensen follows a classic cowboy code in the Western "Appaloosa": Speak softly and carry a big honkin' gun.

Mortensen Packs a Big Gun
By David Germain
Associated Press
17 September 2008



"When I first had it, I said, `Do you really need it to be an eight-gauge, Ed?'" Mortensen, 49, said in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, where "Appaloosa" premiered in advance of its theatrical release Friday.

"It's not that manageable, it's not going to be accurate at much distance. I said, `I'm not going to shoot that thing off a horse, because I'd get blown off the horse, realistically.'"

Mortensen Packs a Big Gun
By David Germain
Associated Press
17 September 2008



"We did all the hardest stuff in the first week; climbing up steep hillsides with rocky terrain. Rex selected two very impressive steeds for Cole and Hitch to ride because when they first come into town, they want to make an impression. They come in on horses that are much bigger than the other ones in town."

Viggo Mortensen
Appaloosa: Shooting Ed Harris' Western
Emmanuellevy.com
August 2008



"I can't lie to you, I had a lot of fun riding around on horseback..."

Viggo Mortensen
CBS News Interview
8 September 2008



"Cole and Hitch are not that far removed from the 'outlaws' that they're up against. There's not much difference between them in some moments; they both have displays of temper and violence."

Viggo Mortensen
Emmanuellevy.com
August 2008



"It's not a revisionist Western," states Mortensen. "It's not a movie about 1882 seen through our eyes as much as it is a picture that's without judgment of people as they seem to have behaved back then. The standards of behavior were very different. In some ways, there were higher standards of politeness and chivalry, but in other ways, people were much more direct and brutal towards each other. Neither Ed nor I, as the central male characters, are trying to justify the violence that comes with our jobs in this story, or to make our characters seem more heroic than they are."

Viggo Mortensen
Appaloosa: Shooting Ed Harris' Western
Emmanuellevy.com
August 2008



...as the scene unfolded, Mortensen stood rock solid, waiting to draw his Colt .45. And then his hat went flying away, a Frisbee on steroids. Harris reset the scene, and then cinematographer Dean Semler ("Dances With Wolves") ran out of film. "That's why I like to shoot digitally," he muttered to Harris.

Filming the final scene
Ed Harris ramrods unconventional western 'Appaloosa'
By John Horn
Los Angeles Times
7 September 2008



Have there ever been so many chiseled features on one big screen? You could sharpen knives with their stony cheekbones.

New York Magazine
By Logan Hill
24 August 2008



...Holding one's body still in front of a movie camera while also giving the sense of a mind in motion is a specialized art, one with few masters. Paul Newman comes to mind, notably in his later career, as does Robert Duvall, a perennial movie cowboy who will surely wish that Appaloosa had come his way. And now, it would seem, there is Mortensen, who steals this film by doing nothing much more than lean against doorways and bar counters. Like Harris, Mortensen is a great listener, and good listeners--in life and in movies--barely move. That quality is just right for the role of Hitch, whose life hangs on Cole's next word and slightest gesture. It's an old truth, and not just about westerns: When the talking stops, the dying begins.

Chuck Wilson
Village Voice
17 Septmeber 2008



But while the story is compelling, and the scenes lush, none of that compares to the performance given by Mortensen. He is, simply, Hitch. There is not one moment that seems like acting, or where he seems like anything other than his character. Mortensen's performance is flawless - so real that the film seems more like a look into the past, rather than a fictional slice of entertainment. You can see his power, his strength, and his intelligence as easy as you can see the all-prevalent dusty wind.

Monika Bartyzel
collider.com
8 September 2008
Early Films



In 2000, Ed Harris made his directorial debut with the fantastic Pollock. Hollywood pundits fawned over the film and the actor-turned-director ad nauseum. Strangely, his follow-up, the wonderful western, Appaloosa got largely lost in the shuffle. Even more irking, the always-strong Viggo Mortensen got little recognition for a nuanced supporting turn. With the moustache of the year (that should be an award), Mortensen turned a rather standard best-friend part into a quiet tour de force.

Oscar nominations 2009
Scott Taverner
martiniboys.com
January 2009



Before Viggo Mortensen turned away in the brightly lit, night street of Appaloosa, he unexpectedly reached out, grabbed my hand, looked directly into my eyes and said, "Thank You Very Much for your help". 'The Carpenter' gratefully replied, "Thank you sir, it is an Honor having worked with you". Viggo Mortensen smiled, then slowly turned to walk to his 'ride'.....and it truly was an Honor, thats no lie. the Carpenter stood motionless and completely in shock, as Viggo Mortensen, the Film Star, walked away down the dusty street of Appaloosa.

Blogengeezer
daflikkers.blogspot.com
22 November 2007

When asked about acting, there is a theme that Viggo has returned to again and again over the years - that of maintaining a child's sense of play, exploration and believing the 'make-believe'. I've noticed that he's mentioned it frequently in recent interviews and it's clear that it's on his mind again because Cronenberg is a Director who brings a sense of play to the set, even while exploring dark themes. I think that sense of play and child-like wonder at the world surfaces in all of Viggo's artistic work, where he constantly tries to view the world with fresh eyes, trusting that if he does, something rather wonderful will happen.



© Hanway/Lago.


'To be an artist is to remain conscious of your surroundings, and I believe that we all have that capacity. Children have it and, as they grow up, they lose it.'

Viggo Mortensen
I wouldn't look the Alatristes of today in the eye
By Oskar L. Belategui, translated for V-W by Margarita
Hoy Sociedad
3 September 2006



"As a child, I played at being other people without thinking that it was something creative. And not only didn't I think that, but I believed without a doubt that I was the character that I took on that day: a Viking, a pirate, an adventurer, a soldier who was dying, a gaucho... Children are very good actors because they believe totally in what they're doing; they surrender themselves to it, without embarrassment, without fear; they dance, they sing, they do everything."

El mundo de Viggo Mortensen
By Manuel Martínez - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Esquire Latinoamerica
15 march 2012



"For me to feel comfortable, I really have to believe it as much as I did when I was a little kid, pretending to be a Viking or an athlete."

Viggo on Acting
The Profundity of Viggo Mortensen
by Michela Smith
Boston University Daily Free Press
8 March 2012



"I like acting because it's a way to keep on playing. It lets me grow a beard and put on glasses, gain weight, put on a fake nose, speak with a certain accent - all to play Sigmund Freud."

El mundo de Viggo Mortensen
By Manuel Martínez - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Esquire Latinoamerica
15 march 2012



"In my profession, I think it's very useful to maintain that fondness, that taste for play."

Viggo Mortensen: "I'm attracted to what scares me"
By Roció García - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El País
24 November 2011



'I guess on one level being an actor is a way of not growing up because you can make believe. But there's something healthy about it too, in that I don't get stuck in looking at the world in one way all the time.'

Lone Star
By Peter Ross
Dorchester, UK 11 April 2004
Source: Sunday Herald



"I like stories that are challenging, things that I don't know about. I like to learn about them, and you can do that in the movies if you want to. If you're lucky you can play different kinds of characters from different times, from different cultures, you know, from different points of view. I think kids do that all the time, naturally, they make believe games and dress up, all that stuff has to do with instinctively being interested in the way others think and do, and think about things and do them. And as you grow up, you start to limit how much you do that. You're self-conscience about it; or you don't have time for it; or what's the point? And for an actor it's important to retain that. It's a part of the job, I think. Well, at least for me it is."

An Interview With Viggo Mortensen
By Matthew Pejkovic
15 April 2009
Source: Matt's Movie Reviews



"When you work with [Cronenberg] the excitement is contagious. You feel like you're with a recently graduated film student who is absolutely brilliant. He acts like a kid about shooting every day. It helps you feel excited about it too."

Viggo Mortensen talking about Cronenberg
Viggo Mortensen Reveals How He Became Freud in 'A Dangerous Method'
by Thelma Adams
Yahoo Movies
16 December 2011



"He makes what can sometimes be a very trying or difficult job, or emotionally demanding, he makes easy and fun. He never loses sight of the fact that, after all it's play, it's make believe. It should be fun, there's no reason for it not to be, and he helps you feel that way too. There's a lot of directors - I would say, more often than not, directors forget that. They feel the pressure, or they take themselves or what they're doing too seriously."

Viggo Mortensen talking about Cronenberg
A Dangerous Method Premiere Interview
By Ben Mortimer
Hey U Guys
3 February 2012



"I choose roles for my own edification and entertainment, and really to learn and to challenge myself. People will go where they are comfortable with in terms of casting, but I will do what I can to take parts that I want to explore."

Appaloosa's Viggo Mortensen still hunting challenges
By Ian Caddell
Straight.com
2 October 2008



His work is a trace of his own adventure, lived openly and exploratively, with curiosity and a constant sense of surprise.

Kevin Power on Viggo's art and photography
Viggo Mortensen: A Life Tracking Itself
Singlanguage 2002



Dreams about becoming famous wasn't what got me into acting to begin with, but the dream about telling stories.

Dreaming About Telling Stories
By Einar Fal Ingolfsson - translated by Rosen and Ragga
Morgunblaðið
29 May 2008

This week I thought I'd take us back for another look at 'Good', a film which those involved - especially Scriptwriter Miriam Segal and Jason Isaacs - fought to make at some considerable personal sacrifice and which contains a message which will never cease to be relevant. It also drew an astonishing and (as always) deeply committed performance from Viggo - startling those who thought they had his acting career pigeon-holed as a man of action.



© Larry Horricks


Suddenly at the top of his game, Mortensen sparked to the role of John Halder, even though this bookish, cerebral intellectual couldn't have been further from the laconic men-of-action he has so recently been playing.

Emmanuel Levy
Emmanuel Levy.com
24 November 2008



"Viggo Mortensen is an extraordinary actor. I had seen him in A History Of Violence, directed by David Cronenberg, in which he plays a man haunted by ghosts from his past. In Good he is a mirror image of it, his character is becoming the ghost he will be. He has the perfect biotype to play a German. He has a sweet kind of masculinity, almost fragile and these characteristics are very important to convince the audience about his choices, even though these choices will take him to an abyss."

Vicente Amorim (Director)
Rede CBN radio interview
3 June 2006
Translated by Claudia



Q: Aren't you scared to work with an actor like Viggo?

A: Of course, I'm scared. I'm anxious. I'm looking forward to it. I'd love to start it right now.

Vicente Amorim (Director)
Rede CBN radio interview
3 June 2006
Translated by Claudia



"It was a generous gesture of Viggo to do that [fly out to get to know Isaacs prior to filming]. I don't want to get too soppy, but it made me feel incredibly warm towards him. When I arrived in Hungary, having had to shed a character on the plane, Viggo had already been around Europe on his own research trip and gathered some artifacts he thought might be useful for the character of Maurice. Viggo made it very, very easy for me to like him. He made it very easy to be his friend on screen and off screen."

Jason Isaacs on Viggo flying out to meet him prior to filming
Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs Address Good and Wax Philosophical about the Nazis
by Brad Balfour
Huffinton Post
13 January 2009



"I listened to music, looked at paintings, trying to find my face in those pictures. Walking down streets that you wouldn't have walked down. And you never know where that's going to take you. You're lost. I didn't have people with me smoothing the way, because then I wouldn't have learned anything."

Viggo doing research for Good in Germany
The happy trails of Viggo Mortensen
Xan Brooks
The Guardian
18 April 2009



"My goal was not to think about history, and what we know about this period, but to think about this situation and each moment. Why does John Halder do the things that he does? He's not one thing or the other. He's not good or bad. He's somewhere in between, we all are."

Viggo Mortensen
Play It As It Lays
By Philip Berk
Filmink
April 2009



"He's maddening at times. He goes from being very passive and stumbling, and thinking it doesn't seem a big deal, until finally he's got the uniform on and denial kicks in. It's an accumulation of all of these compromises. He can't run away from it any more and then he crumbles. And at the root of it he has been seduced by flattery."

Viggo Mortensen talking about Halder
Sympathy for the devil
By Chrissy Iley
The Observer
19 April 2009



"I like the title. It's intelligent. It lets the audience think for itself a bit. If you wanted to be really obvious, it would be Good?, or "Good" in quotation marks."

Viggo Mortensen - For The Good Of The People
By Elliot V Kotek
Moving Pictures
Winter 2008-2009



"This is different in that it doesn't have a big moment at the end. You're not let off the hook as an audience, with a catharsis. You can't say, "Oh, what a horrible villainous person who deserved to die," or "How great, he went down in a hail of bullets but he did save four-and-a-half people. This film is different. It's not over when it's over, which is the mark of a good story."

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs Address Good and Wax Philosophical about the Nazis
by Brad Balfour
Huffinton Post
13 January 2009



"...maybe there's an element of them having seen me in another movie and going, 'Oh, he's going to do something at some point'. And, it's not. He just keeps going down, down, down."

Viggo Mortensen talking about reactions to 'Good'
Capone has a GOOD chat with Viggo Mortensen about politics, THE ROAD, APPALOOSA, and THE HOBBIT!!!
Ain't it Cool News
3 December 2008



In contrast to the prancing egos on display at the TIFF, the undisputed hero this year has been charismatic, versatile and totally charming Viggo Mortensen ...in the electrifying German-British co-production Good, my favorite film of the festival, even this mesmerizing chameleon, who has proved he can play anything, surprised the hell out of audiences, who emerged stunned.

What Has Happened to the Toronto Film Festival?
Rex Reed
The New York Observer
9 September 2008



Viggo Mortensen is extraordinary! He gives a restrained, soulful, haunting performance that makes the movie.

Scott Feinberg Los Angeles Times (The Envelope)
October 2008



As a professor drafted into the Nazi Party (despite his liberal ideals), Viggo Mortensen, in the tiny but worthy Good, does what may be his most fascinating acting. He reveals the soul of an intellectual who's enlightened to everything but where the lust for absolute power leads. Good has a stagy fustiness, but it's worth seeing for Mortensen, who makes this study of "good German" look creepily contemporary. He shows us the horror of ignorance.

Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
14 January 2009



In telling the story of a man swept up by the tide of National Socialism despite never subscribing to its tenets, the movie maintains a particularly terrifying feel. By refusing to caricature John Halder (Viggo Mortensen) even as he joins the propaganda apparatus, dons a uniform and neglects his Jewish best friend (Jason Isaacs), the film drives home its unsettling message: That could be us.

Robert Levin
Critic's Notebook
2 January 2008

Every few weeks, as Viggo and Cronenberg travel the A Dangerous Method promotional circuits, we hear tantalising hints about Eastern Promises 2. There is a fantastic script already written, Viggo and Cassel are on board, Cronenberg sounds more than ready to film it and... there is no funding to date. This Quotable is full of reasons why we - and most other movie lovers out there - want to see this film: fascinating and dedicated actors prepared to journey with a great director to astonishing places, to tell a great story.



© Focus Features


Mortensen's character does the skillful cinematic equivalent of an intellectual striptease during the course of this story. Slowly, ever so slowly, bits of my first impression are stripped away, destroyed. In the end, Nikolai is nothing at all like I first imagined, and yet he is all that I imagined.

'Eastern Promises' a gripping mob thriller
Bend Weekly
Robert Hawkins
21 December 2007



...in 2007 (when he was nearly 50), Viggo Mortensen showed not just one of the great bodies in modern film, but naked commitment to one of the screen's most uncompromising fight scenes. He was playing a Russian gangster living in London, speaking very good Russian, and acting as cool and sultry as Brando. There's a scene in that film, Eastern Promises, where his character, Nikolai, stubs a cigarette out on his own tongue. At that moment, all was made clear: Mortensen was an old-fashioned star, as confident and as taciturn as Gary Cooper.

Viggo Mortensen
By David Thomson
The Guardian,
10 April 2009



"Even a simple thing, as when he's cutting the fingers off the corpse with his necktie flung over the shoulder," said director David Cronenberg, "and putting the cigarette out on his tongue to intimidate this guy who is demeaning him as just being a driver - that's all Viggo. That's not in the script. That's something Viggo came up with that I loved."

Mortensen, director discuss their noirish Eastern Promises
By Dixie Reid, Sacramento Bee,
12 September 2007



Keeping it all in the film family - as opposed to the crime family - Russian dialect coach Olegar Fedoro did double duty by appearing on-screen as the tattooist who works on Nikolai. "Viggo's body was a canvas for me," he reports. "Instead of a brush, I was using a little electric machine."

Eastern Promises Production Notes
Focus Features
20 August 2007



Mortensen's in-character tattoos for Nikolai were so authentic-looking that when the actor visited a Russian restaurant diners fell silent, thinking that a top Vory had entered. However, once he spoke English, many visibly relaxed...

...although, reveals Armin Mueller-Stahl, "I was told that some of them actually left."

Eastern Promises Production Notes
20 August 2007
Source: Focus Features



"What's good about this movie in the same sense as History of Violence was good and satisfying on an artistic level is that at the end of the story you feel it will continue, and if you're particularly impatient, you might feel it's incomplete. Well life is never complete. I think it asks a lot of questions. It doesn't give you answers. You have to think for yourself and I think that's the highest form of respect you can pay an audience member."

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen Talks Eastern Promises
By Andre Rivas
Ropeofsilicon.com
December 24, 2007



"To me it's a movie about kindness and compassion and self-sacrifice," he said. "Nikolai is a man who holds hope and compassion next to his despair and fear. In this increasingly complicated and confusing world, there are people even in the darkest realms who will nonetheless do the right thing.

"Just because it is the right thing."

Viggo Mortensen
A Violent Tour De Force
By Robert W Butler
Kansas City Star
15 September 2007



"When you see the character sitting alone, he's like a monk. It's like you've given up things of this world for other purposes, to serve something bigger than you. It just happens to be something scary."

Viggo Mortensen talking about the ending of EP
I've taken on too much...
by James Mottram
The Independent
23 October 2007



"As soon as I know I'm going to do a part, the first thing I ask myself is: 'What happened between birth and page one of the script?' There's no end to what you can imagine or figure out for yourself about that," he says. "That's the foundation for me, no matter what approach I need to take."

It plays itself out beautifully with Nikolai, who is a living and breathing entity. What the audience doesn't know about him--and Mortensen has endeavoured to discover and put in his performance--is as important as what's explicitly revealed.

Finding Viggo Mortensen
By Susan Thea Posnock
Awards Daily: Oscar Watch
awardsdaily.com
12 December 2007



"I met some people who were marvellous, who had backgrounds like my character, who had been in prison and were no longer involved with that life - or maybe they were, I was never sure," says the actor.

On travelling in Russia
Ties that bind
by Melora Koepke, Hour CA
13 Sept 2007



"I had seen photos in books in Russia on wrestling, such as the practices of the military. I learned those techniques for defence and attack. My partners knew them too: One was a Georgian who was in the army, the other a former Turkish boxer. In this way we could film the scene without doubles. It's because of that it is made so realistic. Nobody ever let their guard down!"

Viggo Mortensen on the fight scene
Viggo Mortensen the Insatiable
Studio Magazine
By Sophie Benamon
November 2007



"We were shooting in London and my hotel room had a 24 hour Russian channel, so I just left it on all the time. I watched movies, variety shows, very strange soap operas...."

Viggo Mortensen
By Natasha Stoynoff, People Magazine
1 October 2007



'We used a lot of the London Russian émigré community as extras, and they adored it and said it was totally accurate. They were bowled over by how well Viggo and the others embodied Russianness. It'll probably be Putin's favourite movie.'

David Cronenberg
Q+A : David Cronenberg, Film Festival Preview
nowtoronto.com
30 Aug 2007



"Working with him was extraordinary. He was so into his character that I could tell he was upset to leave Nikolai behind!"

Naomi Watts
Eastern Promises Production Notes
20 August 2007
Source: Focus Features

The BBC showed Hidalgo in its afternoon schedules last weekend. Barely mentioned in the TV listings, I stumbled on it by accident and then couldn't tear myself away even though I have it on DVD and - I'm being frank here (excuse the pun) - it isn't one of my favourite films. But Viggo brings such commitment and honour to the role and the issues being portrayed that he is mesmerising, and he lifts the film to another level. One thing is clear - Hopkins just had to be Viggo, who brought much more than just a good acting performance to the film.



© Touchstone/Buena Vista.


"He's... completely devoted to the project. He was always there. We worked him a lot more than we should have. He never complained, and he was there dawn to dusk and beyond. He's largely responsible for making that whole aspect of this really work. He's really amazing."

Joe Johnston
IGN gets the behind-the-action goods from the director, writer and star of Hidalgo.
By Jeff Otto, IGN
March 04, 2004



"He's just a very simple guy with simple tastes; he doesn't like any luxurious things. I would try to get Viggo to have a decent meal and he would just sit there nibbling on a piece of lettuce, which upset me no end."

Omar Sharif
contactmusic.com
5 May 2004



I worked with him 12 years ago on horses, we rode together down by the Mexico border in Arizona while working on Young Guns 2. ...when I heard that he was interested in the role [of Hopkins] I anticipated that kind of commitment to research and sure enough, days after he was cast he called me and said, 'Who do you know on Pine Ridge reservation and can I go there?' Within a week he was out with these Lakota horsemen and riding with them, and on a long ride to Wounded Knee."

John Fusco
IGN gets the behind-the-action goods from the director, writer and star of Hidalgo.
By Jeff Otto, IGN
March 04, 2004



'The crew was a little surpised by the climatic conditions. I remember one time when we were trying to shoot in the Sahara, where you get these atrocious winds; it was hot, there was sand in the cameras. I heard everywhere: 'this is hell!' and, deep down in my heart, I thought 'this is a giggle compared to Lord...'."

Viggo Mortensen
A Year in the Life of Viggo Mortensen
by Sophie Benamon
Studio Magazine, 2003



It is clear that for Viggo Mortensen, his experience in the Middle East while filming Hidalgo holds a special place in his heart. 'There's so much violence happening in the world right now, it's harder for people to reach out and understand...I personally think common ground exists between all of us all the time. It's there.' The actor pauses, 'You're not obligated to find out what you have in common with others, but it's worth it!'

Viggo Mortensen
Hidalgo: A Filmmaking Journey to the Middle East
By Zaki Hasan
Q-NEWS Magazine (www.q-news.com), April 2004



Mortensen finds himself irresistibly drawn to the power of myth. "It's the same sort of story that has been told as long as there have been people, and that will be told as long as there are people: a challenge is presented to an individual, big or small, who is obligated in most cases to accept it. You have to take that step to say 'Yes,' and once you do, you're in for a pretty hard time of it in a lot of ways ... in big and small ways. It can be a test of your honor or your ability to keep your composure in difficult situations."

Viggo Mortensen talking about Hidalgo
After Aragorn
By Jeffrey Overstreet
ChristianityToday, 2004



"I think that's kind of healthy, for people to see an American heroic character in a big-budget studio movie who goes to the Middle East not to blow up a bunch of stuff or instruct people in the American way," he says. "He learns along the way, not only about himself and what he and his horse are capable of but also about those he's competing against. And then he goes home. It's another story, like 'Lord of the Rings,' where the lessons learned on the journey are more important than the destination."

V is for Viggo
by Hugh Hart
San Francisco Chronicle
2003



Viggo Mortensen -- who demonstrated his horsemanship in "The Lord of the Rings" movies -- plays Hopkins, and his performance is crucial. The character is a quiet, introspective man who has spent his life suppressing his emotions. And they are painful emotions, indeed. Mortensen does an exquisite job of revealing just enough of the bottled-up angst to make us aware of the internal turmoil his character battles.

'Hidalgo' races home with upbeat message
Jeff Strickler
Star Tribune, March 5, 2004



'A couple days ago, there was this hail. And everybody's just sitting there, kind of setting up the scene with clothing from 1890 and a herd of close to a thousand horses. And the waiting is almost like a ritual, like preparation for a religious moment where something might happen. You have words for the ceremony, the vestments, and all the elements and you're hoping that something good happens. So it's still interesting, the group getting together and doing it.'

Viggo Mortensen
A Religious Moment Where Something Might Happen
by Scott Thill
Morphizm 2002



"The dance had been performed once before in South Dakota, and now we were in the middle of the California desert trying it again, as a sort of mirage, a distorted memory. Just as they had done for the Wounded Knee reenactment, the dancers took their responsibilities in the ritual very seriously; there was an atmosphere that was created through the sheer earnestness of their effort. It transcended anything else that was going on with regard to the filming of the scene. When the dancers had finished and it became my turn to be filmed observing the dance, a pair of dust devils and weird crosswinds suddenly blew in on what had been a completely still day. As soon as the last take of the scene had been shot, the winds instantly and completely ceased, leaving everyone and everything calm and silent for several moments."

Viggo Mortensen on the Ghost Dance
The Man Who Would be King
By Scott Thill
Salon.com, 2003



As Hopkins in Hidalgo, as part of the team that worked to portray the Ghost Dance and subsequent Wounded Knee massacre, and as someone taking the opportunity to be outspoken about the personal and cultural consequences of the troubled history, Mortensen is a rare bridge. Viggo Mortensen the ikce wicasa (common man) can be trusted not to give out under the weight of the responsibility.

Native Voice Interview with Viggo
by Lise Balk King,
Pine Ridge Reservation
South Dakota, December 2003



In February, a rare event happened: Disney Touchstone Picture's new film 'Hidalgo,' had a press stop in Rapid City, South Dakota.....
.....When we inquired how Touchstone Pictures ended up bringing Hidalgo to Rapid City, we were told by Disney publicist Chad Olson that it was 'Because Viggo Mortensen wanted to bring it here.'

An Interview with Viggo
by Lise Balk King and Frank J King
Native Voice
January 2004



Mortensen was clearly chosen for the role in Hidalgo for more than just his acting skills. He is genuinely concerned with things being done correctly, respectfully, and honestly---and it shows. People know when they are being told the truth; it resonates a feeling that cannot be faked. It is a tribute to the creators of Hidalgo that they chose Viggo Mortensen.

Native Voice Interview with Viggo
by Lise Balk King,
Pine Ridge Reservation
South Dakota, December 2003



'It was one of those things that, once it's done, no matter how much you try, you can't recast it in your mind. He really became the character. People say that all the time, but with Viggo, it's really true. And all that stuff they say about him - "No-Ego Viggo,' "he's not a star, he's an actor,' - that is so true. He's such a class act.'

John Fusco
Viggo, Ego and Hidalgo
By Brett Buckalew
FilmStew.com, 2004

This week I've rounded up an eclectic bunch of quotes from recent interviews, many of which caught my eye because they are so typically Viggo. There is a fair amount of Freud, but we also have some impromptu singing, a surprising hobby and what would be my favourite Oscar quote ever if it wasn't for that one about the stubble farm.



© Teatro Español.


What brought you to theatre?

"Fear. I've done theatre because it frightens me. I'm attracted to everything that frightens me. It's not like in film, where you do a take and then you can do another and another. Theatre is just one live take that lasts an hour and 40 minutes, depending on the performance. It's a new adventure every night. If you get off track, you have to see how to get back."

Viggo Mortensen: "I'm attracted to what scares me"
By Roció García - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El País
24 November 2011



"When I read the book, the last person I'd have seen myself playing would have been the Burroughs character," Mortensen says. "I was a little surprised. But it was just when I was finishing A Dangerous Method, and I thought, 'Don't forget, you were surprised at David's idea of you playing Freud too.'"

Viggo Mortensen on 'On the Road'
Mortensen slipped into Freud role
By Jim Slotek
Toronto Sun
6 January 2012



"He's an unbelievable man. He brings chocolates to the set, expensive haute cuisine chocolates, and he hands it out in plastic bags. He writes music and he's painting and doing poems; you feel pathetic around him."

Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs Loved Working With Chocolate Man Mortensen
ContactMusic.com
1 March 2012



"We also had a lot of fun singing duets. In Belvedere Gardens where Freud did take his walks, and then you see him in the end, in his morning walk, we were singing at the top of our lungs, which surprised the public and some of the journalists. He has a good singing voice and I did harmony. In Belvedere, we sang that song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," including all the high notes, which Michael hit really well."

Viggo Mortensen talking about filming with Fassbender
Viggo Mortensen Reveals How He Became Freud in 'A Dangerous Method'
by Thelma Adams
Yahoo Movies
16 December 2011



...when he writes a letter on screen, the penmanship is Mortensen's, the actor having learnt to write in German in Freud's handwriting style.

'A Dangerous Method' Interview: Viggo Mortensen, actor
Scotsman.com
9 February 2012



He studied Freud's work, and -- because he wanted to know "what Freud read for pleasure" -- he researched the work of contemporary Austrian and German playwrights and humorists. (He can now talk authoritatively and at length about the oeuvres of Johann Nestroy and Wilhelm Busch.)

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



"I guess in some sense I tend to agree with Freud's idea that everyone is flawed and it's better to - rather than bury our insecurities and our fears and our desires - it's better to acknowledge them.

Not because you're going to eradicate your imperfections but you're going to accept them and find a way to be able to live with them, y'know?"

On the couch with the former King Of Gondor
By Matt Maytum
Total Film
9 February 2012



Anyone familiar with Mortensen's career will know that he tends not to be a big talker. Instead, he makes his presence felt on screen by way of a steely, periodically murderous intensity. In the flesh, he's not short of intensity either. His pale blue eyes stare at you unblinking, while at the same time a deep vertical groove runs down his forehead.

Viggo Mortensen on 'A Dangerous Method'
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012



The brevity of life and the importance of grasping the day are, one quickly learns, big themes for Mortensen. The sound of time's winged chariot is very loud in his ear, it seems, and the imperative to "use time well" crops up repeatedly in his conversation...

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



...does he worry that people will just dismiss his eclectic works as mere half-arsed nixers of an over-indulged Hollywood star?

"I was drawing and painting and writing poems before I did acting, but people are going to make up their own minds about you anyway," he replies. "I feel it's personally a waste of time and inevitably a frustrating exercise to try to accommodate others all the time, or to try to please everyone.

Analysis of dream career
by Declan Cashin
Irish Examiner
15 February 2012



"I like to write and paint and make music and go walking on my own and garden. In fact, gardening is probably what I enjoy doing more than anything else."

Really? Anything else?

He looks at me, his gaze is quite level. "I like gardening a lot."

Viggo Mortensen on 'A Dangerous Method'
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012



I ask if he got to know Freud well enough to guess what the psychotherapist would have made of Mortensen. He cracks his knuckles and gives his first short answer.

"I have no idea."

Viggo Mortensen
By Lucy Kellaway
Financial Times
10 February 2012



Not to be forgotten in the supporting category is Mortensen, whose Oscar-nominated thug in "Eastern Promises" was as vividly physical as his Freud is wittily cerebral.

Contender: 'A Dangerous Method'
The Contenders 2011
By Bob Verini
The Vote
12 November 2011



Have you ever thought what you would say if you won an Oscar?

Thank you.

El Mundo Webchat With Viggo Mortensen
By - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El Mundo
21 November 2011

Now that A Dangerous Method has gone on wider release we have had a surfeit of reviews, most with very nice things to say about Viggo's interpretation of Freud. Time, I think, for another round-up of the best of them, if only to include (again) what may turn out to be one of my favourite quotes of all time. I bet you can all guess which one it is.



© Hanway/Lago.


The picture is light but not lightweight, with a richness of feeling from its performers (especially Mortensen, who can invest in an amused grunt the tonal complexity most actors reserve for soliloquies).

Ryan Gilbey
New Statesman
9 February 2012



Mortensen is terrific - sardonic and urbane, and although that famous cigar barely leaves his mouth, you never feel he's doing the standard cartoon Freud.

Jonathan Romney
The Independent
12 February 2012



Mortensen, in very much a supporting role, thrives superbly for his third Cronenberg running, summoning a peppery gravitas, and an eye-narrowing fearfulness, as the father of psychiatry might well, about patricidal impulses from his younger colleague.

Tim Robey
The Telegraph
9 February 2012



... Freud, played in an even better instance of counterintuitive casting by Viggo Mortensen, haloed in cigar smoke, his placid manner at odds with a glittering gaze that misses nothing. "Not the easiest house guest we've ever had," says Mrs Jung after one of Freud's visits, one of the few lines to raise a laugh, intended or not.

Mortensen, a charismatic lead in Cronenberg's previous two outings, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, carries himself magnificently here, but he's stuck in a filmed play whose relentless talkiness never translates into drama

Anthony Quinn
The Independent
9 February 2012



The central performances are especially good, with Mortensen standing out as he puts on that silky and odd Derek Jacobi English accent for his German icon. His performance is precise and brilliant in the way he shows Freud as a cold and staunchly analytical mind, who can't grapple with his pupil's questionable ethics and disagreement.

Rumnique Nannar
Phoenix News
30 January 2012



Viggo Mortensen is the champ. Hands down. Of all the "say what?" performances some of us first heard about at last fall's Toronto International Film Festival -- and which characterized 2011 as a hugely surprising year for film -- none of them surprised me more than Mortensen playing Sigmund Freud in David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method."

In other words, not even the bracing successes of Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover or Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe shocked me the way Mortensen did playing Freud in Cronenberg's elegant, altogether surprising film.

Freud, for most of us, is a wild guess in speech and manner. Which is why Mortensen's cool, slow, contemplative version of Freud is -- for the purpose of a movie anyway -- brilliantly credible.

Jeff Simon
Buffalo News
26 January 2012



Viggo Mortensen has so much on-screen magnetism, he'll probably destroy the credit cards of anyone sitting in the first 10 rows.

Wallace Bain
Santa Cruz Sentinel
25 January 2012



Mortensen as Freud epitomizes the wise old soul who is part-scientist, part-intellectual revolutionary. This is Mortensen's third straight collaboration with Cronenberg following "A History of Violence" and "Eastern Promises," and the ease and rhythm from working together so often pay off in the effortless grace of Mortensen's portrayal. It is some of his finest film work ever.

Clint O'Connor
The Plain Dealer
25 January 2012



Mortensen's buttoned-down and highly verbal Freud is something to behold -- and also to listen to. The actor has been the quiet man of volcanic physical intensity in two previous Cronenberg films, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. Here his tongue is more lethal than his fists, as when he tears into Jung for practising "second-rate mysticism and self-aggrandizing shamanism."

Peter Howell
Toronto Star
12 January 2012



It's possible that in lusting after Mortensen all these years, we've taken his talent for granted. Of course, we really didn't know how talented he was until he started working with Cronenberg. This is the best thing Mortensen's ever done. His slow, paunchy, hairy Freud has a cavalier authority and a capacity for drollery. He's also seductively wise in a way that makes both Fassbender and Knightley, as very good as they are, also seem uncharacteristically callow. I don't know where Mortensen found this physical and psychological heaviness, this expressive inexpressiveness, but now isn't the time to start a diet.

Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
23 December 2011



Viggo Mortensen's embodiment of Freud, all cigar-smoke wisdom and singsong voice, is one of my favorite performances of the year.

Robert Horton
Daily Herald
23 December 2011

For the past few months we've had a feast of new quotes from all the latest work Viggo has been doing. As a counterpoint I've decided to revisit some of the early films, before LotR opened all those new doors. It's evident that no matter what the film, Viggo always made an impression with the directors and always brought something fresh and unexpected. His approach, refined over the years, has never essentially changed and has always earned respect.



© Miramax/Zenith/Westmount/Neo Motion Pictures/Overseas Film Group
New Line Cinema/Miramax Films/Village Roadshow/Empire Pictures.


Witness

That part, which was supposed to be a one-day job, expanded into a speaking role as Alexander Godunov's younger Amish brother.

"I was basically told to shadow him," Mortensen recalled, laughing. "So wherever he went, I followed."

Sensitive Side of Psycho
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun Times
16 December 1998


Prison

"...in 1988, my first American movie was actually called PRISON and I found a young guy who had only done a couple of bit parts and nobody knew him. He had done nothing before of any note and I made him the star of my movie PRISON. His name was Viggo Mortensen. I really like working with people that I believe in, who can bring something fresh to a film."

Interview with Director Renny Harlin
Jollygoodshow.net
8 June 2009


Leatherface: Texas Chain Saw Massacre 111

"I brought him in because I had seen him in PRISON, which a friend of mine had written. And I thought he was great in that, and I thought he was a really interesting guy. I knew who he was, so I brought him in..... Deborah Moore, the executive in charge of production had a guy that she really thought highly of, and he actually was cast very briefly as Tex.

Then he booked a very high paying commercial that would've conflicted with the first day of shooting. So, I said you have to pick one or the other, because I need you totally there on the first day. So, he chose the commercial. (Laughs) So, I was able to get Viggo, so it all worked out. And Viggo, just like everyone else in the cast was always there, ready to go and had great ideas. Just a joy to work with, and I'm not just saying that. I can guarantee his approach to stuff now is exactly the same as it was then. He's just so committed and he's such a really good guy. All the family members were great."

Interview with Director Jeff Burr
Icons of Fright
by Robg. & Mike C
October 2011


Young Guns 11

"It's amazing what he brought to that role," Fusco says. "I remember I was in my hotel room in Santa Fe, and there's this knock on the door pretty late at night. I open it, and there was Viggo holding a rifle. He said, 'I got some ideas about the scope my character would have on his rifle. Do you have a minute?' He came in, and he sat down dead serious and showed me this conversion he'd done to an historically accurate scope. He said, 'With all the copper mining in these parts, I think it would be copper.' I remember thinking, 'Wow, this guy is serious. He's really got it.'"

John Fusco
Mandi Bierly
Entertainment Weekly
6 August 2010


The Reflecting Skin

Mortensen doesn't appear until an hour has passed - but when he does he immediately marks himself as one of those actors who doesn't need fancy lighting to be incandescent. Cast as a young man returning from the Pacific (where he dropped bombs on sleepy atolls), he displays surly, distant passion that's at odds, yet perfectly in step, with a small town that is seething beneath its bucolic veneer.

Viggo Mortensen Interview
by Martha Frankel
June 1991


The Indian Runner

"I was over at Robin [Wright]'s little house in Santa Monica Canyon, waiting for her to get dressed for a date. The television was on, sound off, and I saw a face: he was only a cameo in a movie, but I saw the face that I'd had in my head when I wrote Indian Runner. He had something, an angularity, a severity to his handsomeness that I perceived as being 'like Frank'. So I watched the movie through, and I called Don and said, 'Find out who he is.'"

Sean Penn
When Viggo Met Sean
filminfocus.com
7 Sept 2007


"He was dazzlingly committed all the time. He literally brings the kitchen sink for a character," says Penn, who delighted in seeing Mortensen arrive on set each day with a "Santa Claus sack" full of various props he'd chosen. "He's an often solitary, very poetic creature, Viggo, and all of that worked [for the movie]."

History Teacher
by Missy Schwartz
Entertainment Weekly
August 19, 2005


Carlito's Way

"I wasn't having an easy time finding work at this time in my career, but because of my background I had some understanding of what this character could be and what the background was like.... I loved working with Al Pacino. He was unusually generous for someone in his position. He has a very open mind, and a very open heart."

Viggo Mortensen
Uncut
November 2007


American Yakuza

"I especially enjoyed working with our cast, particularly Viggo and Ryo, both of whom I hope to someday get a chance to work with again if the Fates should allow it. I didn't need Lord of the Rings to know Viggo was a prince."

Richard Clabaugh, Cinematographer for American Yakuza
www.rclabaugh.com


Gimlet

"He explores to the infinite, not only the character's emotions but also the wardrobe, all the things. He's so honest and generous,"

José Luis Acosta
Chiaroscuro: Viggo, Light And Dark
By Rocio Garcia
El Pais, Translated by Graciela, Remolina, Sage and Zooey
17 May 2009


Crimson Tide

In the movie, he is caught between a rock and hard place in the deadly confrontation between Hackman and Washington. Mortensen offers a restrained, dignified and incredible solid performance: the voice of reason in the power play of the two main characters.

The Guy Can't Help It
By Manuela Cerri Goren
L'Uomo Vogue #270
April 1996


The Passion of Darkly Noon

'Viggo is one of the few people I've worked with who, I feel, is a true kindred spirit. From the moment we first met - when I was casting The Reflecting Skin in Los Angeles - it was as if we'd known each other all our lives. He understands my work totally. By the time we were doing Darkly Noon I hardly had to give him a word of direction. He knew instinctively what I wanted. '

Philip Ridley at the Tokyo International Film Festival
From "The American Dreams: Two Screenplays by Philip Ridley'
Methuen 1997


The Prophecy

Hailed as 'mordantly witty', a young vaguely edgy actor named Viggo Mortensen wound up stealing the remainder of the film from Walken, creating one of the most memorable embodiments of evil ever put to screen.

On "The Prophecy'
His Occult Fellowship,
by Lisa Maccarillo
Fangoria magazine #208, 2001


The Portrait of a Lady

Jane Campion, who directed The Portrait of a Lady, says Mortensen was shy at first. "Nicole [Kidman] and I had to beat him up. We called him Kiddie just to try and get him to treat us like pals. Of course, eventually we warmed him up so much we couldn't control him."

The Virtuoso Bad Boy Takes a Gentlemanly Turn in The Portrait of a Lady
by Jodie Burke
UK Premiere Magazine 1997


GI Jane

For Mortensen's first scene, in which his character addresses some 40 prospective SEALs, Scott was looking for something more unusual than a normal drill instructor's spiel. Mortensen brought in a short D. H. Lawrence poem ('I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself...') that the director says showed richer and more intriguing sides of a character whose ensuing act of violence are so horrific that many viewers may not get past them. The poem, in fact becomes a crucial part of the film. For a key scene in which Mortensen's character gives a copy of the book to Demi Moore's character, the actor used his own dog-eared copy.

Viggo Mortensen
by Steve Pond
US Magazine #236, 1997


A Perfect Murder

Because of his role Mortensen had to face an interesting phenomenon: Would David Shaw's images reflect the artistic feelings of himself, Viggo Mortensen or do they belong to the character of David Shaw?

"I think both are right", answered Mortensen, "I didn't have time to occupy myself too much with this duality. I think that the artwork represents on the one hand my own subconsiousness and on the other hand my ideas on who David is."

Warner Brothers German Press Release
Translated by always smiling


A Walk on the Moon

"When I saw some of Viggo's work, I thought, that's always who I've had in my head. I realized there is not one other actor anywhere who could play Viggo's part other than Viggo. He has this kind of complexity and mysteriousness to him. He doesn't have to say much and you get a lot."

Tony Goldwyn, Director of A Walk on the Moon
Actor Goldwyn side-stepped cliches for summer of '69 directorial debut
By Robin Blackwelder
SPLICEDwire, splicedonline.com
February 24, 1999

This last month or so has seen a feast of new interviews as the A Dangerous Method promotion machine picks up again. In the overwhelming deluge you might think that it has all been about Freud, Freud and more Freud, but you'd be wrong. So here, with only a very little Freud thrown in for good measure, are the gems that really shouldn't be missed.



© Bauer Consumer Media


Mortensen speaks five languages, and seems happy to discuss football in all of them.

Interview: Viggo Mortensen, actor
Scotsman.com
9 February 2012



"It comes from a very good tailor in Boedo, in Buenos Aires. San Lorenzo de Almagro".

Viggo on being asked who tailored his Golden Globes suit
Mortensen highlights his Argentinian team at the Golden Globes
By E J Tamara - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Publimetro
16 January 2012



You have been described as the Robert De Niro of your generation, what are your views on that? And how much are you looking forward to becoming a Lego figure?

I already am a Lego figure! Very proud to be a part of Danish industry in that way. I'm not sure that Robert De Niro is a Lego figure yet, so he's got some catching up to do.

Empire On-line Web Chat
31 January 2012



"I learned more about acting and thinking on your feet in that play than in my last ten or fifteen years in filming," he says, seriously. "There's no saying cut, you just figure it out; it's like an hour and forty minutes long take. I really loved it, loved the connection with the audience."

Viggo talking about acting in Purgatorio
Viggo's round-table at the Freud Museum
by Lucy Wiles
Felix Films
10 February 2012



Viggo Mortensen is the champ. Hands down. Of all the "say what?" performances some of us first heard about at last fall's Toronto International Film Festival -- and which characterized 2011 as a hugely surprising year for film -- none of them surprised me more than Mortensen playing Sigmund Freud in David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method."

Jeff Simon
Buffalo News
26 January 2012



Viggo Mortensen stacks his case and suit protector neatly in the corner of the room. The precision of the movement is entirely in keeping with an angular formation of razor cheekbones and sharp suit. We probably shouldn't be surprised the Danish-American-Argentine has this travelling thing down.

The Mad Men
Tara Brady
The Irish Times
10 February 2012



If you were to analyse a Mortensen interview, you might conclude that Viggo is keen on deflection. He's certainly happier asking questions rather than answering them, and talking about his friends rather than his work in A Dangerous Method

Interview: Viggo Mortensen, actor
Scotsman.com
9 February 2012



....because he wanted to know "what Freud read for pleasure" -- he researched the work of contemporary Austrian and German playwrights and humorists. (He can now talk authoritatively and at length about the oeuvres of Johann Nestroy and Wilhelm Busch.)

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



Looking through the transcript of our interview afterwards is like reading Molly Bloom's soliloquy at the end of Ulysses.

Viggo Mortensen on 'A Dangerous Method'
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012



"I like to write and paint and make music and go walking on my own and garden. In fact, gardening is probably what I enjoy doing more than anything else."

Really? Anything else?

He looks at me, his gaze is quite level. "I like gardening a lot."

Viggo Mortensen on 'A Dangerous Method'
By John Preston
Seven Magazine
The Telegraph
11 February 2012



What was it that got you interested in A Dangerous Method? Was it mostly working again with Cronenberg, or the psychological theme ? Or both?

Firstly, working with David Cronenberg again. Secondly, the bait that David threw my way, in the form of an elaborate system of undergarments that Sigmund Freud was reputed to have employed on some of his summer excursions deep into the Alps. They included an elaborate system of miniaturised pulleys and wires that assisted in muscular stimulation for the steeper climbs. I was allowed to wear these undergarments in all scenes whether I was climbing or not.

Viggo Mortensen
Empire On-line Web Chat
31 January 2012



DC: As I look at his nose, it appears much more Freudian than it used to.

VM: It's getting bigger, isn't it?

DC: Yeah, it is.

Cronenberg and Mortensen - Dangerous Minds
Shortlist.com
10 February 2012



Viggo -- we hear you're a fan of horses. Is it true that you took some horses from Lord Of The Rings?

DC: But he's a horse thief, that's why he did that. He basically had sex with all the horses in the movie. That was his way of dealing with it.

VM: It wasn't great with every single one. But I did my best.

Cronenberg and Mortensen - Dangerous Minds
Shortlist.com
10 February 2012



Hi Viggo, aside from knowing your lines, what's the most important thing you do to prepare yourself before you go in front of camera?

Breathe.

Empire On-line Web Chat
31 January 2012

After winning Empire Magazine's 'Sexiest Character in Cinema' poll, this week's Quotable has to be about Aragorn. And we all know that although Aragorn is one of modern literature's greatest and most charismatic heroes, it was Viggo's dedication, outstanding performance and (let's be honest) knee weakening good looks that sent him straight to the hearts of millions and has kept him there ever since.

To remind you how it all came about, here is the 'Aragorn' excerpt from the LotR extras:

Fellowship of the Cast: Aragorn



© New Line


"From the moment that I saw him onscreen," says Otto, "I thought, 'Shit, he looks incredible. Here's a character I don't have to pretend to be in love with.'"

Miranda Otto
The Hero Returns
By Tom Roston
Premiere 2003



'The first thing I had to do was a swordfight [the confrontation with the Ringwraiths on Weathertop]. Even before I spoke a single word of dialogue, I was forced to confront the physicality of my character. It was probably helpful to do something physical before speaking. More than for any other character, Aragorn's actions speak for him. His choices, the decisions he makes, his physicality, his body, tell you a lot about him. He's a man who throws himself into situations. Which is why it was good to begin my work with a swordfight.'

Viggo Mortensen
Official Movie Guide



"I wanted to make sure the fight scenes were realistic. I shouldn't be able to just throw my sword around like Errol Flynn did, especially when I'm really tired. It should be hard to fight with it! Even when I was just walking around, I'd still wear the steel sword because it was heavier and it affected the way I moved."

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen
by Desmond Sampson
Pavement #62, 2003



There is something other-worldly about Mortensen that makes him so suited to playing the dashing Aragorn who, along with Russell Crowe's toga-hero Maximus in Gladiator, has already entered into cinematic folklore as one of the great screen swordsmen of our time.

The Reluctant Hero
by Douglas Andrews
Sunday Express 2002



'I really don't know what happened myself, but I lost myself completely in the role. I am a man who likes to withdraw into solitude and take long hikes in the woods and mountains.' So was Aragorn. We fitted perfectly together.'

Viggo Mortensen
The Lord of the Rings: The Untold Story
By Ian Nathan
Empire
December 2004



I am being seduced by royalty. And not your garden variety Windsor, either. Admittedly, he looks more like a gypsy in his earthy tunic repaired to within an inch of its life, his hands and nails bearing the ingrained grit of a farmer. But he's a king all right: the King, the Lord of Men. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and any minute now he's going to reach out one of those taut brown arms, lift me up on his trusty steed and whisk me away from all this...

The King and I
By Julie Hosking
Sunday Telegraph
23 November 2003



The biggest impression, though, comes from one of the lesser-known players: Viggo Mortensen stuns as the tormented, destiny-shucking warrior Aragorn, exuding a bravery that will make men admire him and an intensity that will make women want to hop into his leather jerkin.

Fellowship of the Ring Review
Tor Thorsen
Reel.com 2001



You can have your wee hobbits and wizened wizards. Give me the man who would be king. Rough-hewn Aragorn is as manly as they come as he slays loathsome orcs and woos elf princess Arwen, whispering sweet nothings into her pointy ears.

It's Good to be "King"
By Susan Wloszczyna
USA Today
16 December 2003



....even sitting in a plastic chair under the unflattering glare of fluorescent, in a drab office at Miramar Productions' headquarters in New Zealand, Viggo Mortensen is by far the dishiest bloke ever to have donned a crown.

The King and I
By Julie Hosking
Sunday Telegraph, 2003



Eyes ablaze and sword aglint, Mortensen proved a captivating warrior who stirred the hearts, souls and in many cases the loins of the first blockbuster film's audiences. The very first moment he is glimpsed-silently sitting in the shadows inside the Prancing Pony inn, his eyes shielded by the hood of his cloak-signalled the arrival of a New Hollywood Hero, a dynamic man of mystery, action and romance.

The New Hollywood Male
By Charles Gant
Arena Homme Plus #18
December 2002



As Aragorn, Viggo Mortensen's weathered face brings his character an intensity and life that the book's extensive backgrounding never did; his threadbare regality is more eloquent than any exposition.

The Two Towers Review
Russel Swensen
LA Weekly
December 20-26 2002



It's crucial that the film, like the journeys it narrates, is straggly. I spent the duller sections thinking about how flaxen-haired Legolas looks like a Milky Bar hippy as he pings his egg-slicer-strong arrows at the barbarous monsters. I also drifted off looking at Viggo Mortensen: has a more virile, dynamic actor ever appeared on the silver screen?

The Two Towers Review
Sukhdev Sandhu
The Daily Telegraph
December 18, 2002



Aragorn has the slinky swagger and dreamy stubble that make him look like a legend created by Tolkien, Sam Shepard and Ralph Lauren. Fortunately Mr. Mortensen also has a touch of modesty as an actor, which allows him to take up space as if he belongs in the center of the frame rather than battling the other performers for it.

ROTK Review
The New York Times
Triumph Tinged With Regret in Middle Earth
Elvis Mitchell
December 16, 2003



Viggo is noble, Viggo is powerful, Viggo is resplendent. He's a young Sean Connery but with a grittier style. More than anyone else, this is Aragorn's film.

ROTK Review
Film Hobbit
Cinemablend.com
16 December 3003



"...I would say probably 95% of the work that you see as Viggo onscreen is completely computer generated, because he has a wooden leg and he can't run."

IGN Interviews Dominic Monaghan
December 2003



...there's a sense that pieces of Aragorn always will cling to the actor. As he says, "Aragorn is a work in progress, as we all are in an endless tale." The same could be said of Mortensen. And his story is destined to continue.

It's Good to be "King"
By Susan Wloszczyna
16 December 2003
USA Today

The Oscar Nominations this week set me thinking again about a role where Viggo should definitely have been left clutching one of those little statuettes - Tom Stall in A History of Violence. Rather than just concentrating on his performance, I thought I'd take a more general look at the creation of a film which astonishes me more and more every time I watch it, and which I believe will be seen as Cronenberg's masterpiece.



© New Line Cinema


'It's like a great thoroughly satisfying and complex piece of music to me, this movie.'

Viggo Mortensen
Teen Hollywood



Olson said he pictured Mortensen in the role of Stall, something the actor found "flattering and disturbing at the same time." Just to keep the star in line, Cronenberg told him Olson hadn't really written the role for him. "You were second to Brad Pitt."

Cannes Press Conference
National Post Cannes Review, by Chris Knight
17 May 2005



"Viggo's my kind of actor," smiles Cronenberg, who likes to work with actors who are not just leading men, but also character actors. "First of all they tend not to be afraid because they're not trying to protect some image they see of themselves as traditional leading men, but also it gives them a much bigger palette to paint from because they have all kinds of edges. I need a kind of eccentricity that is more typical of a character actor than a leading man, and yet still has a leading man presence and charisma."

David Cronenberg, Director
Cannes Film Festival 2005 Press Kit



"The challenge in preparing and playing Tom Stall was to be thoroughly honest and specific with behaviour, to lie as truthfully as possible. But that's what actors are always ideally trying to do anyway."

Viggo Mortensen
V-Life magazine, Jan 2006



'Identity is another important aspect of A History of Violence. I play someone who's escaped from somewhere to become someone else and create a new identity. It is one of the basic acts of human existence that we create an identity. It's not a genetic thing that's given to us as an absolute like the colour of our eyes; it's something we are involved in creating as we live our lives by the choices we make.....'

Viggo Mortensen
Ol' Blue Eyes is Back, by Marianne Gray
Take1
8 October 2005



Mortensen played two parts at once-a simple family man with a set of barely tamped-down killer instincts and urges. In maintaining that balance, Mortensen says he tried 'to give a very detailed performance.' You see it most in his placid poise behind the diner's counter, during the still seconds before he lashes out. 'A lot of people don't trust those details to come through, but I've always believed that the camera and the audience can see a lot more than a lot of directors-and even actors-give them credit for.'

Viggo Mortensen
New Yorkers of the Year
New York Magazine
19 Dec 2005



Mortensen's commitment translated to a collection of artifacts he purchased in the Midwest on his travels, which included ducks and a bank in the shape of a fish head that says 'fishin' money' on it and is set on the diner's cash register, posters of Birds of North America, some landscapes, a small ceramic eagle and other animal sculptures for his daughter's room which he thought Tom's character would have in his home."

"Viggo has been very active in helping to create the surroundings that his character will emerge from. That is unique," says Cronenberg.

Cannes Film Festival 2005 Press Kit



"I want to say it was an intense shoot. It was some days. I had some of the hardest scenes in my life, Viggo and I had to do. I'm not a very nervous actor. I find that if I work from a very joyful, a playful place, it's easy and it's fun. But I had some days when I came to set literally just shaking, thinking, 'I can not possibly do this scene.' I was just terrified because it was quite, quite intense. But we just sure had fun. David Cronenberg was an incredible leader/father figure."

Maria Bello
RomanticMovies.com
January 2005



'......even though emotionally there was a lot of difficult days on the set, you know, uncomfortable. There was always a lot of joking going on. It was a lot of fun making this movie. He has a very good sense of humour, maybe a very dark sense of humour, [laughs] but a good one.'

Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen - Cannes Interview
ARTE TV, by Lionel Julien, transcription by Chrissie
16 May 2005



'He continues what he's always done, which is taking people apart, almost like they were a machine or an engine, but now more taking their brains apart than their bodies, I suppose. It's more a psychological autopsy and the results are always a little disturbing. Not because he's disturbing, but because we are. As an audience and as a subject.'

Viggo on Cronenberg
Viggo Mortensen, Actor, poet, photographer
Philip Matthews
New Zealand Listener
March 18-24 2006



"It's a simple narrative on the surface," Mortensen explains. "The setting, certainly. And there are certain things that remind one of genre imagery that you've seen before, whether it's action movies or crime movies or Westerns. There are a lot of elements that look familiar. But it's kind of like the family itself. Everything that looks normal, in the end, isn't really. And like a lot of David's movies, at the end you say, 'Well, is anyone really normal?' "

Hurt's so good
LA Daily News
26 September 2005



In the end, do you think that this is ultimately a hopeful movie?

I think it's whatever anyone thinks it is. But for me, that day...we'd spent three months together and it did feel like a family. David said, 'I don't know what this scene is going to be. You guys have been in these characters for three months; you figure it out. When he walks in the door you'll know.' And it's true. As soon as we heard the door slam, Ashton (Holmes), Heidi (Hayes) and I kind of jumped and just immediately like welled up, all of us. And to look up and see his sweet face, this man who we've loved for three months, as Viggo and as this character, to be so unsure and to still love this person, yes I think there is a hopefulness in that.

Maria Bello on working with Viggo
JoBlo.com, by Thomas Luepp
27 September 2005



"...at the heart of it, it's a complicated love story between Maria Bello's character and mine, and it is as it's called 'a history of violence'. But it's also a history of anti-violence, or of at least one man's effort to find another way to deal with his problems. And just because you want to change the way you are, doesn't mean it's going to be easy, and it certainly isn't in the story. But there's one thing that the story says that I think is valuable and true, and that's that it's never too late to change the way you look at the world, the way you behave, the way you treat others. Whether you're an individual or whether you're a nation, you can change your ways, you can improve always. And any relationship takes work."

Viggo Mortensen
X-Press Online
8 March 2006

'Icy', 'ocean-blue', 'frost-bite blue', 'peaceful', 'piercing', 'melancholy', 'bright', 'intense'.... you already know what I'm talking about, don't you? Last week's Quotable was all about revealing the soul of a character through the eyes alone. This week I thought I'd follow it up with some reactions to Viggo's amazing peepers when he's just being Viggo.



© Star Line Productions


Viggo Mortensen was bare-footed, with loose dark pants and a large shirt that makes him look both small and newly awakened. His left hand is decorated with stuff to remember and phone numbers all the way up his arm and a stubborn bit of tape has attached itself to his sleeve.

The bright eyes are at the same time quick and thoughtful and it is as if he exists in a parallel reality, with a different rhythm, speed and profundity. And yet he is present.

Caught In His Own Picture
By Trine Ross - translated by Rebekka
Politiken
28 June 2003



It is difficult to recognize the sexy star because of the mighty moustache that fills a lot of his face. But the ocean blue eyes shine through as usual.

Viggo On His Way To Denmark
Billed-Bladet #24 - translated by Westfold
June 2005



He seduces us with a threat of danger, his chiseled Nordic physique and stunning blue eyes. Never over the top, for Mortensen, less is more. His performances are slow reveals of hidden information and emotion.

Viggo Mortensen Talks The Road
By Anne Thompson
Indie Wire
13 September 2009



Mr. Mortensen has bladelike, Slavic cheekbones, the most jutting movie chin since Kirk Douglas's and icy blue eyes that can seem soulful one minute and menacing the next. He also has a compact, chiseled physique that looks great adorned with Russian mob tattoos.

Big Gun Takes on the Apocalypse
Charles McGrath
New York Times
10 September 2009



Though blond and chiselled, Mortensen isn't your typical Hollywood actor. His intense features and sly eyes convey an edge that eludes your Brads, Leonardos and Matts. The actor also exudes intelligence, whether he's playing a magnetically sadistic Navy SEALS officer in "G.I. Jane" or a genteel suitor in "The Portrait of a Lady."

Sensitive Side of Psycho
by Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun Times, 1998



The planes of his face bespeak both peril and sensitivity -- a romantic who could be caddish with your heart but rueful about it. His cleft chin, pale, almost milky, eyes, soft-spoken tone, and laidback manner complete the picture but he's more than matinee idol handsome. He has that incurable, unbearable, enigmatic eroticism of a three in the morning dream you've just awakened from.

Talking With Viggo
George magazine
1999



Viggo Mortensen is a smolderer. He opens those intense, I-know-how-to-build-my-own-kitchen eyes, and he wins my girlfriend over every time. Obviously, I want to hate him because anyone that ruggedly handsome has to be despised on principal alone, but like Paul Newman and his absurdly delicious salad dressing, there comes a day when you just have to admit a dude's alright.

20 Actors Who Deserve Your Support
By Josh
Cinema Blend
22 August 2010



"There was only one boy that recognised me the whole two weeks I was wandering around [Russia]. And that was my last day there. It was just a freak thing. He looked at my eyes, and I think he'd seen Lord of the Rings 500 times, and, even though I didn't have the long hair and the beard, he was sure."

Viggo on being recognised in Russia
Q&A with Viggo Mortensen
By Neala Johnson
Melbourne Herald Sun
8 March 2007



...the first impression that you get from the New York actor with cosmopolitan roots (his father is Danish and his mother is American), is very different from that of the vigorous and strong hero that we have always seen on the big screen. Instead, Mortensen is a calm, serene, and very reflective man. His blue eyes reflect the inner peace that he has managed to maintain in spite of the Hollywood craziness...

Top Men - Viggo Mortensen
By - translated by Graciela
Glamour
September 2006



The frostbite-blue eyes snap onto mine for a split second. If the brow is a two-way mirror to the soul, his is cracked in several places by Despair and Inner Torment. Mortensen is justly celebrated in Hollywood for how he telegraphs both, which are reading in his face right now. A face rendered (almost) unrecognizable with that distracting droop of a Wild West moustache, the familiar starburst cleft in his chin forested over by a neat beard.

The Great Dane
By Phoebe Eaton
Men's Vogue
March 2008



Later, during a break in filming, I shake hands with Viggo, stained with special effects blood. We chatted for a while and then went to eat underneath the tent that protected us from the sun, while I observed his soldier's moustache, his scars, his doublet covered with dust and blood, his light and engrossing eyes that looked only like those of veterans, more beyond life and death. He wasn't an actor, I suddenly thought. He was the rigorous image of the tired hero

Viggo, The Captain
By Arturo Pérez-Reverte - translated by Elessars Queen and Astarloa
El Semanal, Diario de León
20 July 2005



Before we meet, in London, I see him in the street, outside the Charlotte Street Hotel. He's crouched over his phone. He's wearing the navy and red football shirt of his team, San Lorenzo, from Argentina. He grew up there. "So these are my heroes. The one group of people or thing I support unconditionally. They can do no wrong," he says with a half-smile and sits down in the cosy-chaired library. His hair is long. His eyes are piercing, kind. Full of fun, full of melancholy.

Sympathy For The Devil
By Chrissy Iley
The Observer
19 April 2009



'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. Unless you're just someone who doesn't look at somebody, who doesn't deal with it. 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.'

Viggo Mortensen on meeting fans
Native Voice Interview with Viggo
By Lise Balk King,
Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota
December 2003

Turning Viggo into Freud has involved some physical changes, as we know, and one of the biggest changes involved turning his eyes brown. As the owner of a pair of what must be acting's most stunning peepers, I know we were all a little worried as Viggo can convey more with his eyes than most actors manage with their entire face. But even brown contacts can't stop him mesmerising audiences and critics alike with those tiny nuances that only the eyes can convey. The eyes are said to be the 'window of the soul' and revealing the soul of each character he plays has always been the key factor in Viggo's remarkable portrayals. In The Road, Ryan Adams thought the look in Viggo's eyes alone would be enough to secure him a second elusive Oscar Nomination.



© Focus Features/New Line/20th CenturyFox/Estudios Picasso/Origen/Touchstone/Buena Vista Pictures/2929/Dimension Films


You underwent sort of a physical transformation to play the father of modern psychoanalysis.

Once we started talking about it, I thought with the help of a great makeup person--David's longtime makeup collaborator Stephan Dupuis who was nominated for an Oscar for "The Fly,"--it could work. He altered my nose. And one thing that's mentioned a lot by his contemporaries is that Freud had a particular type of penetrating brown-eyed gaze. I said "Montgomery Clift did it with his clear eyes in John Huston's movie," [the 1962 film, "Freud: The Secret Passion"] but I don't think if we're trying to be accurate that it would be right. So he started playing around with lenses that looked right but also didn't take away my own eyes' expressiveness.

How Viggo Mortensen Got Inside Sigmund Freud's Head
By Rachel Dodes
The Wall Street Journal: Speakeasy
18 November 2011



I was so taken with Mortensen's constantly alert and cunning eyes. He was always thinking, sometimes on a current that flows in opposite direction of his dialogue.


A Dangerous Method review
By Sheila OMalley
Capital New York
6 October 2011



The look in Viggo's eyes secures his nomination, I feel confident. It's going to take a lot of wry grins, curmudgeonly scowls, and other baked ham recipes for any other actor to match the depths this role fathoms.

The Road review
Ryan Adams
Awards Daily
October 2009



Starring Viggo Mortensen in an alternately feral and saintly performance of shattering emotional depth - his are the most haunted eyes I've ever seen sustained in a film performance

The Road review
Carl Kozlowski
Big Hollywood
24 November



.... his eyes are filled with the kind of tremulous compassion that can carry the emotional weight of an entire movie.

The Road review
Kevin Maher
The Times Online
8 January 2010



Using his entire body to signal pain, but particularly wielding his glassy eyes like sharp little weapons, the actor captures a cagey, yet hopeful spirit, a good man in a worst case scenario trying to do what he can to get by.

Hitting 'The Road' with Director John Hillcoat
Matt Mazur
Popmatters
22 November 2009



He is one of the few actors who can tell a story with his eyes, and these are eyes so full of pain. It is the best kind of acting, pure and honest.

The Road
John Foote
In Contention
15 September 2009



Everett says very little and spends a lot of time just watching the other characters, so Mortensen's performance resides almost entirely in his eyes, which register tiny, unmistakable nuances of surprise, suspicion and amusement.

These are what make the movie worth watching

Appaloosa review
A O Scott
International Herald Tribune
18 September 2008



Nikolai remains eerily still until he's moved to act; then he glides forth with reptilian grace. Yet something still glows at the bottom of those half-lidded eyes - enough to suggest the cobra has a soul.

Eastern Promises review
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
14 Sept 2007



When you look into Mortensen's eyes, you're convinced that he's come to terms with the fact that he's condemned to eternal damnation.

Eastern Promises review
Jake Hamilton
That movie guy Blog
10 Sept 2007



Viggo is an actor with a very intense look; you must take into account that Agustín (the director) has chosen Viggo for his look. Alatriste is a fellow that looks in a way...his look is a look that frightens, is a look cold and hard, and the look of Viggo is impressive, he has a look that captives the camera. That look of Alatriste... the audience is going to forget anything else about Alatriste and remind the eyes of Viggo, that are the eyes of Alatriste"

Alatriste
Diario de Cadiz, October 2004
translated by Vicky



"He is the ultimate. He is a confident actor, he expresses everything with his eyes..."

Agustín Díaz Yanes
Alatriste Fights in the Streets
By Rocío García
EL PAÍS 1st Aug 2005
Translated by Elessars Queen



Mortensen's power comes directly from his eyes. They speak much more than any line he delivers in the film and offer an astounding glimpse into the psyche of his character.

A History of Violence review
Christopher Childs
Twitchfilm.net
May 31, 2005



Mortensen delivers a tremendous performance, the shadings in the character coming out slowly, subtly, sometimes with just the shift of the eye.

A History of Violence review
Pam Grady
Film Stew
23 September 2005



Viggo might have had a haircut since his middle-earth days, but he's lost none of his power. Look into his eyes, you'll see his soul.

A History of Violence review
Paul Greenwood
Future Movies
29 September 2005



The fiery passion that blazes in his eyes can do what no extra-large popcorn can: sustain a grown woman through six-plus hours of viewing pleasure for the past two years. It has been a torrid, if one-sided, affair, though I suspect many others have fallen for his unwashed charms.

On Viggo as Aragorn
It's Good to be "King"
by Susan Wloszczyna
USA Today, 2003

Long before there were books there were spoken poems - the roots of literature lie in verses recited around camp fires and in ancient halls. Viggo is a poet who still believes that listening to the words of a poem instead of reading them is a worthwhile experience, creating a different kind of connection between the poem and the listening audience. The spoken word has been included on most of his recordings, he still gives poetry readings - most recently to promote the work of poets he believes in - and on one brave day in 2003 he stood up at a peace rally and gave everyone there the full force of Back to Babylon. Before enjoying the quotes, it's worth listening again to Viggo reading aloud - first an excerpt from the recent recording of TS Eliot's The Waste Land and then reading his own early poem, Wading, from Recent Forgeries.

Eliot's The Waste Land

Wading



© Isabel Nunez


"Poetry is something that I'd always done, long before I even thought about the idea of acting," he recalls. "But I'd never done it in public, read anything. As an actor you're always reading someone else's words, and then what you do gets edited. So there's several screens through which you're speaking, if at all. As a poet, it's your words."

Viggo Mortensen
In The Navy
By Joy Ray
Deto
September 1997



"Exene... encouraged me to recite my poems in public. At the beginning the idea was totally worrying for me. But something happens when you are faced with an audience. No matter whether you present photographs, pictures, movies or poems to other people, it's worth it because you always learn something."

Viggo Mortensen
Two-Men Show
By Silvia Feist - translated by Always Smiling and Doreen
Vogue Deutsch
November 2005



On record, Mortensen's speaking voice--especially in Spanish--actually is more melodic and alluring than his singing. Confident and clear, he draws listeners in as he spins tales of deceit and humor.

That confidence is exhibited again on the new spoken-word record "The New Yorker Out Loud Vol. 2." The two-album collection includes readings by musician Chuck D and actress Suzy Amis. But it's Mortensen's readings of selections from Jack Kerouac's "On the Road Journals" that are truly mesmerizing. That he scored and mixed the avant-garde jazz in the background is an added bonus.

Sensitive Side of Psycho
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun Times
16 December 1998



"I started my own publishing house, which I have called Perceval Press, after the legend of the knight who is freed from his spiritual blindness when he is initiated into the mysteries of the Grail. We publish authors who have found it difficult to get published. Poets, mostly. It is important to protect living poetry, which is also why I participate as often as I can in public readings."

Viggo Mortensen
A Year in the Life of Viggo Mortensen
By Sophie Benamon
Studio Magazine
December 2003



"....if you´ve written a poem and you read it, you don´t know what will happen. Something changes between my mouth and the eyes and ears of those who are there reading or listening to my words, my little story. Something changes between writing it and pronouncing the words. I don´t know what the reader receives. There´s no net. For that reason, I'm responsible for what I´ve written and for how I read it."

Viggo Mortensen - All of Us are Mestizos
by Carlos Shilling - translated by Ollie, Remolina, Rio and Zoe
LaVoz
November 2010



Thousands of people take part in the first great pacifist demonstration in Washington since George Bush announced, on May 1st, the end of military operations in Iraq. Viggo speaks, following veterans and activists. After distributing his anti-war teeshirts and protesting against the occupation of Iraq, he addresses Congress with a fierce: "God isn't angry, you are." Then he reads one of his poems, written for publication on the poetsagainstwar.org website, Back to Babylon, from which an extract follows:

"Accept and forget difference and desire that separates and leaves us longing or repelled. Why briefly return to playin broken places, to mock the ground, to collect infant shards, coins, fossils, or the familiar empty cannisters and casings that glint from poisoned roots in the blackened dust?"

25th October - A Year in the Life of Viggo Mortensen
By Sophie Benamon
Studio Magazine
December 2003



Mortensen began the evening by lighting a candle and quoting a phrase by poet S.A. Griffin. 'We are here for the sweet stigmata of the poem. And here's the news.' The breathless, packed room received the news, and it was clear from the moment Viggo spoke that this was poetry's night.

Three Fools poetry reading
National Poetry Month Starts At Beyond Baroque With Three April Fools
By Philomene Long, Poet Laureate of Venice
Santa Monica Mirror
27 April 2006



...he begins reading. He's nervous. "I don't slur when I read other people's stuff," he jokes, and the crowd laughs indulgently. But he soldiers on, losing himself in the rhythm of his words.

They were always giving birth, always pregnant, always taking ****ing for granted. They were not being brave when they dug up the skulls of their past lovers in the middle of the night and painted them for use as Jack O'Lanterns. It was summer and they were crazy about each other.
("Hallowe'en" 1990)

Maybe it's the visceral attack of his writing, or the R-rated shock of hearing Aragorn cuss, but the audience's attention never wavers.

Midnight Special poetry reading
Viggo Trip
By Liane Bonin
Flaunt magazine #39
November 2002



Despite his American accent, Viggo Mortensen's reading of the poem [Eliot's The Waste Land] comes closest to the voice I hear in my head as I read. Being able to read and listen along and then close my eyes as the words wash over is luxurious and something I want to be able to do with lots more poems. In fact this feels exactly how poems should be consumed.

The Waste Land App reviewed
by Chris Meade
The Literary Platform
13 June 2011



"The success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy changed the deal a little. Before then, when I put on a poetry reading, there would just be a circle of my friends around me. Now there are hundreds of inquisitive strangers. If fame can make an under-appreciated art better known, it's perfect!

Viggo Mortensen
Grazia Magazine
Translated by Chrissiejane
December 2009



'It's great if someone who never would've gone to a poetry reading goes to one because they're thinking, "Oh, that actor guy's doing it - it'll probably be shit, but we should go and see it anyway!"'

Viggo Mortensen on 'The Road'
By David Jenkins
Time Out
7 January 2010

Happy New Year, everyone! As we start 2012, I'd like to look back over 2011 before we finally say goodbye to it, so I've rounded up all my favourite quotes for the year. The start of 2011 was rather quiet for us Viggo fans, so these are rather heavily weighted towards the latter half of the year when the round of A Dangerous Method and Purgatorio publicity started and we finally got some interviews and reviews to enjoy. Because of this, a lot of the quotes below have appeared in recent Quotables. But if you can't indulge in your favourite things on New Year's Day, when can you? So here are all the year's gems that have stuck in my mind.



©TBD/The Hollywood Minute/Sony Pictures/Haddock Films/Teatro Español


...arguably the most unconventional, maverick A-list actor around.

Five Things We Learned In Toronto From The 'A Dangerous Method' Star
Oliver Lyttelton
The Playlist
14 September 2011



'I would want to watch Viggo Mortensen in any language.

Sanford Panitch, President of Fox International
Fox International Acquires Worldwide Rights To Viggo Mortensen-Starrer 'Everybody Has A Plan'
By Mike Fleming
Deadline.com
5 May 2011



Mortensen speaks slowly and in each one of his answers it seems there are endless concepts that could need an extra explanation.

Viggo Mortensen tiene un plan
By Justina Berard
Vos/La Voz
25 May 2011



He never had Champagne dreams and caviar wishes...

Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



"Viggo is a passionate homeboy. Multiply him by one hundred, and Hollywood might be worth sparing when the Red Cavalry next rides down Sunset Boulevard."

Mike Davis
Viggo Talks and Talks
By Zoe Heller
T Magazine
2 December 2011



"He's an actor that connects with the character and he's a little crazy, crazy enough to play these characters that he plays."

Javier Godino
Viggo Mortensen at home in first Argentine film
By Luis Andres Henao
Reuters Canada
22 July 2011



"True forgiveness is worth it, it clears things up, it cleanses and calms us down. From there on we can advance, grow, in a healthy way."

Viggo talking about Purgatorio
Viggo Mortensen: "Sometimes I have thought that I´ve been an idiot to get into this theatrical challenge"
By Liz Perales - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El Cultural
31 October 2011



"I find peace in Viggo´s eyes. Confronted with the giddiness of the text, you can take risks with him, walk the tightrope."

Carme Elías
Viggo Mortensen And Forgiveness
By Ulises Fuente - translated by Ollie and Rio
La Razón
1 November 2011



Viggo Mortensen is unsurpassable in humanity, contained pain and buried passion.

Purgatorio review
You and I make four
By Marcos Ordóñez - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
El País
7 November 2011



"I think my cast has great need of psychoanalysis, which is why I cast them actually, to introduce them gently to the idea that they needed help, a lot of help....And you can see they are much better people. Before they were messes. When I found them, they were neurotics, hopeless," Cronenberg said to great laughter.

Mortensen played along. "Now we dress ourselves," he retorted.

Venice Film Festival Press Conference: A Dangerous Method
Cronenberg 'cures' cast in Freud-Jung drama
Rssbroadcast.com
2 September 2011



"I just go back to work with David and he fills up all my neuroses..."

Viggo Mortensen
TIFF Press Conference Diaries: It's game on for the stars of A Dangerous Method
Ben Kaplan
National Post
10 September 2011



"We can do some doll therapy if anyone's interested..."

Viggo talking about 'Sigi' the Freud doll in San Lorenzo colours
at the Venice Film Festival ADM Press Conference
2 September 2011



Freud, played by the perpetual shape-shifter Viggo Mortensen, slinks around like a silent old Zen master.

A Dangerous Method review
Matthew D'Abate
Your Beautiful New York
14 December 2011



This is a Viggo you don't think of when you think of Viggo... There should also be an honorary Oscar involved for Best Cigar Smoking, for his ever-present stogies.

A Dangerous Method review
Joshua Miller
Chud.com
21 October 2011



...the ever-flawless Viggo Mortensen.

A Dangerous Method review
Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
San Francisco Bay Guardian
26 September 2011



"...you look back on these things 10 years later and ask yourself, 'Who had a major impact on me?' As an actor, it was Viggo. I was unpacking a load of boxes recently, recounting old memories, and I remembered how lucky I was that he was around me at that time."

Orlando Bloom
Shortlist.com
April 2011



Philip Seymour Hoffman, certainly one of the great actors of our time, told us in a Venetian hallway of the Hotel Excelsior how he regarded Viggo Mortensen as one of the masters of the profession. A point of view that is totally shared.

Viggo Mortensen in the Shoes of Dr. Freud
By Nicolas Crousse
Le Soir - translated by Dom
4 September 2011



Correspondence greatly occupied Freud and Jung. One no longer writes many letters today. Do you?

Yes, I still do. And when I do, people are surprised to receive them. It's becoming rare. Almost exotic. But I like it, yes.

Viggo Mortensen in the Shoes of Dr. Freud
By Nicolas Crousse
Le Soir - translated by Dom
4 September 2011



...he went to see the game his team played against Tigre in Victoria Stadium. The management had reserved a box for him, but Mortensen preferred sitting in the stands among the fans.

Viggo Mortensen - Lights, Camera... Passion
By Eduardo Bejuk - translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
Gente
10 May 2011



....the Cuervo ambassador to the world.

Jorge Barros
San Lorenzo Supporters Subcommittee interview
Transcribed/translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
SCH tv
20 May 2011