Viggo Mortensen

Biography of Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen is a talented actor, photographer, publisher, and musician. He has become famous for his role as Aragorn in the trilogy The Lord of the Rings. He is nominated for Oscar for Best Actor in the movie Eastern Promises.

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen’s Childhood

The future actor was born in a rather unusual family in New York City. His mother was American, his father was Danish, his grandfather was from Nova Scotia (Canada), and his grandmother was from New England. Viggo also had two younger brothers.

The baby photo of Viggo Mortensen

The parents of the future star met in the 50s in Europe. In 1960, the Mortensen family moved to South America, lived in Venezuela for some time, and then settled in Argentina, where they bought their ranch. His father was a poultry farmer. In 1968, the boy's parents decided to divorce, after which the mother took the sons and returned to New York City, and his father continued traveling the world in search of himself.

The actor’s full name is Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr.

Living in Argentina, Mortensen attended the local school, where he learned Spanish. After moving to New York City, the boy continued his high school education. As a child, he liked tennis and was a leader of the swimming team. Viggo was also fond of photography, was delighted with his travels, and easily learn new languages. He mastered English, Spanish, and Danish, as well as - a little bit - Swedish, Norwegian, and French.

The boy got into trouble at school. So, during the celebration of Halloween in 1977, he broke his lip, and then he had a scar. Later, the actor admitted that he was quite drunk, and he did not even need anesthesia in the hospital.

Viggo Mortensen has been remarkable for his extraordinary thinking since childhood

After school, Mortensen entered the famous St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY), where he studied politics and Spanish studies. Having sufficient linguistic knowledge and understanding of the issues studied, he easily got a bachelor's degree.

Viggo Mortensen’s Acting Career

After graduating from the University, Viggo Mortensen began to travel. For a while, he had lived in Denmark, Spain, and England, working as an elevator operator, a waiter, a driver and even a seller of flowers. But in 1982, he went back to the USA, where he began his acting career.

It seemed that it was quite simple: first, to travel around Europe and experiment with different professions, and then to come to Hollywood and become a star. In fact, his path to Olympus took twenty years of hard work (before the release of the first part of The Lord of the Rings in 2001).

For two years, Viggo studied at the drama school of Warren Robertson, playing simultaneously in the theater. Viggo began his acting career with Broadway productions in the early 1980s. But his first works were not very successful. Most of the movies with his participation (1985-1995 years) were low-level and did not bring much income.

Young Viggo Mortensen

Mortensen's debut in the feature movie took place in 1985 when he acted in Peter Weir’s drama Witness. This movie with Harrison Ford received two Oscars, but Viggo played only a small role with a few lines.

Witness (1985): the first role of Viggo Mortensen

The young actor played mostly negative characters. So, he starred as a criminal Frank Roberts in The Indian Runner (1991) by Sean Penn. He played the role of a gangster-snitch Lalin with Al Pacino in Carlito’s Way (1993). The actor starred as Lucifer in The Prophecy (1995).

The scene from the movie Carlito's Way

The second half of the 1990s brought Viggo several successful romantic roles. They allowed the actor to fully show his talent. During this period, Mortensen starred with Nicole Kidman in The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Demi Moore in G.I. Jane (1997) and Michael Douglas in A Perfect Murder (1998).

Viggo Mortensen and The Lord of the Rings: His Career Rise

Shooting in The Lord of the Rings became the star time of Viggo Mortensen. The actor got the role of Aragorn quite by accident. The director Peter Jackson canceled the participation of Stuart Townsend in the project, considering him too young, and suggested Viggo this role. But the actor found it quite difficult to decide, because it required going to New Zealand for a year, being away from his home and family. Besides, he had never read the books of John Tolkien, and therefore he had to work hard, studying his character. It was not surprising that Mortensen's son convinced him to agree to participate in this project.

Viggo Mortensen’s well-known role as Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings

Mortensen starred in three parts of the movie: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, receiving well-deserved fame and glory. As a result, he even had to publish an open letter to his fans, apologizing for being unable to respond to everyone who had written to him, as there were many letters and messages.

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn

This movie was followed by other works. In 2005, Mortensen collaborated with David Cronenberg, taking part in the shooting of A History of Violence. A little later, their movie Eastern Promises (2007) was released. It was particularly appreciated by critics, considering it the best in the Mortensen’s acting career. The actor played a Russian gangster. The make-up artists put on his body about 50 tattoos before each shooting day.

Eastern Promises: Viggo Mortensen played a Russian gangster

Viggo Mortensen tried himself in other areas. He created the publishing house Perceval Press, which also published his works. The actor’s musical abilities allowed him to record three albums of jazz music. In addition, thanks to the movie A Perfect Murder, in which the actor played an artist, Mortensen began drawing. Moreover, you can see his pictures in this movie.

One of Viggo Mortensen’s pictures

The exhibition of his photographs in 2000 was an important event for Viggo. The actor had been fond of photography since school years, but he decided to demonstrate his achievements only under the influence of his friend Dennis Hopper (also an actor).

Viggo Mortensen is a talented photographer

In 2011, Mortensen starred as Sigmund Freud with Keira Knightley in A Dangerous Method. He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for this role.

Mortensen continued acting, though not very often. In 2014, he starred in three movies, including The Two Faces of January (with Kirsten Dunst). This movie is based on Patricia Highsmith’s book and directed by Hossein Amini.

In 2016, Viggo Mortensen continued actively acting in the movies

In January 2016, the Americans watched Captain Fantastic (directed by Matt Ross), telling the story of a father with six children, who did not know what a smartphone or a car was but knew quantum physics. They had lived in the forests, away from civilization, for a long time, but they were forced to leave a solitary life. The movie showed their difficult return to life in society.

The trailer of Captain Fantastic with Viggo Mortensen

In 2018, the American comedy-drama Green Book, starring Viggo, premiered. The plot of the film tells the story of a trip to the South of the United States of the famous jazz pianist Don Shirley and an ordinary driver, between whom friendship is struck. The film was nominated for an Oscar.

Green Book – A trailer

Personal Life of Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen has always been remarkable for his appearance, originality, and numerous creative abilities. It is not surprising that he has never been deprived of the girls’ attention. The actor met his wife on the set of Salvation! in 1987. His girlfriend Exene Cervenka was an extravagant soloist of a punk rock band and easily drew his attention. Therefore, the couple married quite quickly. A year later (in 1988), they had a son, Henry, and the family decided to move to the quiet state of Idaho.

Viggo Mortensen has always been a favorite of women

However, his family's happiness was short-lived. In 1992, the couple decided to live separately, and in 1997, they divorced. Nevertheless, Viggo and Exene have a good relationship. Their son was living with his mother or father, as parents occasionally went to the shooting or touring.

Viggo Mortensen and his ex-wife Exene Cervenka

Mortensen started a new serious relationship only in 2006. He met actress Ariadna Gil on the set of the movie Alatriste.

Viggo Mortensen and Ariadna Gil, his new girlfriend

Viggo Mortensen Now

Viggo periodically declares to the journalists about his desire to stop shooting in movies and do something else. He wants to try himself in all possible areas. However, there are only words, and the actor continues delighting his fans with new roles. {ins#BdEsk5wFN4L} 2020 was an especially important year for Viggo - on January 31st, the film "Falling", which became his directorial debut, premiered. In the story, a conservative man is forced to move from the American hinterland to the family of his gay son in Los Angeles.

Falling: Trailer

Scott Stewart

A talented person is talented in everything :) Like Viggo, who knows languages, and as a photographer showed himself as an actor. I also managed to live in several countries and get a bachelor`s degree.

2021-05-13 16:25:19
Robert Nicholas Perry

The actor Mortensen is good at transforming himself for roles. In the movie «Carlito`s Way» you can see it.

2021-04-14 11:33:35
Ann Leonard

How handsome Viggo was in his youth. Manly big jaw, strong-willed chin and cheekbones. Oh, just admire his appearance!

2021-04-09 23:50:23
Benjamin Sean Robinson

Mortensen, judging by the description, is a very smart guy. He knows so many languages! Not like some Hollywood actors who are so-so in their native English

2021-04-05 17:07:35
Clara Garcia

Getting into a movie like «The Lord of the Rings» is worth a lot. Viggo was among the lucky actors.

2021-02-24 12:39:36