- Date of Birth: October 20, 1958
- Place of Birth: New York City, NY
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Viggo Mortensen Biography
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Viggo Mortensen mini-biog: After several years of experience in live theater, he made his first movie appearance playing an Amish farmer in Peter Weir's Witness. (Mortensen had actually been cast in two prior films — Swing Shift and The Purple Rose of Cairo — but his scenes in both of these films were deleted from the final Cuts). Prior to his casting in The Lord of the Rings, Mortensen appeared in Jane Campion's The Portrait of a Lady, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III Sean Penn's Indian Runner, Brian DePalma's Carlito's Way, Tony Scott's Crimson Tide, Ridley Scott's G.I. Jane, Tony Goldwyn's A Walk on the Moon, Philip Ridley's two films The Reflecting Skin and The Passion Of Darkly Noon, Andrew Davis's A Perfect Murder, Betty Thomas's 28 Days and The Prophecy with Christopher Walken. Before Mortensen took the role of Aragorn, he was probably best known for playing Master Chief John Urgayle in G.I. Jane. He is the ex-husband of Exene Cervenka, the singer of the punk band X.
He had a book of poetry printed before he was known. The title: "Ten Last Night."
Speaks fluent English, Spanish and Danish but he also speaks Swedish Italian and French reasonably well.
Father of Henry Mortensen.
He actually painted the large murals in his artist's studio in the film A Perfect Murder (1998).
He lived in South America from age 2 to age 11.
He has been photographing for years, recently debuted with an exhibition at the Robert Mann Gallery in NYC. -- American Photo, July/August 2000.
He writes poetry in his spare time.
Is also a jazz musician - he has released three CDS so far.
He as worked as a truck driver while living in Denmark
Broke a tooth while filming a fight sequence for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); he asked the crew if they would glue it back on so he could finish the scene.
He replaced Stuart Townsend in the role of Aragorn/Strider in The Lord of the Rings, after filming began.
He got so into his character of Aragorn that director Peter Jackson once addressed him as Aragorn for over half an hour, and Mortensen didn't even realize it.
Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.
Has two younger brothers, Walter and Charles. They are both geologists.
Graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York in 1980 with a degree in Government and Spanish.
An accomplished horseman in his spare time, Mortensen requested that his "Rings" character Aragorn be given more saddle time than was originally scripted. He also kept his on-screen horse nearby during the entire principal photography schedule in order to ride in his off-hours and strengthen his relationship with the horse.
As Viggo lived in Argentina as a child, he is a fan of Argentine soccer team San Lorenzo (real name of the team: "San Lorenzo of Almagro", from Buenos Aires City).Viggo usually wear clothes and accessories with this team's colors (red & blue) the last time in public, at the Rome Festival, in the "Alatriste" Premiere.
Broke two toes during the filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), in the scene where he kicks an Orc helmet.
Owner of publishing company Perceval Press.
In 2003 he visited Denmark and had a book signing, an art exhibition opening and The Lord of The Rings premiere.
Has dual citizenship, American and Danish, as his father is a Danish citizen and his mother American.
Was in remakes of two Alfred Hitchcock films in the same year: A Perfect Murder (1998) - a remake of Dial M for Murder (1954) - and Psycho (1998).
Purchased the horses he rode in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and Hidalgo (2004) after the films were completed.
It is well-known that his father is Danish and his mother American, but also his grandmother was from Trondheim, Norway.
Worked as a translator for the Swedish hockey team during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and was at the 'miracle' game between the Soviet Union and United States.
While filming "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy in New Zealand, he would go surfing with the other actors in their spare time. One day he suffered an accident which left a bruise on the right side of his face. As a result, director Peter Jackson had to shoot only the left side of his face in the entire Moria sequence.
Was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in June 2004.
Ranked #10 on VH1's Hottest Hotties.
At first, turned down the part of Aragorn of Lord of the Rings. His son convinced him to do the part.
Is one of four "Lord of the Rings" stars to star, pre-"Rings," with Harrison Ford. He starred with Ford in Witness (1985). Ford starred with John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Sean Bean (Boromir) in Patriot Games (1992) and Miranda Otto (Eowyn) in What Lies Beneath (2000).
While working on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, he asked writer/director Peter Jackson to revise scripts so that his character Aragorn would be speaking in the Elvish language in several scenes of all three movies.
He became good friends with the close-knit stunt men on the "Lord of the Rings" films, but they were wary of doing fight scenes with him because, carried away with the intensity of his character Aragorn, he would frequently "really go at them" and leave the other combatants in bruises. Massive actor Lawrence Makoare, playing Lurtz under heaps of make-up which restricted his vision, also got carried away during their fight scene at the conclusion of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and, for once, Mortensen was left more bruised than the other actor.
Ranked #19 on Tropopkin's Top 25 Most Intriguing People [Issue #100]
Although their divorce only became final in 1998, he and his former wife, Exene Cervenka, separated in late 1990/early 1991 after less than 3 years of marriage but remain close friends often working together and co-parenting their son.
His father's name is also Viggo. His mother's name is Grace.
After his parents divorced when he was eleven, he moved to new York with his mother and two younger brothers.
He received the scar on his upper lip after scratching his face on a barbed wire fence at a Halloween party.
Is a big fan of the New York Meets and the Montreal Canadians. When filming A History of Violence (2005), he showed up on the Toronto set wearing a Canadians' jersey.
Ranked #17 on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sex Symbols in the world.
Voted #14 in Elle (France) Magazine's "15 Sexiest Men" poll (June 2007).
Brother of Walter Mortensen.Chosen by Empire Magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in the world (#69) 2007.
Admitted in an interview that when he first started out as an actor his agents encouraged him to change his name, obviously he refused.
Filmed scenes for The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), but they were all cut out.
Spent a couple weeks in Russia prior to filming Eastern Promises (2007) to research his role and better understand his character.
In Eastern Promises (2007) his Russian/Ukrainian dialect coach was Olegar Fedoro.
For his role in Eastern Promises, he stated that part of his performance was inspired by Russian hockey player Alex Kovalev.
A skilled horseman, he did all his own stunts in Hidalgo, including a breakneck bareback ride that even the stuntman couldn't handle.
Early Life
Mortensen was born in New York City,New York.His Canadian American mother,Grace Gamble (Nee Atkinson)and Danish father Viggo peter Mortensen,Sr met in Norway His maternial grandfather was from Canada.His family moved to Venezuela,Argentina and Denmark settling in Argentina,where he learned Spanish and became a fan of Club Atletico San Lorenzo de Almagro (One of the biggest eleven,when is parents divorced and his mother moved back to New York.He moved with is father to Copenhagen,Denmark.Mortensen and his father eventually moved back to the United states where Mortensen graduated from Watertown High School,Watertown,New York.After High School,he ruturned to Denmark,and became a Truck driver in Esbjerg,Denmark,before,again,returning to united States to pursue an actor career.He attended St.Lawrence university in Canton, New York,earning a bachelor's degree in Spanish, He chose that subject because he could get a lot of good grades without a lot of study,leaving him free to be in a lot of plays.At his commencement he refused to.
Wear an academic gown because they were made by sweatshop workers.However,after the Lord of the rings trilogy,when he was granted an honorary doctorate by his Alma mater,he did appear in the appropriate robes.
Acting career.
After several years of experience in live theater,Mortensen made is first movie appearance playing an Amish farmer in Peter Weir's witness.(Mortensen actually acted in two prior films-Swing Swift and The purple rose of Cairo-But is scenes in both of these films were deleted from the final cuts).Also in 1985,he was cast in the role of Bragg on Search after tomorrow.Mortensen's 1987 performance in Bent at the Coast Playhouse,Los Angeles,Won him a Dramalogue Critics' award
Early Life
Mortensen was born in New York City,New York.His Canadian American mother,Grace Gamble (Nee Atkinson)and Danish father Viggo peter Mortensen,Sr met in Norway His maternial grandfather was from Canada.His family moved to Venezuela,Argentina and Denmark settling in Argentina,where he learned Spanish and became a fan of Club Atletico San Lorenzo de Almagro (One of the biggest eleven,when is parents divorced and his mother moved back to New York.He moved with is father to Copenhagen,Denmark.Mortensen and his father eventually moved back to the United states where Mortensen graduated from Watertown High School,Watertown,New York.After High School,he ruturned to Denmark,and became a Truck driver in Esbjerg,Denmark,before,again,returning to united States to pursue an actor career.He attended St.Lawrence university in Canton, New York,earning a bachelor's degree in Spanish, He chose that subject because he could get a lot of good grades without a lot of study,leaving him free to be in a lot of plays.At his commencement he refused to.
Wear an academic gown because they were made by sweatshop workers.However,after the Lord of the rings trilogy,when he was granted an honorary doctorate by his Alma mater,he did appear in the appropriate robes.
Acting career.
After several years of experience in live theater,Mortensen made is first movie appearance playing an Amish farmer in Peter Weir's witness.(Mortensen actually acted in two prior films-Swing Swift and The purple rose of Cairo-But is scenes in both of these films were deleted from the final cuts).Also in 1985,he was cast in the role of Bragg on Search after tomorrow.Mortensen's 1987 performance in Bent at the Coast Playhouse,Los Angeles,Won him a Dramalogue Critics' award
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Comments
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meya34doubleposted 24 days ago -
after watching him in his moveies i find him refeshing and a wonderful actor. so far there isnt any thing i didnt like he played in. i own Hidalgo and Lord of the Rings and G.I Jane. please make more movies with him in them ..
posted 168 days ago -
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HI VIGGO MY NAME IS SARAH ADAMS MY BIRTHDAY IS IN OCTOBER AND I AM FRENCH AND I HAVE A FRIEND THAT Swedish AND SHE LIKE YOUR CARITER IN LORD OF THE RINGS AND SHE LIKE YOUR FRIEND ELIJAH WOOD AND ORLNDO BLOOM AND THE REST
posted 219 days ago -
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you have conflicting birth years on this page. Under Details you say he is born in 1958 but further down you say he is born in 1968.
posted 264 days ago -
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