Viggo Mortensen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Viggo Mortensen R
Mortensen in 2020
Born	Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. (1958-10-20) October 20, 1958 (age 66) Watertown, New York, U.S.
Citizenship	United States Denmark
Alma mater	St. Lawrence University
Occupation	Actor artist musician director producer
Years active	1984–present
Spouse(s)	Exene Cervenka ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1997)​
Partner(s)	Ariadna Gil (2009–present)
Children	1
Awards	Full list

Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. (born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, musician, and filmmaker. He has received many awards and nominations, including three nominations for the Best Actor Oscar. He has also been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and an Independent Spirit Award.

Mortensen first appeared in a film in 1985 as Moses Hochleitner in the thriller Witness. In the late 1990s, he played supporting roles in movies like The Portrait of a Lady (1996), G.I. Jane (1997), A Perfect Murder (1998), and 28 Days (2000).

He became famous worldwide for his role as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings fantasy movies (2001–2003). Later, he starred in several films directed by David Cronenberg, such as A History of Violence (2005) and Eastern Promises (2007). For Eastern Promises, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He also received Oscar nominations for his main roles in Captain Fantastic (2016) and Green Book (2018). In 2020, Mortensen directed his first movie, Falling, in which he also acted.

Besides acting, Mortensen is also a painter, poet, musician, and photographer. He has created music for films, including the soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings. He has also worked with guitarist Buckethead on several music albums. In 2002, Mortensen started Perceval Press to publish his own creative works and those of other lesser-known artists and writers.

Early Life and Education

Viggo Mortensen was born in Watertown, New York, on October 20, 1958. His mother was American, and his father was Danish. They met in Norway. His family moved a lot when he was young, living in Venezuela, then Denmark, and finally settling in Argentina.

While in Argentina, Mortensen went to primary school and learned to speak Spanish very well. His father managed farms there. When Viggo was 11, his parents divorced. He and his two younger brothers moved back to the United States with their mother. He spent the rest of his childhood in New York State.

He graduated from Watertown High School in 1976. He then went to St. Lawrence University in Canton (village), New York, where he earned a degree in Spanish studies and politics in 1980. After college, Mortensen lived in Europe for a while, including the United Kingdom, Spain, and Denmark. He worked different jobs, like driving trucks and selling flowers, before returning to the United States to start his acting career.

Acting Career Highlights

First Roles in the 1980s and 1990s

Mortensen's first movie role was in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), but his scenes were cut from the final film. His first time appearing on screen was as an Amish farmer in Peter Weir's movie Witness. The director chose him because he thought Viggo looked right for the part. This positive experience helped him decide to focus on film acting.

In the 1990s, Mortensen played many supporting roles. Some of these films include The Portrait of a Lady, Young Guns II, Carlito's Way, Crimson Tide, and G.I. Jane. He was especially known for playing Master Chief John Urgayle in G.I. Jane. He also appeared in remakes of classic thrillers like A Perfect Murder and Psycho.

Becoming Famous with The Lord of the Rings

Mortensen at the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, December 1, 2003

A big turning point in Mortensen's career came in 1999. Director Peter Jackson chose him to play Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He was a last-minute replacement for another actor. His son's love for the J. R. R. Tolkien books helped him decide to take the role. Critics praised his performance as Aragorn.

Mortensen often did his own stunts in the films. The swordmaster for the movies, Bob Anderson, even called him "the best swordsman I've ever trained." Mortensen was very dedicated; he even bought the two horses he rode in the films because he had bonded with them.

In 2004, Mortensen starred as Frank Hopkins in Hidalgo. This movie tells the story of an ex-army courier who races his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous desert competition.

In 2005, he starred in David Cronenberg's film A History of Violence. He played a family man with a secret past. His performance earned him a nomination for a Satellite Award.

Mortensen at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival for A History of Violence

In 2007, Mortensen starred in another David Cronenberg film, Eastern Promises. He played a Russian gangster in London. This role earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Recent Acclaim and Directing

Mortensen at the 32nd Genie Awards in March 2012

In 2016, Mortensen starred in Captain Fantastic. He played a father raising his children in the wilderness. This role earned him his second Academy Award nomination. Critics praised his ability to show a character who was both tough and loving.

In 2018, he starred in Green Book. Mortensen played Tony Lip, an Italian-American bouncer who drives and protects pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the southern United States in the 1960s. He received his third Academy Award nomination for this role.

In 2020, Mortensen released his first movie as a director, Falling. He also wrote, produced, composed the music for, and starred in the film. The story was inspired by his own family's experiences.

More recently, Mortensen has continued to act in various films. In 2022, he starred as British cave diver Rick Stanton in Thirteen Lives, directed by Ron Howard. He also reunited with David Cronenberg for the science fiction horror film Crimes of the Future. He has also written, directed, and starred in a Western film called The Dead Don't Hurt.

Artistic Pursuits

Mortensen in 2010

Perceval Press

With some of his earnings from The Lord of the Rings, Mortensen started his own publishing company called Perceval Press. It is named after a knight from the legend of King Arthur. He created it to help other artists publish their works, like books and art, that might not be accepted by bigger publishers. Perceval Press also publishes Mortensen's own art, photography, poetry, and music.

Visual Arts and Music

Mortensen's 1983 Paintings Submission Inquiry

Mortensen is a talented painter and photographer. His paintings are often abstract and sometimes include parts of his poetry. His art has been shown in galleries around the world. Some of the paintings shown in the movie A Perfect Murder, where he played an artist, were actually his own.

He also combines his poetry and music. He has worked with guitarist Buckethead on several music albums. Mortensen was introduced to Buckethead's music while working on an educational CD about Greek mythology.

Mortensen's music albums include:

• 1994: Don't Tell Me What to Do
• 1997: One Less Thing to Worry About
• 1998: Recent Forgeries
• 1999: The Other Parade
• 1999: One Man's Meat
• 1999: Live at Beyond Baroque
• 2003: Pandemoniumfromamerica
• 2004: Live at Beyond Baroque II
• 2004: Please Tomorrow
• 2004: This, That, and the Other
• 2005: Intelligence Failure
• 2006: 3 Fools 4 April
• 2007: Time Waits for Everyone
• 2008: At All
• 2010: Canciones de Invierno
• 2011: Reunion
• 2013: Acá
• 2015: Under the Weather
• 2016: Seventeen Odd Songs
• 2017: Preguntas Desde la Orilla
• 2018: Godzilla Sleeps Alone

Mortensen also sings on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King soundtrack. He sings "Aragorn's Coronation," a song with words by Tolkien and music composed by Mortensen himself.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Viggo Mortensen is a citizen of both the United States and Denmark. He grew up speaking English and Spanish. He has said that he sometimes feels he can express himself better in Spanish.

Mortensen met singer Exene Cervenka in 1986. They married in 1987 and had a son, Henry, in 1988. Henry later appeared as his on-screen son in the 1995 film Crimson Tide. Mortensen and Cervenka separated in 1992 and divorced in 1997. Since 2009, he has been in a relationship with Spanish actress Ariadna Gil. They live in Madrid, Spain, but Mortensen also spends a lot of time in the United States.

Hobbies and Interests

Mortensen enjoys many sports, including soccer, ice hockey, and baseball. He supports several sports teams around the world, such as Argentine club San Lorenzo de Almagro, English team Fulham, and Spanish team Real Madrid. He is also a big fan of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team. He even wore a Canadiens shirt under his costume while filming The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Political Views

Viggo Mortensen has spoken about his political views. For example, during the time of the Iraq War, he appeared in an interview wearing a t-shirt that said, "No More Blood for Oil."

He has also supported various political candidates and causes. In 2016, he supported Bernie Sanders for U.S. president. He has also spoken out against certain political parties and their views, especially when they use his image or characters he has played to support ideas he disagrees with. He is interested in different cultures and languages and supports inclusion.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

Awards and Recognition

Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee, screenwriter Joe Penhall, director John Hillcoat and producer Steve Schwartz at the 2009 Venice Film Festival for The Road

Viggo Mortensen has received many awards and nominations throughout his career. For his role as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, he was nominated for the SAG Award for Outstanding Cast. The cast won this award for the final movie, The Return of the King (2003).

His performances in Eastern Promises (2007), Captain Fantastic (2016), and Green Book (2018) earned him nominations for the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for Best Actor.

In 2006, his old university, St. Lawrence University, gave him an honorary doctorate. On April 16, 2010, he was given the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, which is a special honor from Denmark.

Images for kids

• 

  Mortensen's 1983 Paintings Submission Inquiry

See also

In Spanish: Viggo Mortensen para niños

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of actors with three or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories