QUICK BIO
BIOGRAPHY
Actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter, Viggo Mortensen, was born to Grace Gamble (American) and Viggo Peter Mortensen, Sr (Danish). And has grandparents from Nova Scotia, Canada and New England. His parents split up when Mortensen was only 11.
The family moved to Venezuela, then Denmark, and eventually settled in Argentina, taking residency in the Argentine provinces of Córdoba, Chaco and Buenos Aires, where he attended primary school and acquired fluent Spanish, while his father managed chicken farms and ranches. When his parents split up, he returned back to New York with his mother, where he spent the rest of his childhood, graduating from Watertown High School.
He then went to Europe and lived in Spain, England and Denmark, where he took various jobs as driving trucks in Esbjerg and selling flowers in Copenhagen. After two years, he returned to the United States to pursue an acting career.
Mortensen has several years in live theatre, and in 1985, The Purple Rose of Cairo, should’ve been his film debut, but unfortunately his scenes in the film were deleted from the final cuts.
The family moved to Venezuela, then Denmark, and eventually settled in Argentina, taking residency in the Argentine provinces of Córdoba, Chaco and Buenos Aires, where he attended primary school and acquired fluent Spanish, while his father managed chicken farms and ranches. When his parents split up, he returned back to New York with his mother, where he spent the rest of his childhood, graduating from Watertown High School.
He then went to Europe and lived in Spain, England and Denmark, where he took various jobs as driving trucks in Esbjerg and selling flowers in Copenhagen. After two years, he returned to the United States to pursue an acting career.
Mortensen has several years in live theatre, and in 1985, The Purple Rose of Cairo, should’ve been his film debut, but unfortunately his scenes in the film were deleted from the final cuts.
When it came to The Lord of the Rings, Mortensen was a last minute replacement for Stuart Townsend, and would not have taken the role of Aragorn had it not been for his son’s enthusiasm. Bob Anderson, sword-fighting trainer, described him as “The best swordsman I’ve ever trained” Mortensen often spent days hiking to the film's remote locations, in costume and carrying his sword, in order to appear authentically travel-worn; he also performed all of his own stunts, and even the injuries he sustained during several of them did not dampen his enthusiasm. At one point during shooting of The Two Towers, Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, and the scale double for John Rhys-Davies all had fairly serious injuries, and during a shoot of them, running in the mountains, Peter Jackson jokingly referred to the three as "the walking wounded." When Mortensen kicks the Uruk-hai helmet outside Fangorn Forest and screams, he actually did injure himself and the scream was real.
Mortensen purchased the two horses, Uraeus and Kenny, whom he rode and bonded with over the duration of the films. He also brought TJ, a horse who played Hidalgo. He also purchased the stallion that played Arwen’s horse, a grey Andalusian stallion named Florian, and gave it to the stunt woman, Jane Abbott, who rode the horse in place of Liv Tyler.
Mortensen is also an active musician, and is featured on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King soundtrack, singing “Aragorn’s Coronation”, the words by Tolkien and the music composed by Mortensen.
Mortensen purchased the two horses, Uraeus and Kenny, whom he rode and bonded with over the duration of the films. He also brought TJ, a horse who played Hidalgo. He also purchased the stallion that played Arwen’s horse, a grey Andalusian stallion named Florian, and gave it to the stunt woman, Jane Abbott, who rode the horse in place of Liv Tyler.
Mortensen is also an active musician, and is featured on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King soundtrack, singing “Aragorn’s Coronation”, the words by Tolkien and the music composed by Mortensen.
He was married to Exene Cervenka, singer in the punk band X, to which he had a son, Henry Blake Mortensen. Who starred in Rings alongside his father as a young soldier next to Haleth in The Two Towers, and in The Return of the King he plays the first Orc killed by Aragorn upon leaving the ships during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
Mortensen is politically active. He campaigned for Dennish Kucinich in the 2008 United States Presidential Election, and most recently endorsed Barrack Obama for President.
Mortensen holds American-Danish dual citizenship, speaks fluent English, Danish and Spanish and he a hockey Fan. In fact, he is a huge fan of the Montreal Canadiens, in which he wore their t-shirt underneath his armor during the filming of Rings.
Mortensen owns a property in northern Sandpoint, Idaho, and spends time there when not filming movies.
Mortensen is politically active. He campaigned for Dennish Kucinich in the 2008 United States Presidential Election, and most recently endorsed Barrack Obama for President.
Mortensen holds American-Danish dual citizenship, speaks fluent English, Danish and Spanish and he a hockey Fan. In fact, he is a huge fan of the Montreal Canadiens, in which he wore their t-shirt underneath his armor during the filming of Rings.
Mortensen owns a property in northern Sandpoint, Idaho, and spends time there when not filming movies.
Mortensen is also an author with various books of poetry, photography and painting. Some notable books include…
1993
2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 |
TEN LAST NIGHT: First collection of poetry
ERRANT VINE: Limited edition booklet of an exhibit at the Robert Mann Gallery SIGNLANGUAGE: A catalogue from an exhibition of his works, combining photographs, paintings, and poetry into a multimedia diary of his time in New Zealand while filming The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Introduced by Kevin Power MO TE UPOKO-O-TE-IKA/FOR WELLINGTON: A book to accompany the joint exhibitions at Massey University and the Wellington City Gallery during the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King THE HORSE IS GOOD: A photography book, partly shot during his work on Hidalgo, about horses as partners, teachers, and fellow travelers. Images from Morocco, South Dakota, Montana, California, Iceland, New Zealand, Denmark, Brazil and Argentina. This book reflects Mortensen’s fondness for horses. I FORGET YOU FOREVER: Texts and Photographs |
AWARDS
YEAR
2001
2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2009 2011 |
WORK
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King A History of Violence Alatriste Eastern Promises The Road A Dangerous Method |
AWARD
Empire Award
SFX Award Empire Award Satellite Award Saturn Award Empire Award Saturn Award Empire Award London Film Critics Circle Award New York Film Critics Circle Award Satellite Award Saturn Award Goya Award British Independent Film Award Saint Jordi Award Satellite Award Toronto Film Critics Association Award Vancouver Film Critics Association Award Academy Award BAFTAs Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Chicago Film Critics Association Award Genie Award Golden Globe Houston Film Critics Society Award New York Film Critics Society Award Online Film Critics Society Award San Diego Film Critics Society Award Saturn Award Screen Actors Guild Award St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award Utah Film Critics Association Award Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Denver Film Critics Society Award Fangoria Chainsaw Award Houston Film Critics Society Award San Diego Film Critics Society Award Saturn Award Toronto Film Critics Association Award Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award -Genie Award Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award Golden Globe New York Film Critics Circle Award Satellite Award |
CATEGORY
Best Actor
Best SF or Fantasy Film Actor Best Actor Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Drama Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Actor Of The Year Best Actor Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Foreign Actor Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Best Actor Best Actor In A Canadian Film Best Actor Actor In A Leading Role Best Actor Best Actor Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Actor Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role Best Supporting Actor In A Canadian Film Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture |
RESULT
Nominated
WON Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated 3rd Place Nominated Nominated Nominated WON WON WON WON WON Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated WON Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated Nominated WON WON Nominated 3rd Place Nominated |
MOST NOTABLE MILESTONES:
1980:
1985: 1987: 2000: 2002: 2003: 2004: 2005: 2006: 2007: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2014: |
Attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, where he earned a degree
Mortensen made his film debut in Peter Weir’s thriller, Witness, where he played an Amish farmer Was cast in the role of Bragg on Search for Tomorrow Mortensen’s performance in Bent at the Coast Playhouse, Los Angeles, won him a Dramalogue Critics’ Award. Coincidentally, the play, about homosexual concentration camp prisoners, was originally brought to prominence by Ian McKellen, with whom Mortensen later co-starred in The Lord of the Rings. Mortensen starred as a corrupt police detective on the hit series Miami Vice Starred in 28 Days Founded the Perceval Press to publish works of little-known artists and authors Mortensen put out the album, Pandemoniumfromamerica, which featured Billy Boyd and Elijah Wood Starred as Frank Hopkins in Hidalgo Won critical acclaim for David Cronenberg’s crime thriller, A History of Violence. He was nominated for a Satellite Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for this role Starred as Captain Diego Alatriste, in the Spanish language film Alatriste, based on the series of novels The Adventures of Captain Alatriste, written by the Spanish writer Arturo Perez- Réverte Following his role on Rings, he was granted an honorary doctorate by his alma mater, St. Lawrence University On October 13th, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Province and the City of León, Spain Starred in his second David Cronenberg film, Eastern Promises, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and won the Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film Award from the British Independent Film Awards. Discussed his passion for the sword and sword-work in films such as The Lord of the Rings and Alatriste, in the documentary Reclaiming The Blade. He also talked about his work with Bob Anderson, the swordmaster on The Lord of the Rings, Alatriste, Pirates of the Caribbean and many others. Mortensen performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. Joined the cast of The Road, a film adaption of the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name One of the signees of the “Toronto Declaration” protesting against spotlight Tel-Aiv at the TIFF On April 16th, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Dannebrog Starred in another David Cronenberg film, A Dangerous Mind, which resulted in a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomination Mortensen returned to theatre, starring in Ariel Dorfman’s Purgatorio in Madrid Mortensen put out his 16th album, Reunion Currently in Post-Production with Far From Men, where he played the character Daru |
VIGGO MORTENSEN PORTRAYS:
ARAGORN
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy