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IMDbPro

Viggo Mortensen

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterTop 500118
Viggo Mortensen
Take a closer look at the various roles Viggo Mortensen has played throughout his acting career.
Play clip1:41
Viggo Mortensen | Career Retrospective
98 Videos
99+ Photos
Since his screen debut as a young Amish farmer in Peter Weir's Witness (1985), Viggo Mortensen's career has been marked by a steady string of well-rounded performances.

Mortensen was born in New York City, to Grace Gamble (Atkinson) and Viggo Peter Mortensen, Sr. His father was Danish, his mother was American, and his maternal grandfather was Canadian. His parents met in Norway. They wed and moved to New York, where Viggo, Jr. was born, before moving to South America, where Viggo, Sr. managed chicken farms and ranches in Venezuela and Argentina. Two more sons were born, Charles and Walter, before the marriage grew increasingly unhappy. When Viggo was seven, his parents sent him to a a strict boarding school, isolated in the foothills of the mountains of Argentina. Then, at age eleven, his parents divorced. His mother moved herself and the children back to her home state of New York.

Viggo attended Watertown High School, and became a very good student and athlete. He graduated in 1976 and went on to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. After graduation, he moved to Denmark - driven by the need for a defining purpose in life. He began writing poetry and short stories while working many odd jobs, from dock worker to flower seller. In 1982, he fell in love and followed his girlfriend back to New York City, hoping for a long romance and a writing career. He got neither. In New York, Viggo found work waiting tables and tending bar and began taking acting classes, studying with Warren Robertson. He appeared in several plays and movies, and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where his performance in "Bent" at the Coast Playhouse earned him a Drama-logue Critic's Award.

He made his film debut with a small part in Witness (1985). He appeared in Salvation! (1987) and married his co-star, Exene Cervenka. The two had a son, Henry Mortensen. But after nearly eleven years of marriage, the couple divorced.

In 1999, Viggo got a phone call about a movie he did not know anything about: "The Lord of the Rings." At first, he didn't want to do it, because it would mean time away from his son. But Henry, a big fan of the books, told his father he shouldn't turn down the role. Viggo accepted the part and immediately began work on the project, which was already underway. Eventually, the success of "The Lord of the Rings" made him a household name - a difficult consequence for the ever private and introspective Viggo.

Critics have continually recognized his work in over thirty movies, including such diverse projects as Jane Campion's The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Sean Penn's The Indian Runner (1991), Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way (1993), Ridley Scott's G.I. Jane (1997), Tony Scott's Crimson Tide (1995), Andrew Davis's A Perfect Murder (1998), Ray Loriga's My Brother's Gun (1997), Tony Goldwyn's A Walk on the Moon (1999), and Peter Farrelly's Green Book (2018).

Mortensen is also an accomplished poet, photographer and painter.
BornOctober 20, 1958
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornOctober 20, 1958
IMDbProStarmeterTop 500118
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 3 Oscars
    • 46 wins & 127 nominations total

Viggo Mortensen Through the Years

Viggo Mortensen Through the Years

Take a look at Viggo Mortensen through the years, including throwback pics to his reign as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
See the gallery
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[object Object]

Photos770

Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in Green Book (2018)
Viggo Mortensen, Joel Edgerton, Colin Farrell, Thira Chutikul, and Popetorn Soonthornyanakij in Thirteen Lives (2022)
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Known for

Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
9.0
  • Aragorn
  • 2003
George MacKay in Captain Fantastic (2016)
Captain Fantastic
7.8
  • Ben
  • 2016
Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, and Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
8.8
  • Aragorn
  • 2002
Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts in Eastern Promises (2007)
Eastern Promises
7.6
  • Nikolai
  • 2007

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Eureka
    • Murphy
    • Post-production
  • Two Wolves
    • Pre-production
  • The Dead Don't Hurt
    • Holger Olsen
    • Post-production
  • Unabomb
    • Jim Freeman
    • Pre-production
  • Thirteen Lives (2022)
    Thirteen Lives
    • Rick Stanton
    • 2022
  • Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart, and Léa Seydoux in Crimes of the Future (2022)
    Crimes of the Future
    • Saul Tenser
    • 2022
  • Lance Henriksen and Viggo Mortensen in Falling (2020)
    Falling
    • John Peterson
    • 2020
  • Peter Jackson and Stephen Colbert in Darrylgorn (2019)
    Darrylgorn
    • Viggo
    • Short
    • 2019
  • Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in Green Book (2018)
    Green Book
    • Tony Lip
    • 2018
  • George MacKay in Captain Fantastic (2016)
    Captain Fantastic
    • Ben
    • 2016
  • Viggo Mortensen and Reda Kateb in Far from Men (2014)
    Far from Men
    • Daru
    • 2014
  • Viggo Mortensen, Ghita Nørby, Lisandro Alonso, and Viilbjørk Malling Agger in Jauja (2014)
    Jauja
    • Gunnar Dinesen
    • 2014
  • Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, and Oscar Isaac in The Two Faces of January (2014)
    The Two Faces of January
    • Chester
    • 2014
  • Carlito's Way: Deleted Scenes (2013)
    Carlito's Way: Deleted Scenes
    • Lalin
    • Video
    • 2013
  • Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Alegre, Sergio Boris, Daniel Fanego, Soledad Villamil, Javier Godino, Sofía Gala Castiglione, and Alberto Ajaka in Everybody Has a Plan (2012)
    Everybody Has a Plan
    • Agustín
    • Pedro
    • 2012
  • On the Road (2012)
    On the Road
    • Old Bull Lee
    • William S. Burroughs
    • 2012
  • Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, and Michael Fassbender in A Dangerous Method (2011)
    A Dangerous Method
    • Sigmund Freud
    • 2011
  • Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Road (2009)
    The Road
    • Man
    • 2009
  • Good (2008)
    Good
    • Halder
    • 2008

Producer

  • The Dead Don't Hurt
    • producer
    • Post-production
  • Lance Henriksen and Viggo Mortensen in Falling (2020)
    Falling
    • producer (p.g.a.)
    • 2020
  • Viggo Mortensen and Reda Kateb in Far from Men (2014)
    Far from Men
    • co-producer
    • 2014
  • Viggo Mortensen, Ghita Nørby, Lisandro Alonso, and Viilbjørk Malling Agger in Jauja (2014)
    Jauja
    • producer
    • 2014
  • Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Alegre, Sergio Boris, Daniel Fanego, Soledad Villamil, Javier Godino, Sofía Gala Castiglione, and Alberto Ajaka in Everybody Has a Plan (2012)
    Everybody Has a Plan
    • producer
    • 2012

Director

  • The Dead Don't Hurt
    • Director
    • Post-production
  • Lance Henriksen and Viggo Mortensen in Falling (2020)
    Falling
    • Director (directed by)
    • 2020
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos100

Is Cronenberg's 'Crimes of the Future' Actually About Filmmaking?
Clip 4:00
Is Cronenberg's 'Crimes of the Future' Actually About Filmmaking?
Viggo Mortensen | Career Retrospective
Clip 1:41
Viggo Mortensen | Career Retrospective
Why 'Falling' Made Viggo Mortensen and Lance Henriksen Consider Quitting Showbiz
Clip 10:18
Why 'Falling' Made Viggo Mortensen and Lance Henriksen Consider Quitting Showbiz
2019 Golden Globes Big Winners
Clip 3:20
2019 Golden Globes Big Winners
Exclusive Clip
Clip 2:09
Exclusive Clip
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Clip 1:09
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Clip 1:15
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Clip 0:26
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Clip 0:57
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Clip 0:47
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Clip 1:14
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Good
Clip 1:47
Good

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Viggo Mortenson
  • Height
    • 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
  • Born
    • October 20, 1958
    • Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
  • Spouse
    • Exene CervenkaJuly 8, 1987 - March 13, 1998 (divorced, 1 child)
  • Children
      Henry Mortensen
  • Parents
      Grace Gamble Mortensen (Atkinson)
  • Relatives
      Walter Mortensen(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Has released two poetry/jazz/organized-chaos CDs: "Don't Tell Me What to Do" and "One Less Thing to Worry About".
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Portrayal
    • 16 Interviews
    • 19 Articles
    • 5 Pictorials
    • 11 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Purchased the horses he rode in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and Hidalgo (2004) after the films were completed.
  • Quotes
    On the role of an actor in film: "It comes down to the fact that you supply the blue, and they supply the other colors and mix them with your blue, and maybe there's some blue left in the painting and maybe there isn't. Maybe there wasn't supposed to be any there in the first place. So have some fun and make a good blue and walk away."
  • Trademarks
      Cleft chin
  • Nicknames
    • Vig
    • Guido
    • Cuervo
  • Salary
    • Hidalgo
      (2004)
      $2,000,000

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