Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Peter Mortensen (born October 20, 1958 in New York City), is a Danish-American theater and movie actor, a published poet, photographer and painter. Viggo's parents met in Norway. He has a son, Henry Blake, with his ex-wife Christine Cervenka (aka "Exene").

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October 20 - 1958 - New York City - Danish - American - Theater - Movie - Actor - Poet - Photographer - Painter - Exene

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His grandmother was from Trondheim, Norway

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Trondheim - Norway

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He is best known for his role as Aragorn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He was a last-minute replacement for the role, and wouldn't have taken the part if it hadn't been for his son's enthusiasm for J. R. R. Tolkien's trilogy. With part of the money he received for the film he founded the Perceval Press publishing house--named for the knight from the legend of King Arthur--to help other artists by publishing avant-garde works that might not find a home in more traditional publishing venues.

Related Topics:
Aragorn - Peter Jackson - The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien - Trilogy

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After several years of experience in live theater, he began his movie career playing an Amish farmer in Peter Weir's Witness. He has also appeared in Jane Campion's film The Portrait of a Lady, 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 Reflecting Skin, Andrew Davis's A Perfect Murder, and David Cronenberg's History of Violence.

Related Topics:
Amish - Peter Weir - Witness - Jane Campion - The Portrait of a Lady - Sean Penn - Indian Runner - Brian DePalma - Carlito's Way - Tony Scott - Crimson Tide - Ridley Scott - G.I. Jane - Tony Goldwyn - A Walk on the Moon - Philip Ridley - Reflecting Skin - Andrew Davis - A Perfect Murder - David Cronenberg - History of Violence

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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 Sir Ian McKellen, with whom Mortensen co-starred in The Lord of the Rings. In 2004, he starred as Frank Hopkins in Hidalgo, a film set in 1890, is a story of a Pony Express courier (Mortensen) who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a massive contest prize, in an adventure that sends the pair around the world.

Related Topics:
Bent - Los Angeles - Sir Ian McKellen - The Lord of the Rings - 2004 - Hidalgo - 1890

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Viggo is also a hockey fan, particularily of the Montreal_Canadiens.

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Mortensen's bibliography includes

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• Ten Last Night (1993), his first collection of poetry;
• Recent Forgeries (1998), ISBN: 1-889195-32-4 5th Edition, documents Viggo's first solo exhibition and includes a CD with music and spoken-word poetry. Introduction by Dennis Hopper;
• Errant Vine (2000), limited edition booklet of an exhibit at the Robert Mann Gallery. Only about 300 were published at the time of the exhibition so it is a very rare book;
• Hole in the Sun (2002, ISBN 0972143610), color and black and white photographs of a back yard swimming pool;
• SignLanguage (2002 ISBN 1889195499), a catalog from an exhibition of his works, combining photographs, paintings, and poetry into a multimedia diary of his time in New Zealand while filming ';
• Coincidence of Memory (2002, ISBN: 0-9721436-0-2 Third Edition, in this book, the artist combines photographs, paintings, and poems that cover his artistic output from 1978 to 2002;
• Mo Te Upoko-o-te-ika/For Wellington (2003), ISBN 0-9721436-8-8, a book to accompany the joint exhibitions at Massey University and the Wellington City Gallery during the premiere of ';
• 45301 (2003), ISBN 0-9721436-3-7, Abstract images, fragments and phrases from poems create this photography book. Many of the photographs were shot during travels to Morocco, Cuba, and the northern plains of the United States;
• Un hueco en el sol (2003), a small booklet was published to accompany the exhibition "Un hueco en el sol" at the Fototeca de Cuba in Havana. In Spanish;
• Miyelo (2003), ISBN 097214367X), a series of panoramic photographs of a Lakota Ghost Dance;
• The Horse is Good (2004), ISBN 0-9747078-1-3, a photography book partly shot during his work on the film Hidalgo about horses as partners, teachers, and fellow travelers. Images from Morocco, South Dakota, Montana, California, Iceland, New Zealand, Denmark, Brazil, Argentina.

His marriage in 1987 to punk rocker Exene (Christene) Cervenka, ended in an amicable divorce in 1998. They have a son, Henry, born in 1988.

Related Topics:
1987 - Exene (Christene) Cervenka - 1998 - 1988

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Mortensen spent some childhood years in Venezuela, Argentina, and his father's native Denmark, before returning to high school in Watertown, New York (where he was captain of the swim team). He graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1980. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Danish. He also speaks Norwegian and Swedish reasonably well.

Related Topics:
Venezuela - Argentina - Denmark - Watertown, New York - St. Lawrence University - 1980 - English - Spanish - Danish - Norwegian - Swedish

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Viggo Mortensen: Artwork, Music, and Poetry ►