Cast Watch: Hard-riding Viggo Tehanu @ 2:58 pm EST
Those following Viggo Mortensen's career will enjoy the reports coming in from the observers of his latest movie project, Hidaldgo.
He's learning Lakota, a Native American Plains language: The Dakota, Nakota and Lakota people make up the Sioux, which may be a more familiar name to some.
As well as the language task which he takes seriously, he gets to fulfil his love of horseriding, as horses are a big part of the story. Certainly since filming LOTR he's become a keen horseman, and even took his LOTR mount home to the States when filming was over. No word on whether that horse is being used in the current project. Six horses are playing the part of Viggo's horse Hidalgo, because their role is so demanding. Viggo has to be able to bond with them and establish trust, as the kind of riding required is also very demanding. Near the start of the film Viggo has to ride while acting drunk. There's a lot of stunts in HIDALGO, including some hard riding across the desert in Morocco where he races against Arabian horses. That part of the shoot was very tough - very hot and with troublesome sandstorms. Early scenes were shot in Montana.