{"id":54234,"date":"2012-03-17T01:23:02","date_gmt":"2012-03-17T06:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/?p=54234"},"modified":"2012-03-17T02:30:11","modified_gmt":"2012-03-17T07:30:11","slug":"viggo-mortensen-part-3-the-philosophy-of-viggo-includes-new-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/2012\/03\/17\/54234-viggo-mortensen-part-3-the-philosophy-of-viggo-includes-new-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Viggo Mortensen part 3 – the philosophy of Viggo. (Includes new video!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Apologies for the delay in this post; it took longer than expected\u00a0to wrestle my thoughts into (hopefully!) coherent form!\u00a0 It’s not easy to craft a post – without writing an entire book (and this isn’t far off)! – \u00a0which captures the essence of all that Viggo Mortensen had to say when he attended the Coolidge Award here in Boston.\u00a0 In this final part of the write-up, I wanted to try to capture Mortensen’s philosophy of life, as revealed through remarks he made during the various gatherings at the Coolidge Theatre<\/a>.\u00a0 In the three sessions at the Coolidge – press Q&A, questions after the Eastern Promises<\/em> screening, and the evening discussion with WBUR’s Robin Young – Mortensen was asked many questions, and his thoughtful way of looking at the world, (and at the art he wishes to create in that world), was revealed in the answers\u00a0he gave.<\/p>\n

Mortensen is often referred to as a ‘Renaissance man’, because of his seeming ability to turn his hand to all manner of talents.\u00a0 He has written poetry, exhibited photography and paintings, even composed music.\u00a0 He told the audience at the Coolidge, ‘I might like to try directing at some point.’\u00a0 He is an excellent horseman and was praised by the late swordmaster Bob Anderson (in the Two Towers<\/em> DVD extras) as being ‘the best swordsman I’ve ever trained’.\u00a0 On top of all that,\u00a0he’s a rather good actor….\u00a0 In spite of all this ability,\u00a0Mortensen continues to be known as ‘No ego Viggo’; how is it that he stays so humble?\u00a0 And what drives him to try his hand in so many different fields?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Let’s begin at the beginning…..\u00a0 It was curiosity\u00a0which, after a less than stellar start, eventually brought Mortensen to his career in acting.\u00a0 The first time he appeared on stage was as the ‘ass end of a dragon in a play about St George’.\u00a0 Later, in junior high school, Mortensen was persuaded by friends to try out for the school production of Hello Dolly<\/em>.\u00a0 For his audition\u00a0he read the opening lines from David Copperfield<\/em>; alas, his mumbling could barely be heard.\u00a0 After the audition panel had shouted, ‘What??’ several times, he fled from the room – an inauspicious start indeed!\u00a0 Not too many years later, however, he was inspired by Meryl Streep (the actress, he says, with whom he would most like to work); seeing her performance in The Deer Hunter<\/em> made Mortensen wonder, ‘How do you DO that?’\u00a0 This desire to find out how one achieves such truth in performance\u00a0made him, as he puts it,\u00a0‘bold enough to try’; so\u00a0he went along to audition for a theatre workshop in Manhattan.\u00a0 (For one of his audition ‘speeches’, Mortensen decided to sing<\/em> an old Irish poem; at the evening discussion at the Coolidge, he remarked, of his tendency to break into song: ‘It’s a bad habit; unbidden; unwelcome – but it happens!’)<\/p>\n

Unbidden singing aside, the audition was successful and so began his work as an actor.\u00a0\u00a0It was\u00a0not, of course, a case of overnight stardom; Mortensen has been working at his craft for a long time (‘I have been doing this for quite a while … I guess I’m older than I think!\u00a0 I don’t know if I’ll be able to play Peter Pan!’), and he knows what it is to go to see a movie in the theatre, only to find that your entire role has been left behind on the cutting room floor – as happened to his performance in The Purple Rose of Cairo<\/em>.\u00a0 (‘They should tell you when you’ve been cut!’ he told Robin Young.)\u00a0 Through the years, Mortensen has worked hard and has been constantly learning (‘You can learn a lot on every movie’) and challenging himself.\u00a0 Rather than just do the thing he knows he can do well, Mortensen says,\u00a0 ‘I like to do things where it’s like, ‘Woah, how am I going to do that?’ …\u00a0\u00a0The biggest obstacle becomes the most fun – once you make friends with it!’\u00a0\u00a0Such a\u00a0challenge for Mortensen was the role of Nikolai\u00a0in David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises;<\/em> a\u00a0‘Russian who had learned\u00a0his English in England’ –\u00a0thus requiring him not only to learn Russian, but also to speak his English dialogue with an appropriate ‘English (as opposed to American) Russian’ accent.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In what appears to be typical ‘Viggo’ style, Mortensen learned ALL of his lines of dialogue for Eastern Promises<\/em> in Russian, ‘just in case’ – and he pushed for there to be more Russian in the film, just as he was an advocate for including more Elvish in the Lord of the Rings<\/em> movies, as he believed that this would draw the audience into the culture of the elves, and make them feel that they were eavesdropping on intimate moments.<\/p>\n

Another\u00a0recent challenge embraced by Mortensen was the\u00a0‘wordiness’ of his role\u00a0in\u00a0Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0‘I hadn’t tried that much dialogue before,’ he said.\u00a0 ‘Once I got comfortable, I\u00a0loved it …\u00a0 Since then I’ve gone back to theatre after over twenty years … now I feel it’s something I can do and enjoy, and not be terrified!’<\/p>\n

Mortensen is famed for the hours of research he puts in to any role.\u00a0 ‘What happened between birth and page one of the script?\u00a0 … You’ve got to make it up; and I like to …\u00a0 The more I believe it, the more chance there is that you’re going to believe it.’\u00a0 Mortensen explained that there is\u00a0no limit to where you can look for information and inspiration: ‘Jokes heard, things seen, a look on someone’s face….’\u00a0 Like most actors, he will also ponder the physicality of a character; for Nikolai, Mortensen was inspired by Russia’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, with his ‘swagger… the coldness to his body language.’\u00a0 \u00a0For Freud in A Dangerous<\/em> Method<\/em>, Mortensen researched authors the scientist liked to read, (‘Freud met Mark Twain… and he loved Oscar Wilde’), and he found editions of books which Freud might have had in his own library.\u00a0\u00a0In creating a convincing character, Mortensen told us he likes to ‘leave no stone unturned.\u00a0 Most research material\u00a0won’t show up in the movie, but it’s there in the background.’<\/p>\n

In addition to this disciplined preparation for any role, Mortensen also credits his ‘nomadic’\u00a0upbringing (in America, Venezuela, Argentina and Denmark) with giving him a mental ability to ‘go places’.\u00a0\u00a0 Putting this all together as his tool kit, Mortensen said he strives to get to the truth of any given scene, be it a conversation, a fight, or even something as violent as a rape.\u00a0 He spoke of his desire always to do the work ‘properly’; of his Russian language lessons he said, ‘I just wanted to do a good job.’<\/p>\n

This is perhaps a clue to Mortensen’s humility; he is a man who always wants to give his best, who always seeks to learn more, and who therefore never\u00a0rests on his laurels.\u00a0 In Mortensen’s world, past glory is no substitute for present application.\u00a0 At the press Q&A, he told us, ‘There’s no better thing … \u00a0than to be called reliable … that someone can count on you to do a job well – or the best you can…\u00a0that’s what I strive for.’\u00a0 He went on to say, ‘If I have any choice in the matter, I’d rather work with ladies and gentlemen; people who treat people well … Life is short; it’s better to have fun.’<\/p>\n

Mortensen, then, is an actor who\u00a0always gives his best, and who approaches his work with care and discipline, whilst treating those around him with courtesy and respect.\u00a0 (Which is not to say that he is dull; Mortensen’s ready sense of humour was apparent in all that he shared with us, and he told Robin Young that he, Keira Knightley and Michael Fassbender all tried to out do each other with practical jokes on the set of A Dangerous Method<\/em>.)\u00a0 Mortensen is obviously\u00a0drawn to working with those who share his dedication and work ethic, as well as his sense of play; he\u00a0said of\u00a0David Cronenberg, ‘[With him] I know I’m going to learn and have fun, and … there’s a guarantee of quality – you can’t say that about many directors.’\u00a0\u00a0 He also told us how much he dislikes ‘big names’ who behave badly on set.\u00a0 ‘Don’t draw focus or upstage your colleagues.’\u00a0 The cult of celebrity, in Mortensen’s opinion,\u00a0increases this tendency for stars to behave badly.\u00a0 ‘The award circus has got out of hand,’ he said; acting\u00a0teachers talk of how to ‘win the scene’, and being an actor becomes more about the promotion of yourself than the actual work.<\/p>\n

Such egocentric behaviour is anathema to a man whose focused\u00a0approach to his main craft, his acting, spills over into all his life; and indeed, he does not separate his acting from his other activities.\u00a0 A recurring question at the Coolidge events was which\u00a0art form Mortensen\u00a0prefers; he replied every time, ‘They’re all related … they’re all branches of the same tree.’\u00a0 He went on to explain that, in all of these endeavours, Mortensen is simply seeking to engage with the world around him.\u00a0 ‘Pay attention,’ he told us. ‘Make choices about the kind of interactions you have … that’s my way of communicating with the world I’m in. \u00a0Art is paying attention to life. Being an artist is how you listen to somebody…\u00a0How you walk down the street and observe what you see…\u00a0It’s important how you talk to people.\u00a0 You know when you use a tone that’s not right.\u00a0 It matters.\u00a0 Little things all add up – that’s what a community consists of.\u00a0 You don’t get that moment back.\u00a0 You’re never going to find all truth and perfection – but it’s worth trying!’<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Mortensen, it seems, travels through life ready for any opportunities to create, in whatever form that creation may be manifest – including the creation of positive energy with those around him.\u00a0 ‘The stories we tell about ourselves are who we are.’\u00a0 If ‘art’ can be defined as a thing – a moment, an image, a feeling – which one makes, in order to engender a reaction in another human being, then Mortensen’s whole life – his poetry, his painting, the way he chooses to interact with people\u00a0– is an artistic expression aimed at creating a positive reaction in us all.\u00a0 This is why he makes you feel that he cares about you; because, quite simply, he does.\u00a0 He cares about the energy he brings to a place, a room, an interaction.\u00a0 This is his art, and his story – a story which is inspirational to hear, no matter where and how he tells it.<\/p>\n

Mortensen\u00a0said that he is often shocked by his own rambling – reading his own interviews, he thinks, ‘Is that really the way I talk??’\u00a0 But Viggo Mortensen is a man who, however his thoughts may wander,\u00a0certainly is not lost.\u00a0 He grasps life with a passion; he stated that from a very young age, ‘once I knew that I was going to die … it was really irritating… I wake up and go, ‘Sh*t!’\u00a0… Death is …\u00a0an affront … I have things I want to do!’\u00a0\u00a0 And in all the things he does, he wants to do his best.\u00a0 As he left us after the afternoon gathering at the Coolidge, Mortensen told us all, of all our life moments: ‘There was potential for art in that moment.\u00a0 I don’t know what you did with it; I hope it went well.’<\/p>\n

That is indeed a worthy philosophy by which to live one’s life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you still want more of Viggo – The Coolidge Theatre made a tribute show reel, which was screened at the Award ceremony, and which can be seen here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can learn more about Mortensen’s poetry and art at his publishing website, Perceval Press\u00a0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And if you’re still not satisfied,\u00a0TORn’s good friend Ethan Gilsdorf <\/a>(author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks<\/em>) conducted an in-depth, one on one interview with Mortensen when he was in Boston.\u00a0 You can read Gilsdorf’s superb three-part write-up at the following links, as well as seeing some of the excellent video footage he shot:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.wired.com\/geekdad\/2012\/03\/viggo-mortensen-1\/all\/1<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/geekdad\/2012\/03\/viggo-mortensen-speaks-2\/<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/geekdad\/2012\/03\/viggo-mortensen-3\/<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/geekdad\/2012\/03\/viggo-sings\/<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/geekdad\/2012\/03\/viggo-mortensen-speaks-again\/<\/a><\/p>\n

A last note, for any Tolkien fans in the Boston area – if you\u00a0missed these happenings, but would like to meet with fellow fans in future, check out One White Tree, the Boston area fan group.\u00a0 You can find their page here <\/a>on facebook; hope to meet you at a future moot!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Apologies for the delay in this post; it took longer than expected\u00a0to wrestle my thoughts into (hopefully!) coherent…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":54365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[14,197,162,22,10,5,70,91,149,61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-fans","category-events-screenings","category-headlines","category-lotr-cast-news","category-lotr-movies","category-fans-meetups","category-events-other","category-lotr","category-mortensen"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t