- He earns "almost nothing" on many projects
Viggo Mortensen (65) has three Oscar nominations, a leading role in one of the world's most successful fantasy film franchises, and numerous credits as a director, screenwriter, and producer. One might think that Hollywood stars like him can choose their projects at will. "Not so!", the Danish actor clarifies in an interview with "Die Welt am Sonntag".
That he would achieve such great success in the early 2000s playing the role of Aragorn, the Ranger, in Peter Jackson's (62) internationally successful "The Lord of the Rings" film series was "a stroke of luck", Mortensen modestly admits. He doesn't associate that time with any negative aspects. "I enjoyed becoming part of Tolkien's universe and contemplating the foundations of his story, Celtic myths, and Nordic sagas."
"The Lord of the Rings" has given him much
Besides his appearances in front of the camera, Mortensen has also learned a lot about directing and producing from Jackson and his team, watching "how they solved problems every day". This has allowed his career as a screenwriter, director, and producer to "take off" in recent years, he says. For his latest film, "The Dead Don't Hurt", the Dane directed, wrote the script, and cast himself. "This time, I only took on the leading role temporarily. We had another actor, but after a few months, he changed his mind. So, I looked for someone else, roughly his age and type, and well-known enough that the financiers wouldn't get cold feet." But time was running out, and Mortensen ultimately stepped into the role of Holger Olsen himself.
Viggo Mortensen sometimes makes losses with films
Over the years, the 65-year-old has become more selective about his projects. He always hopes for compelling stories, but often ideas seem promising at first and turn out "not as good" as expected later on. "Sometimes it takes a while. There are projects where I barely make any money or even lose it because I'm co-producing," Mortensen says. "People think that if you're famous, you can choose your work. Not true! The only power you really have is saying no. I've exercised that power often."
After the COVID-19 pandemic and the big writers' and actors' strike in Hollywood, it's "harder than ever" to produce independent, original films. For "The Dead Don't Hurt", he was lucky that a Mexican producer is "basically carrying this film". In return, Mortensen is currently promoting the Western. He's been tirelessly traveling from festival to festival for months, doing around 80 audience Q&As so far, with more to come.
"The Dead Don't Hurt" will be released in German cinemas starting next Thursday (8th August).
Despite his success, Viggo Mortensen often faces financial losses with his film projects due to co-producing roles that don't turn out as lucrative as anticipated. What he found in "The Lord of the Rings" series was a stroke of luck, a time of enjoyment and personal growth as he delved into Tolkien's universe and the foundations of his story.
