Viggo Mortensen makes movies that matter. He has a deep respect for his craft. He is paternal but not patronizing and possesses strength without aggression.
His movie work is always informed by a great deal of research. He went to concentration camps while researching Good (2008) and slept under a tarpaulin for the shoot of Eastern Promises (2007).
The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
Viggo Mortensen was a bit player in the early ’80s and ’90s until Peter Jackson cast him as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This catapulted him into superstardom and made him a household name.
He kept his acting chops sharp with films from David Cronenberg (A History of Violence and Eastern Promises) and went on to play complex characters in a broad array of genres. He won a best actor Oscar for his role as Mahershala Ali’s blue-collar pianist Tony Lip in Green Book (2018).
Viggo is a Renaissance man, working as a photographer and poet as well as an actor. He’s also a political activist and published an ethnographic study of the Iroquois Nation.
A History of Violence (2005)
The edgy A History of Violence is one of the first post-LOTR films to showcase Mortensen’s versatility. Adapted from the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, the film follows Tom Stall, a small town diner owner who becomes a national hero when he kills two armed robbers in self-defense. This sudden notoriety brings organized crime mobsters into his life and threatens to shake his carefully arranged family.
Mortensen’s next project was Ed Harris’ Western Appaloosa (2008), in which he plays a lawman who defies cowboy stereotypes. In both this film and the satirical HBO documentary Eureka, Mortensen demonstrates his ability to carry off complex roles that stretch beyond pure action movies.
Eastern Promises (2007)
After gaining attention for his role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mortensen appeared in a number of films with director David Cronenberg. His roles in A History of Violence and Eastern Promises proved that he had the chops to take on difficult material.
The film centers around Anna, a midwife whose relationship with a gangster leads her to seek out information about the man’s criminal activities. Cronenberg shows his interest in characters who disguise themselves and people who exist outside the social norms.
From his menacing glare to his terrifying tattoos, Mortensen delivers an unforgettable performance as Nikolai.
Appaloosa (2008)
This Western starring Mortensen is a throwback to the swashbuckler movies of the ’40s and ’50s. It finds him portraying Alatriste, a character that would have easily suited Errol Flynn or Douglas Fairbanks in the days of silent film.
While this movie doesn’t hold a candle to the other films in which Mortensen stars, it shows his ability to pull off an impressively complicated role. His performance is largely understated but still conveys a sense of desperation and urgency.
This movie has an unappetizing title and a generic, low-budget indie look, but it’s actually one of the most significant early roles that helped to launch Mortensen’s career. He plays a carpenter who has lone-wolf tendencies in the 1860s Nevada desert.
The Road (2009)
Mortensen’s acting prowess shines through in this post-apocalyptic thriller. He and co-star Kodi Smit-McPhee are desperate to survive in the world after something catastrophic has destroyed it, relocating to a remote Amish community.
This adventure movie is bleak, but Mortensen makes it heartfelt and believable with his strong acting. He has a touch for making small touches that add to the character, such as noticing that a painting is hung improperly and using his hands to put it straight.
Krieps is a wonderful counterbalance to the brooding lead and brings her own quirky sense of truth to the part. She is one of the few actresses who can make a role her own while also bringing levity to it.
Far from Men (2014)
From de-clothed fights in seedy saunas (A History of Violence) to ragged wasteland wanderings in Cormac McCarthy adaptations (3:10 to Yuma, Appaloosa), Viggo Mortensen has always pushed himself to deliver movies that challenge audiences. And he’s rarely disappointed.
In this French drama, Mortensen plays a teacher forced to escort a villager accused of murder to the nearest police station during the Algerian War. The two men form a bond that makes him question where his loyalties lie.
Albert Camus’ existential questions translate exceptionally well to the Western genre, and writer-director David Oelhoffen amplifies them by utilizing the epic High Plateau vistas of this rugged landscape.
Captain Fantastic (2016)
In this edgy family dramedy from Matt Ross (who also wrote the screenplay), Viggo Mortensen turns in one of his most affecting performances yet. He plays Ben, a rugged individualist who raises his six kids in the woods, instilling them with both physical and intellectual discipline. They have names like Bodevan, Kielyr and Vespyr and read everything from Thoreau to Lolita.
Ross’s film wouldn’t work without an impressive ensemble cast, and he gets strong support from Pride and Sunshine On Leith alum George MacKay and American Horror Story’s Shree Crooks. Despite the film’s flaws—its flimsy conclusion in particular—this is a powerful, absorbing drama about parenting and the nature of family.
Green Book (2018)
Viggo Mortensen isn’t your typical Hollywood actor. He doesn’t ham it up in raunchy comedies or turn up at red carpet events with George and Amal. He has his own way of doing things, which has served him well.
He gained critical acclaim for his performance as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and later starred in David Cronenberg’s crime drama A History of Violence. He reunited with the director for Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method, both of which garnered him critical praise.
Peter Farrelly’s Green Book is a crowd-pleasing film that respects the severity of its protagonists’ social context while avoiding the temptation to sanitize it. It also showcases the quiet power of Mortensen’s acting.
Falling (2020)
Viggo Mortensen is a Renaissance man: he’s also a painter, photographer, horse whisperer, author of poetry and a publisher through his own Perceval Press. But it’s acting that he excels at.
After beginning in grade-B movies and so-called “other man” roles, Mortensen won critical acclaim for his performances in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. He later garnered Oscar nominations for Captain Fantastic and Green Book. His 2020 drama Falling taps into the actor’s own experiences with dementia. He wrote and directed it, as well as starring in the film.