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Quotes about Viggo


Quotes from cast and crew: Lord of the Rings
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"I don't think [Viggo's comments on the Charlie Rose show are] going to create a controversy... I am very proud of Viggo for saying what he said. I think not many people are saying that, not many people are raising questions. I always think it is important to question even your government, especially your government actually... I am not going to sit here and agree with every single word that Viggo said but I think it is important to question, and I think he used a very good venue. I always find it a little weird when celebrities take that opportunity and often I think it is the wrong place, like awards shows and things and people are like, I am going to make my political statement now. I always find that to be inappropriate and it takes away from the evening that is sort of at hand, whereas Charlie Rose is often a political forum and so it was actually a cool kind of tie-in and an appropriate time to make those kinds of points."
Elijah Wood, Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Scott Collura, Cinescape, "Elijah Wood: Return of the RING"
December 12, 2002
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"He is the most committed, most devoted, the most.... He transforms his entire life into the character. I've never seen an actor go there the way this guy does."
Sean Astin, Sam Gamgee in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston in Premiere, "The Hero Returns"
January 1, 2003
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"When he started working, there was no question. This was Aragorn, this was the man who was meant to play this role. We had an immense amount of respect for him for being able to jump in so quickly."
Elijah Wood, Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston in Premiere, "The Hero Returns"
January 1, 2003
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"The people who were teaching him [swordplay] said that he was insanely talented. There's one scene [at the end of] the first film where a knife is thrown at Aragorn, who clocks it with his sword. One of the stunt guys who was meant to be his double said, 'I've been practicing that and I've never been able to [hit the knife] once, and Viggo hits it on the first take. I hate him.'"
Miranda Otto, Eowyn in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston in Premiere, "The Hero Returns"
January 1, 2003
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"He was always taking out stuntmen and buying them beer because he hit them one too many times. He just goes for it. Viggo's energy is endless. He knows no limit."
Orlando Bloom, Legolas in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston in Premiere, "The Hero Returns"
January 1, 2003
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"He had no knuckles. He'd been virtually slaughtered by everyone because he would not let anyone do his rehearsals. All his knuckles were completely bruised and cut and God knows what else. Every time that he had a scene, I said, 'Okay, now where did they hit you?'"
Perez, makeup man in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston in Premiere, "The Hero Returns"
January 1, 2003
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On Viggo's photography: "He doesn't walk by something interesting and ignore it. Let's face it, acting can be a very uncreative process. I can see why he wants to do other things where you don't have to collaborate with anyone else. It's more pure."
Miranda Otto, Eowyn in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston in Premiere, "The Hero Returns"
January 1, 2003
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"Viggo's favourite thing to do was to spring on me the night before, that he'd had a long talk with Fran and Peter, and he really wanted the whole scene to be in Elvish. And I love to speak Elvish but I was just like, 'Argh.' I wanted to kill him. Because it always seemed that I had more Elvish to speak when we were doing the scenes than he did. I'm glad he did push that becatuse it's so great to hear, and it really adds a beautiful quality and depth to their relationship, and to the film in general.

"Viggo really likes the ears; he would always stroke them. He thought the fans were going to have some elven ear obsession, so he had to throw a little stroke of the ear in to every shot he could."
Liv Tyler, Arwen in Lord of the Rings
Interview "Liv for It!" in Showcase Cinemas (UK) magazine
December 2003
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"We had some very young and impressionable actors. Viggo set this example of: 'You know what's important? The art, the craft, that's important. Not how big your trailer is, and not how many assistants you have.'"
Barrie Osborne, Producer, Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Hugh Hart, San Francisco Chronicle, "V Is for Viggo"
December 1, 2003
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"He brought to Aragorn this huge internal life that you don't see as much in the book. As filming progressed he became more and more Aragorn, and less and less Viggo."
Miranda Otto, Eowyn in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston, The Mail on Sunday, "The King returns"
December 1, 2003
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"After a long day's shooting, when all the other cast would be either in bed or in the bar, a nine-page handwritten memo would come rattling through the fax from Viggo, outlining his thoughts about that day's work and the next few days to come. This wasn't an exception - over 15 months, it became the rule. In the small hours, it was actually comforting to know that there was somebody else out there grappling with the same nightmare that we were."
Peter Jackson, Director, Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston, The Mail on Sunday, "The King returns"
December 1, 2003
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"He was just so giving and gracious. For a young actor starting out in the film industry, he was the most fantastic teacher I could have had."
Orlando Bloom, Legolas in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston, The Mail on Sunday, "The King returns"
December 1, 2003
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"From the moment that I saw him onscreen, I thought, 'Shit, he looks incredible. Here's a character I don't have to pretend to be in love with.'"
Miranda Otto, Eowyn in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Tom Roston, The Mail on Sunday, "The King returns"
December 1, 2003
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"He's got an immensely capable exterior face and an immensely rich interior persona."
Jonathan Rhys-Davies, Gimli in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A pensive hero: Poet, painter, philosopher, photographer - 'King' actor has many faces
December 19, 2003
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"When I first met him, we sat down in this real crusty place, the Green Parrot, and I remember not being able to hold a conversation, because I was so intimidated. There is something beautiful and quiet about Viggo, but the more I got to know him, the more I realized how insanely brilliant and crazy he is--how he has this insane wild side.

"Yeah, he's mental. But in a good way."
Elijah Wood, Frodo, Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Alex Kuczynski in Vanity Fair, "Finding Viggo"
January 1, 2004
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"Fate dealt us a very good card.... He's an actor with huge integrity and professional responsibility, and, once he's committed to a movie, he's there for you morning, noon, and night. It doesn't matter what time of the day it is. It doesn't matter how long you've been working."
Peter Jackson, Director, Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Jamie Painter Young, Backstage.com, "Good Fellow"
January 5, 2004
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"The guy is a stud with women just following him around wherever he goes. But he is the last one who'll ask anyone to do anything for him. He'd rather just go do it himself."
Elijah Wood, Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings
As quoted by Jae-Ha Kim, in the Chicago Sun Times, "Viggo Mortensen rides back in 'Hidalgo'"
February 29, 2004