Viggo Mortensen’s dramatic performances, tough charisma, and gutsy approach to acting have captivated audiences for decades. However, there is another aspect of the Hollywood celebrity that has aroused interest beyond the parts he portrays.
Mortensen has repeatedly been pictured kissing a particular individual in his life with passion over the years. These incidents have sparked rumors, conjecture, and the insatiable curiosity, “Is there more to the story?”
At last, the actor himself is speaking out on the subject. And you might be surprised by what he says.
As Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen, 66, has won hearts all over the world and received three Academy Award nominations.
He doesn’t need an introduction. Beyond the Hollywood glitz and sword fights, however, Mortensen has a different side that includes a deep and enduring relationship with a very significant individual in his life that spans decades.
Mortensen was born to an American mother and a Danish father in Watertown, New York, and his early years were anything but typical.
Before returning to the United States at the age of eleven, he resided in Venezuela, Denmark, and Argentina.
After graduating from St. Lawrence University, he did odd occupations in Denmark, such as selling flowers and driving trucks, to gain notoriety. Not even acting was in the cards.
His first scenes in his first movie was deleted
However, Mortensen returned to the United States in 1982 at the age of 24 to follow his Hollywood aspirations.
His sequences in his debut film, The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), were removed, therefore it never made it to the big screen. Nevertheless, he continued, gradually making a name for himself.
Unfazed, he progressively established a strong career, securing parts in a number of movies without nearly becoming a star. When he costarred with Demi Moore in G.I. Jane in 1997, everything changed.
At the time, Mortensen’s most well-known project was G.I. Jane, which had a substantial $50 million budget.
Mortensen was completely unaffected, despite the fact that the movie itself did poorly at the box office and Demi Moore received harsh criticism for her performance.
Indeed, he received a lot of appreciation for his portrayal as Command Master Chief John James “Jack” Urgayle.
Few could have imagined that Viggo Mortensen would go on to create one of the most memorable characters in film history after the G.I. Jane fiasco.
However, he accomplished just that a few years later when he played Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, creating magical effects in the movies.
The best swordsman in Lord of the Rings
Mortensen became a warrior in addition to portraying one. He was even referred to as “the best swordsman I’ve ever trained” by the movie’s sword master.
Mortensen actually did most of his own stunts, even if it risked being hurt, because he was that dedicated to the part. (You mean those two toes that broke? Every aspect of the work.)
And his passion for equines? He performed all of the riding stunts in Hidalgo (2004) himself, so it wasn’t just acting.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Special Extended Edition DVD claims that Mortensen was actually Stuart Townsend’s last-minute replacement. He was on the verge of declining the job until his son, a devoted follower of J.R.R.R. Tolkien, persuaded him to accept.
And he became so engrossed in the role that Peter Jackson, the director, once referred to him as “Aragorn” for more than thirty minutes. Mortensen did not even notice. That’s commitment!
A love story in Hollywood
Despite Mortensen’s iconic on-screen persona, viewers have always been captivated by his on-screen relationship with Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg.
Mortensen was celebrating The Lord of the Rings when the two first met at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. They promised to collaborate one day after experiencing instant magic.
A History of Violence was released on that day (2005). Mortensen was initially dissatisfied with the writing and only accepted the job after meeting Cronenberg.
The film was a smash hit, hailed as one of the best of the decade. Their professional bond deepened. Mortensen declared, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt more like I was on the same wavelength with a director as I am with David.”
Their bond was intensely intimate in addition to being artistic. Fresh off their film success, the two guys shared a long, passionate kiss in front of flashing cameras at a press event in 2006. A much was said in that instant.
”My kind of actor”
They kept working together, and each movie—Eastern Promises (2007) and A Dangerous Method (2011)—solidified their special bond.
”Viggo’s my kind of actor,” Cronenberg said, explaining that Mortensen had the rare ability to blend the presence of a leading man with the depth and versatility of a character actor.
The pair went one step further in 2014. Mortensen gave Cronenberg a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Canadian Screen Awards.
He stood on stage, full of admiration, calling him “the finest director and the sanest man I know.” Then, right there, in front of an audience of Hollywood elites, he leaned in and kissed him again.
Their lifelong friendship was demonstrated by the electric moment. Never one to mince words, Mortensen took the chance to attack the film industry for failing to recognize Cronenberg’s brilliance. Throughout his four decades as a director, Cronenberg was never nominated for an Academy Award.
“Mainstream movie business people, much as they might praise him from time to time, seem very reluctant to reward him officially. I can understand that because David basically is not one of them,” Mortensen said.
Is Viggo Mortensen gay?
With a relationship as affectionate and openly intimate as theirs, it’s no wonder that Mortensen has faced speculation about his sexuality. In a candid interview, he addressed the topic with his signature nonchalance: “People ask if I’m gay or straight. I guess you could say I’m not entirely straight.”
Viggo Mortensen authored and starred in the film Falling, which is where Mortensen received the question. There, he plays John, a gay guy who becomes the caregiver for his homophobic and racist father.
The Lord of the Rings actor was asked to address comments over the suitability of him playing the part of John as a man who seems to be heterosexual.
He replied, ”How do you know what my life is? You’re assuming that I’m completely straight. Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. And it’s frankly none of your business.”
“I want my movie to work, and I want the character of John to be effective. If I didn’t think it was a good idea I wouldn’t do it.”
Inside their professional relationship
It’s interesting to note that David Cronenberg also plays a little part in the film Falling. This time, the roles were actually flipped.
Viggo saw that Cronenberg kept bringing his gloved hand closer to the camera lens as they were filming his sequence as a proctologist. Cronenberg said, “Yes, I’m quite aware of that,” in response to Viggo’s observation that this was producing an exaggerated perspective, making the hand appear abnormally huge.
According to Mortensen, love is about connection more than labels. What about his relationship with David Cronenberg? Unquestionably one of the most fervent, polished, and eye-catching friendships Hollywood has ever witnessed.
“We are professionals, unbelievable as it seems, so it means that we can say no to each other. If I offered Viggo a role, and he really feels he’s not right for or doesn’t connect with it, he has to be able to say no, and I am not going to be shattered and think he’s not my friend anymore. And the reverse is true. If Viggo had a project or a script that he wanted me to direct, I would have to say no if I really didn’t want to do it. So there’s that respect and that professionalism despite the tomfoolery that we enjoy,” Cronenberg says.
Viggo Mortensen girlfriend
We are aware of a few details regarding Viggo Mortensen’s romantic life:
While working on the comedy Salvation! in 1986, he got to know singer Exene Cervenka, and the two married in 1987. Henry, who would play Viggo’s on-screen son in Crimson Tide (1995), was born a year later.
It’s interesting to see that Viggo gave Henry a little part in Falling. During a script read-through, Henry’s flawless upstate New York accent won his father over. To look more like a 1977 state policeman, he even got a mustache and shaved his long hair.
Exene Cervenka and Viggo Mortensen separated in 1992 and had a divorce in 1997. Viggo and Spanish actress Ariadna Gil have been together since 2009.
The 81-year-old David Cronenberg married Margaret Hindson for the first time in 1972. In 1979, their seven-year marriage came to an end because of personal and professional conflicts. Together, they had a daughter named Cassandra Cronenberg. From 1979 until her death in 20
