Viggo Mortensen
Biography
Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born on October 20, 1958, in Watertown, New York, he was raised by a Danish father and an American mother and spent part of his childhood living in Argentina. In addition to his work as an actor, he is a poet, photographer, and painter. Throughout his career, Mortensen has received various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critics' Choice Award. He has also earned nominations for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards for his contributions to the film industry.
Career overview
Mortensen made his screen debut in 1985, appearing as a young Amish farmer in Peter Weir's film Witness. Since that time, his career has been characterized by a steady series of performances that have been described as well-rounded, often noted for his understated persuasiveness and striking demeanor. His filmography includes a wide range of roles, spanning from heroic characters to those that are described as shockingly brutal. Among his notable film credits are A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, Captain Fantastic, and Green Book.
He achieved significant fame for his portrayal of the character Aragorn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Beyond his acting work, Mortensen is recognized as a filmmaker who has contributed to the industry as a writer, director, and producer. His professional life reflects a diverse creative output that encompasses both his work in front of the camera and his involvement in various multimedia arts.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- I Love Boosters (2026) as Documentary Narrator - Heine Schlumpf (voice)
- The Dead Don't Hurt (2024) as Holger Olsen
- The Dead Don't Hurt (2024) Writer
- The Dead Don't Hurt (2024) Director
- The Dead Don't Hurt (2024) Producer
- The Dead Don't Hurt (2024) Original Music Composer
- Eureka (2024) as Murphy
- Beau geste (2023) as Self
- Faut Voir - L'Hebdo cinéma (2023) as Self - Guest
- Sweet Death (2023) Producer
- Thirteen Lives (2022) as Rick Stanton
- Crimes of the Future (2022) as Saul Tenser
- Reunited Apart (2020) as Self
- Falling (2020) as John (50 Yrs)
- Falling (2020) Director
- Falling (2020) Producer
- Falling (2020) Writer
- Falling (2020) Original Music Composer
- The Kelly Clarkson Show (2019) as Self - Guest
- Green Book (2018) as Tony Lip
- Captain Fantastic (2016) as Ben Cash
- The Revolution Televised (2016) as Narrator (voice)
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter (2015) as Self
- Far from Men (2015) as Daru
- Far from Men (2015) Co-Producer
- Angels & Atom Bombs (2015) as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors (2014) as Self
- Cosmos (2014) as Nikolai Vavilov (voice)
- Jauja (2014) as Gunnar Dinesen
- Jauja (2014) Original Music Composer
- Jauja (2014) Producer
- The Two Faces of January (2014) as Chester MacFarland
- On the Road (2012) as Old Bull Lee / William S. Burroughs
- Everybody Has a Plan (2012) as Agustín / Pedro
- Everybody Has a Plan (2012) Producer
- Starring Sigmund Freud (2012)
- A Dangerous Method (2011) as Sigmund Freud
- Sidewalls (2011) Thanks
- Christopher Lee: Gentleman of Horror (2010) as Self
- The Road (2009) as Father
- The People Speak (2009) as Self
- Reclaiming the Blade (2009) as Self
- Lukong's Destiny (2009) as Self
- Appaloosa (2008) as Everett Hitch
- Good (2008) as Halder
- Eastern Promises (2007) as Nikolai Luzhin
- Slacker Uprising (2007) as Self
- Captain Alatriste: The Spanish Musketeer (2006) as Diego Alatriste
- Too Commercial for Cannes (2006) as Self
- A History of Violence (2005) as Tom Stall / Joey Cusack
- Ringers: Lord of the Fans (2005) as Self
- Hidalgo (2004) as Frank Hopkins
- A Filmmaker's Journey: Making 'The Return of the King' (2004) as Self
- The Making of 'The Return of the King' (2004) as Self
- Real Time with Bill Maher (2003) as Self
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) as Aragorn
- The Making of 'The Two Towers' (2003)
- J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle-Earth (2003) as Self
- The Saw Is Family: Making 'Leatherface' (2003) as Self (archive)
- The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision (2003) as Self
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) as Aragorn
- Sucré salé (2002) as Self
- The Fellowship of the Ring: From Book to Script (2002) as Self
- The Fellowship of the Ring: The Road Goes Ever On.. (2002) as Self
- The Fellowship of the Ring: Cameras in Middle-earth (2002) as Self
- The Fellowship of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Cast (2002) as Self
- J.R.R. Tolkien - Creator of Middle-earth (2002) as Self
- The Fellowship of the Ring: Designing and Building Middle-earth + Weta Workshop + Costume Design (2002) as Self
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) as Aragorn
- Quest for the Ring (2001) as Self
- Passage to Middle-Earth: The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings' (2001) as Self
- 28 Days (2000) as Eddie Boone
- The Early Show (1999) as Self
- A Walk on the Moon (1999) as Walker Jerome
- Psycho Path (1999) as Self - Actor / Sam Loomis
- A Perfect Murder (1998) as David Shaw
- Psycho (1998) as Samuel 'Sam' Loomis
- Leute heute (1997) as Self
- G.I. Jane (1997) as Master Chief John James Urgayle
- Albino Alligator (1997) as Guy Foucard
- Vanishing Point (1997) as Jimmy Kowalski
- My Brother's Gun (1997) as Juanito
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self
- Daylight (1996) as Roy Nord
- The Portrait of a Lady (1996) as Caspar Goodwood
- Crimson Tide (1995) as Lt. Peter 'Weps' Ince
- Gimlet (1995) as Gimlet
- The Prophecy (1995) as Lucifer
- The Making of 'Crimson Tide' (1995) as Self
- The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995) as Clay
- The Crew (1994) as Phillip
- Gospel According to Harry (1994) as Wes
- Floundering (1994) as Homeless Man
- Carlito's Way (1993) as Lalin
- Boiling Point (1993) as Ronnie
- The Young Americans (1993) as Carl Frazer
- American Yakuza (1993) as Nick Davis / David Brandt
- Morgenmagazin (1992) as Self
- Ruby Cairo (1992) as Johnny Faro
- The Indian Runner (1991) as Frank Roberts
- Young Guns II (1990) as John W. Poe
- Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) as Tex
- The Reflecting Skin (1990) as Cameron Dove
- Tripwire (1989) as Hans
- Fresh Horses (1988) as Green
- Let's Get Lost (1988) as Self
- Salvation! (1987) as Jerome Stample
- Prison (1987) as Burke / Forsythe Electrocution
- Screen Two (1985) as Cameron Dove
- Witness (1985) as Moses Hochleitner
- High School Narc (1985) as Tim
- Miami Vice (1984) as Detective Eddie Trumbull
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Embers as Konrad
- Porto Rico
- Two Wolves