Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen has consistently earned acclaim for his work in a wide range of films, including most recently EASTERN PROMISES, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. In 2008, he was honored with Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and BAFTA Award nominations for Best Actor for his performance in EASTERN PROMISES, directed by David Cronenberg. In addition, Mortensen won a British Independent Film Award and several critics' groups awards for his work in the film. He has previously collaborated with Cronenberg in the 2005 drama A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, in which he starred with Ed Harris.

Mortensen earlier shared in a SAG Award, a Critics' Choice Award and a National Board of Review Award as a member of the ensemble cast of the Oscar®-winning Best Picture THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING. He also starred in the previous two installments of the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, "THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING” and "THE TWO TOWERS.”

He starred again with and was directed by Ed Harris in APPALOOSA. Also in 2008, Mortensen starred in GOOD, based on the play by C.P. Taylor, which explores the rise of National Socialism in Germany. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Mortensen was born in New York City to an American mother and a Danish father. His family traveled extensively, however, and he spent most of his first eleven years living in South America. He later spent a few years living and working in Denmark. He began acting in New York, studying with Warren Robertson, and appeared in several plays and movies before moving to Los Angeles.

Mortensen made his feature film debut as a young Amish farmer in director Peter Weir's WITNESS and has since delivered a steady string of memorable performances in more than 40 feature films. He has received praise from critics for his work in such films as ALATRISTE, G.I. JANE, A WALK ON THE MOON, LA PISTOLA DE MI HERMANO, THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY, CRIMSON TIDE, CARLITO'S WAY, THE INDIAN RUNNER and THE REFLECTING SKIN, to name only a few.

Apart from his acting, Mortensen is also an accomplished poet, photographer, and painter. In 2002, he founded Perceval Press, an independent publishing house specializing in art, poetry and critical writing. Perceval's mission is to publish texts, images and recordings that might not otherwise be presented.

Mortensen exhibited the photographic series "Skovbo" in Iceland, at the Reykjavik Museum of Photography, and "The Nature of Landscape and Independent Perception,” with George Gudni, at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. Past shows include "Miyelo” at both the Stephen Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles and the Addison Ripley Gallery in Washington, D.C. Mortensen has also shown his work at the Robert Mann Gallery in New York City, as well as in New Zealand, Denmark and Cuba. In October 2008, his photographic exhibition "Sådanset” opened in Roskilde, Denmark, at the Palæfløjen exhibition space. His books of photography and writing are available from Perceval Press.

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