Birthdate: October, 20 1958
Birthplace: Manhattan, NY USA
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green-Blue
Spouse: Christine Cervenka aka "Exene" singer (divorced)
Children: Henry Blake Mortensen
Education: St. Lawrence U. 1980 Degrees in goverment/spanish.

Born in New York to a Danish father and an American mother, Mortensen spent the early part of his childhood in Manhattan. His family travelled a great deal and he spent several years living in Venezuela, Argentina, and Denmark. He began acting in New York, studying with Warren Robertson. He appeared in several plays and movies, and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where his performance in "Bent" at the Coast Playhouse earned him a Drama-logue Critic's Award. Mortensen is also an accomplished poet, photographer, and painter. He is currently working on his third book of poetry, and will be showing new photographs and paintings in 2001/2002 at Track 16 Gallery in Los Angeles, as well as at the Deste Foundation for Contemporary Art in Athens.

Facts about Viggo Mortensen:

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, starring Viggo Mortensen, took in $62 million in its opening weekend -- that was up from a $47.2 million weekend debut a year before for THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the first installment of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic of hobbits, wizards and dark sorcerers.

Viggo Mortensen is being sued by his ex-wife over child support payments. (June 19, 2004)

He's the main speaker at the annual Fourth of July celebration in Denmark. (May 26, 2004)

Was a translator for the Scandinavian teams when upstart American hockey players beat the mighty Soviet team at the 1980 Winter Olympics -- he did that to get free hockey tickets.

Viggo Mortensen is dating Josie D'Arby, who stars in the cop drama Merseybeat. (December 16, 2003)

Mortensen attained a greater measure of recognition with his smoldering portrayal of one of Isabel Archer's (Nicole Kidman) suitors in Jane Campion's 1996 adaptation of THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY.

In 1998 he was one of the few redeeming features of A PERFECT MURDER, in which he supplied sexy menace (as well as his own art work) as Gwyneth Paltrow's murderous artist lover.

He lost a tooth while filming a fight sequence in LORD OF THE RING. He went to the dentist on his lunch break, had it patched up, and returned to the set that afternoon.

A PERFECT MURDER (1998): He starred in another Hitchcock remake the same year, PSYCHO (1998). In both movies he is the female protagonist's lover, begins the first scene of each film in bed, and is involved in a crime involving an identical amount of $400,000.

In LORD OF THE RING, he did his own stunts.

Grew up in Denmark, he can be heard speaking Danish in LORD OF THE RING. Specifically there is a line he says to Arwen (Liv Tyler) as she is about to take Frodo to Rinvendell, right after she says 'I do not fear them'. Mixed in between the elvish Viggo says 'min älskling' which means 'my darling' in Scandinavian (Danish, Swedish, Norwegian).

Replaced Stuart Townsend who was originally cast as Aragorn in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.

Spends every Halloween with his son, Henry. He even makes sure all his movie contracts have a clause that says he doesn't have to film on Halloween.

Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom used to jokingly pick on each other during the filming of LOTR. Mortensen would make fun of how pretty Orlando looked as Legolas, the Elf, and Orlando Bloom would make fun of how dirty Mortensen always looked as Aragorn.

Nickname: Vig

Had a book of poetry printed before he was known. The title: Ten Last Night.

Speaks fluent English, Spanish and Danish.

Actually painted the large murals in his artist's studio in the film A PERFECT MURDER (1998).

Lived in South America from age 2 to age 11.

Is also a photographer.

Writes poetry in his spare time.

Is also a jazz musician - he has released three CDs so far.

Worked as a truck driver while living in Denmark

Got so into his character of Aragorn that LOTR director Peter Jackson once addressed him as Aragorn for over half an hour, and Viggo didn't even realise it.

Graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York in 1980 with a degree in Government and Spanish.

An accomplished horseback rider in his spare time, Mortensen requested that his LOTR Rings trilogy character Aragorn/Stryder be given much more saddle-time than was originally scripted. He also kept his on-screen horse nearby during the entire principal photography schedule in order to ride in his off-hours and strengthen his relationship with the horse.

As Viggo lived in Argentina as a child, he is a fan of Argentine soccer team San Lorenzo.

Broke a toe during the filming of THE TWO TOWERS, in the scene where he kicks an orc helmet.

The scar on his upper lip is from a drunken Halloween night when he was 17 years old. A combination of a fist and a barbwire fence, the actor claims.

Doesn't watch television and doesn't really allow his son to watch any either.

Nominated for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture at Screen Actors Guild Awards for THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2003)

Nominated for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture at Screen Actors Guild Awards for THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2002)

Viggo Mortensen was nominated for Best Fight at MTV Movie Awards for G.I. JANE (1998) - shared with Demi Moore.

Quotes by Viggo Mortensen:

"I can't remember who said this - I think maybe it was Robert Louis Stevensen.. but I can sort of relate to it, meandering through a film career or the arts in general without seeming to have a real deliberate plan 'To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive and the true success is in labor.' I like that 'To travel Hopefully' ."

"The reason there's so many problems with religion in this world is because people take literally what were symbolic elements. They all believe the same thing essentially and yet they're willing to die about the details. But religion, myth and fairytales need to be reinvented and those who manage to do that cleverly are the ones who are saving us from ourselves."

(When asked if he could have one wish in life fulfilled):
"To know, preferably before I do it, but certainly immediately as I do it, that I've insulted someone. Or offended someone. And I'd like a dignified exit from this line of work and from life in general. When I go, I'd like to go with some dignity and honor." - Viggo Mortensen 1997

"For me, why I like poetry, or when I feel it works, it's because you potentially can provoke a lot of thought with a very limited space and carefully chosen words. To me, acting is the same. I like to refine something until it's saying what needs to be said, as economically and as direct as possible." - Viggo 1997

"You can't achieve perfection, obviously , but the goal that I have -which I guess is a goal that I have in life also, and it sounds trite- is to be happy, even if I'm playing a miserable character.." - Viggo Mortensen 1995

" I take nothing for granted...I've arrived so many times I don't know where I went." - Viggo 1999

" I still can't get used to the fact that anybody would care about anything I had to say, and it's only a result of being in this or that movie that I'll be sitting their doing an interview." Viggo 1999

"Being a dad has kept me out of trouble and made me focus on the important things in life, which is of course my son. Henry has definitely given me some perspective.." - Viggo Mortensen 1999

"I'm happiest when I'm in a changing enviroment. I find it hard to sit still.." Viggo 1999

"No matter how evil or strange the characters have been. I've never played someone I didn't like. I think that's partly the result of being exposed to lots of different kinds of people while growing up." - Viggo Mortensen 1999

(About writing love poetry) "I have done that. I don't think I'll do it again. it scares people. They think you're insane.." - Viggo 1999

"I felt I had arrived when I saw a G.I Jane parody of me in Mad Magazine called G.I. Shame. My favorite part was the idea that the candidates were dropping out of the SEAL's not from the physical abuse but from my awful poetry readings." - Viggo 1998

(During filming of Portrait Of a Lady 1996):
"I said to Jane Campion (the producer) one day..See, I just figured out what the name of my character Casper Goodwood really means..Ghost of a hard-on."