Two days in Denmark. That is all it could be this time for the star Viggo Mortensen. The 48-year old Danish-American is a man much in demand - in fact so in demand that at the moment, he doesn’t have a girlfriend. But Viggo is coming back, as soon as he gets a chance. Because he misses his family - and Danish food. As soon as he landed last Saturday, at Copenhagen Airport, he went straight home to aunt Tulle in Snekkerup near Ringsted. Because he wanted some “biksemad”.

The Family means everything

“My Danish family has always meant a lot to me. You know that the older you get, the greater the risk is that someone will die or become sick. That is something I think more about now. But I have always been happy to visit them and to be with them. It means a lot to me. We have a really good relationship,” Viggo tells KIG IND, in the only weekly magazine-interview he has given for years. The actor was in Denmark to spread a bit of Hollywood dust on the Gala Premiere of his new movie “Eastern Promises”. A tough job, it was difficult for Viggo to see again, because his family was in the movie theatre with him.

“It was a bit awkward to watch the movie with my family. It was especially unpleasant to watch the scene where I am with a girl, while they were sitting beside me. I think the rape scene was the toughest in the entire movie. It’s really violent and disturbing. And you are sitting together with your cousins and aunt Tulle, it suddenly becomes another matter. Then I get shy too.”

Henry is visiting me

Viggo Mortensen’s 19 year old son Henry wasn’t beside him in Denmark this time, but they have a very close relationship.

“I was in Denmark in July with Henry. I had been filming in Hungary and then my son came and was with me the last week. Then we rented a car in Hungary and drove to Denmark. It was a real road trip. I had made a movie set in thirties Germany “Good”, so we visited a lot of places on the road, which had connections to the movie. We saw a lot from the dark period - Nürenberg, München and the concentration camps Auschwitz and Dachau. It was frightening. But Henry has, like me, always been very interested in history,” says Viggo, who enjoys traveling with his son.

“Henry has always visited me, when I have made a movie, and we have traveled a lot and experienced a lot together. He is also very fond of Denmark and we have been visiting many museums here together. It’s nice to share these experiences and learn something new together.”

Difficulties getting up

Viggo is turning 50 next year, but he doesn’t want to make a big deal of it.

“I don’t think about it much, that I’ll soon be 50. I have difficulties getting up sometimes. I feel that I’m more tired when I work hard on a movie. Now you’ve said I’ll soon be 50, now I’ll think about it. But it is only a number to me. 50 is hopefully only halfway and not nearly done. I would like to continue as long as possible. Learn new languages and meet new people. As an actor you are forced to see life from other peoples’ perspective, and it is very rewarding. “

The work pressure and constant travels to movie shooting and PR-events round the world is a reason why Viggo Mortensen doesn’t have a girlfriend.

“No, I’m so busy that it’s difficult to have a relationship at the moment. There is nothing I can do about it. I’m not sorry to be single.”

Maybe you should wish for a girlfriend for your 50th birthday?

"Ha-ha - yes, maybe that’s an idea," Viggo laughs.