"I am rather foolish"

The 48-year-old actor says he has to thank his son for the role in “The Lord of the Rings”. At Ringsted, he unveils that he may act in a Danish movie.

This weekend Ringsted had a visit from its hometown child Viggo Mortensen, who kept an old promise to visit the town to promote his new movie “ Alatriste”.

The movie didn’t get a cinema performance in Denmark, but it bothers only the 48-year-old Viggo Mortensen, who attracted great attention Friday night at the Ringsted Kongrescenter, where he had the time to meet SE og HØR too.

Viggo declares he’s very proud of the movie, and he’s annoyed that we didn’t get the movie in Danish cinemas.

“I’m so happy to present the movie for one evening here at Ringsted. It is much more fun than in Copenhagen, with strangers. Hopefully people will like it - but my Danish ancestry obviously won’t sell the movie by itself”, smiles Viggo, now and always connected with the great “Lord of the Rings” movie. “But it was more luck than sense“, he says.

“At first I said no to a part in “The Lord of the Rings.” I had never heard nor read the books. However, my son kept pushing and told me about the story. I thought it sounded very difficult, but he kept going on, so it is probably because of him that I even agreed to be a part of it“, admits Viggo, who had his now 17-year-old son by his side for a couple of days in Denmark.

His son reads poetry
“He has gone back to L.A. to recite poems. He is very skilled. I don’t know if he wants to act, he can do whatever he wants. I don’t say yes or no“, the proud father says, who himself has published poetry. The understated actor doesn’t think much of himself.
“I’m rather foolish. If I don’t have to learn something, I don’t do it,” he admits and calls his own success lucky.

“My agent isn’t the type who says: ‘Now we have to earn a lot of money’ - fortunately - or else I’d have been in more movies. It isn’t only about talent, but about luck”.

“The success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ means that I can be more critical. I can say no thanks, but I can’t say yes if I don’t get asked to play s role I would like to do“, he says pragmatically.

About Danish movies, Viggo is clear.
“I have had the opportunity a couple of times, but there has always been something that got in the way. However, it could very well be a possibility in the future. Absolutely”, Viggo states.

Viggo:
Viggo loves “basser” (Danish Pastries), he said in still good Danish.

Viggo and Tulle:
“I’m proud to be at Ringsted”, Viggo Mortensen said, whom his aunt, who is known by the name Tulle, accompanied. She was proud of him.

Viggo and Henry:
Viggo had his son Henry Blake with him on his short visit to Denmark, but he had gone home earlier to recite and write poetry.