Quotes by Viggo Mortensen

About Viggo Mortensen:

Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner (1991), Carlito's Way (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Daylight (1996), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), G.I. Jane (1997), A Perfect Murder (1998), A Walk on the Moon (1999) and 28 Days (2000).
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

It's amazing to me that Glenn Beck can be on the cover of 'Time,' and there can be a whole article about him basically saying, 'Well, you know, he's controversial.' It's like, 'No, he's a dangerous idiot who needs the help of a good psychiatrist!'

Viggo Mortensen

What art does is it makes you feel alive and makes you feel like you're connected.

Viggo Mortensen

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren't enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we ...

Viggo Mortensen

You know, real life doesn't just suddenly resolve itself. You have to keep working at it. Democracy, marriage, friendship. You can't just say, 'She's my best friend.' That's not a given, it's a process.

Viggo Mortensen

In a way, editing is not unlike the movies. The best books, just like the best movies, are a collaboration. They're only as good as the compromise made between the artists involved.

Viggo Mortensen

Travel is one of the best anti-war weapons that there are. I've been to Iran, and if you're there you see little kids, cops, old people, cemeteries. Once you see that, you can't say, 'Oh, Iran, let's bomb them.'

Viggo Mortensen

When there is conflict, it's good to step away, even for five minutes, because you could say terrible things that you can't take back, so it's best to walk away.

Viggo Mortensen

More often than not, the experience of shooting the movie has been disappointing and the end product has been a mere shadow of what I hoped it would be. But immersing myself in the story - that's what I like best of all.

Viggo Mortensen

The best thing an actor can be is flexible, because all directors are different and all actors are different.

Viggo Mortensen

Freud was the son of a Jewish merchant who had to move his whole family to Vienna because he couldn't get work. He, as a boy, had to watch his father be mocked and abused on the street for being Jewish... You develop a thick skin and you develop a ce...

Viggo Mortensen

I think every family is dysfunctional, and some manage to control it better than others.

Viggo Mortensen

Walking down the street in any town or city in the world and having people look at you and start talking to you, convinced that they know you as well or better than they do members of their own family, that's just an odd phenomenon. But I mean, I wou...

Viggo Mortensen

Adult characters are all the things they've encountered over time. But kids haven't accumulated all the life experience, all the regrets. They tend to be more in the moment, more willing to play, to be joyful.

Viggo Mortensen

Life is short and the older you get, the more you feel it. Indeed, the shorter it is. People lose their capacity to walk, run, travel, think, and experience life. I realise how important it is to use the time I have.

Viggo Mortensen

I'm very comfortable in Argentina. I was raised there as a baby and stayed there until I was 11 years old, so the first decade of my life or my formative years were spent in Argentina. I stayed in tune with the food, music and language.

Viggo Mortensen

Like most people I can be lazy, so it's nice to have a goal or deadline or reason to work out. I feel better when I get to exercise, or when I'm outdoors. I like to hike, swim and run, and I love to play soccer.

Viggo Mortensen

In terms of the movie business, being in a 'Lord of the Rings' has given me more interesting options as work.

Viggo Mortensen

One of the main ways that leadership stays in power is by, in various ways, convincing people that they should just let those who are in government govern: 'Trust us. Trust me. Just let us take care of things. Stay out of it.' Your opinions don't rea...

Viggo Mortensen

When I have a day off, I won't spend it at a Hollywood party. I'd rather be at home with paints and a blank canvas.

Viggo Mortensen

If there's one thing I've learned from traveling, it's that it is definitely more important how you are than where you are. You can say, 'Oh, I hate X city, I hate that country, or I prefer this city,' but it's a little bit up to you to find some kin...

Viggo Mortensen

Author Bio

  • NameViggo Mortensen
  • DescriptionAmerican actor
  • BornOctober 20, 1958
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionFilm Actor; Actor; Photographer; Poet; Writer; Singer; Composer; Musician; Painter
  • AwardsKnight Of The Order Of The Dannebrog