Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen
October 20, 1958
New York, New York

This freedom-loving Libra gives new meaning to the term multi-media artist.

'Photography, painting or poetry -- those are just extensions of me, how I perceive things, they are my way of communicating.'

Viggo Mortensen is the oldest of three sons born to Grace and Viggo P. Mortensen. Viggo was born in New York City; his brothers, Charles and Walter, were born in South America, where their dad was a ranch manager. At age seven Viggo was sent to boarding school in a remote mountain village in Argentina. When he was eleven, his parents divorced and he moved to upstate New York with his mother and brothers. He spent a little time in Denmark with his father but they both returned to the States, and Viggo went to Watertown High School in New York. He graduated in 1976 then attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. He graduated in 1980 with a degree in Government and Spanish. After graduation, he moved to Denmark.

Having lived in the United States, Venezuela, Argentina and Denmark, Viggo speaks fluent English, Spanish, Danish and French. His Swedish and Norwegian aren't bad either. While supporting himself as a truck driver or a waiter or in some other odd job, he began writing poetry and short stories. His first book of poetry, Ten Last Night, was printed in 1993 by Illuminati Publishers. He now has his own publishing house, Perceval Press. Among his self-published books are Recent Forgeries, Time Waits for Everyone and I Forget You Forever. He also publishes books and CDs by other artists, including his ex, Exene Cervenka. His abstract paintings feature bits of his poetry, and he also mixes his poetry into his music. He is a jazz musician, with twelve CDs to his credit: Tell Me What to Do, Intelligence Failure, One Less Thing to Worry About, One Man's Meat, Live at Beyond Baroque, The Other Parade, This That and The Other, Live at Beyond Baroque 2, Pandemoniumfromamerica, Please Tomorrow, At All and 3 Fools 4 April. His first photography exhibition was in 2000 at the Robert Mann Gallery in New York.

In 1982 Viggo moved to New York City and started taking acting classes. In 1985 he landed his first movie role with the part of Amish farmer Moses Hochleitner in Witness, starring Harrison Ford. After that he moved to L.A. In 1987 he co-starred with punk rocker Exene Cervenka in Salvation!, a comedy about 'a troubled young woman who hooks up with a money-crazed televangelist and becomes a rich, heavy-metal Christian rock star.' The movie went nowhere but Viggo and Exene went to the altar on July 8, 1987. They have a son, Henry, whom they co-parent as good friends, although they separated after three years together and divorced in 1999.

1988 saw Viggo in two films, Prison and Fresh Horses. In 1990 he did three -- Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Young Guns II and The Reflecting Skin. In 1991 he starred in Sean Penn's The Indian Runner alongside Patricia Arquette, Charles Bronson, Dennis Hopper and Benicio del Toro. 1993 was a big year for Viggo with Boiling Point, Ruby Cairo, Carlito's Way, The Young Americans and American Yakuza. In 1994 he starred in The Crew and played a homeless man in Floundering. 1995 brought him Crimson Tide and The Passion of Darkly Noon. He also played a 'worthless junkie' in Black Velvet Pantsuit and Lucifer in The Prophecy, opposite Christopher Wauken as the Angel Gabriel. In 1997 he starred with Jason Priestly in Fox TV's remake of Vanishing Point, and with Demi Moore and Anne Bancroft in G.I. Jane. He did La pistola de mi hermano the same year. In 1998 he starred in remakes of two Alfred Hitchcock noir classics: A Perfect Murder was the updated version of 1954 thriller, Dial M for Murder; Psycho first came out in 1960. In 1999 he starred in A Walk on the Moon and in 2000 played opposite Sandra Bullock in the rehab drama 28 Days. In 1999, his son Henry talked him into taking the part that made his name a household word, that of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In 2004 he starred in Hidalgo and in 2005, played Tom Stall in David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. In 2006 he played Diego Alatriste y Tenorio in Alatriste. In 2007 he portrayed Nikolai Luzhin in Eastern Promises, for which he won Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film at the British Independent Film Awards. He was also nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, both for Best Actor for his role in Eastern Promises.

Sun in Libra tells us Viggo instinctively understands the need to accommodate other people's interests. Always willing to meet the other person half-way, he does all he can to avoid discord. Getting along with other people may be too important to him, for he will rarely act without seeking counsel from others. In fact, he would have turned down the part of Aragorn if his son hadn't read the books and encouraged him to take the part. He would have been more inclined to spend the time with Henry, as he likes to share and do things together. Being alone feels unnatural to him and he has a strong need for a partner and intimate one-to-one relationships. He is idealistic about marriage and makes a thoughtful friend or lover. To Viggo, relationships are like an art that requires time, consideration and creative effort.

Fairness and equality in his personal life and in the world are extremely important to him. He has a natural sense of artistic style which is reflected in the way he dresses and arranges his home. Everything must be aesthetically pleasing and correct. Not surprisingly, his Sun sign tells us that working in an artistic field such as design or photography would be fulfilling to him. Sun conjunct Saturn/Pluto guarantees he has a strong will and great determination. He is willing to work hard to reach his goals. He often takes on more than his share and labors doggedly, sparing himself no pain in his work. Just to prove the point, in 2002 he broke two toes and a tooth while shooting The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Moon in Aquarius means he is not easily moved by emotional outbursts and can be curiously detached from his own and others' emotions. It's almost as if he could turn his feelings on and off at will. While this can be helpful in his acting, he should be careful not to leave the switch 'off' too often in his personal life, for he could easily become too impersonal. He insists upon a certain amount of independence and the freedom to pursue friendships with as many people, of both sexes, as he chooses. He does not appreciate a jealous, possessive partner. He feels comfortable in an atmosphere that is open and experimental, and has little taste for tradition.

Moon in the 2nd house indicates he is likely to be a great collector, for his belongings give him a sense of security and continuity with the past, which is important to him. Antiques or things with sentimental value are especially dear to him, including the horses he rode in The Lord of the Rings and Hidalgo, which he bought once the movies were done. Moon square Jupiter shows he has a cheerful disposition and reaches out to others in a warm and friendly way. His emotional generosity and lack of pettiness is well known among his friends and people often seek him out for advice. On the other hand, Moon opposite Mars in the Midheaven makes him high-strung and impatient. He knows what he wants to accomplish, forges ahead and brooks no interference. It is not easy for him to back down gracefully when he is confronted.

Sagittarius rising means he is high-spirited and enthusiastic. He loves adventure and is not happy in a safe and secure little world. He is restless and yearns for something greater than anything he's ever experienced. He often lives in his visions for the future. He tends to think the grass is greener elsewhere and likes to keep moving because he expects something better ahead. He loves to have a goal, something to aim for, but once he achieves it he moves on. He is ever on the lookout for new opportunities and he is a gambler, willing to take risks and break new ground. The possibility of discovering something new makes life interesting for him.

Freedom-loving and independent, he cannot tolerate being caged for very long. Friends and loved ones must respect his need for freedom of movement. Friendly and outgoing, he has a great sense of fun. He is philosophical and quite outspoken about his beliefs. Sometimes he gets carried away with his enthusiasm. He is able to see the big picture and is well suited to politics, business, higher education or religion. Other people see him as a good sport and a good friend, but one who is not always consistent. He may be seen as a wise person since he does not get bogged down in trivialities and is able to communicate a larger way of looking at situations, one that opens up new possibilities. He is a person who believes in miracles, someone who never gives up and he inspires others to keep looking forward. Sun sextile Sagittarius says he can get by in life almost by personality alone. There is a radiant quality about him, and it's very difficult not to notice him or feel his influence when he is around.