Viggo Mortensen, American actor and producer
Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. (; Danish: [ˈviko ˈmɒːtn̩sn̩]; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, author, musician, photographer, poet, and painter. Born in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he lived in Argentina during his childhood. He is the recipient of various accolades including a Screen Actors Guild Award and has been nominated for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.
Mortensen made his film debut in a small role in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, which starred Harrison Ford and was set in Amish country. He appeared in several notable films, including The Indian Runner (1991), Carlito's Way (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Daylight (1996), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), G.I. Jane (1997), Psycho (1998 remake), A Perfect Murder (1998), A Walk on the Moon (1999), and 28 Days (2000).
Mortensen received international attention in the early 2000s for his role as Aragorn in Peter Jackson's epic fantasy adventure trilogy The Lord of the Rings. In 2005, Mortensen won critical acclaim for his acting in David Cronenberg's crime thriller A History of Violence. Two years later, Mortensen earned acclaim in another Cronenberg film, Eastern Promises (2007); he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. A third teaming with Cronenberg in A Dangerous Method (2011) resulted in a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his portrayal of pioneer psychiatrist Sigmund Freud. Other well-received films include Appaloosa (2008) and Far from Men (2014). He gained additional Academy Award nominations for his leading roles in Captain Fantastic (2016) and Green Book (2018), the latter of which won for Best Picture.
Aside from acting, Mortensen has explored fine arts, photography, poetry, and music. In 2002, he founded the Perceval Press to publish the works of little-known artists and authors.
1958Oct, 20
Viggo Mortensen
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Events on 1958
- 13May
Richard Nixon
During a visit to Caracas, Venezuela, Vice President Richard Nixon's car is attacked by anti-American demonstrators. - 30May
Arlington National Cemetery
Memorial Day: The remains of two unidentified American servicemen, killed in action during World War II and the Korean War respectively, are buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. - 16Jun
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Imre Nagy, Pál Maléter and other leaders of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising are executed. - 18Aug
Lolita
Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States. - 28Nov
French colonial empire
Chad, the Republic of the Congo, and Gabon become autonomous republics within the French Community.