FROM:LOTR Fan Club Magazine February 2004

How much did you know about The Lord of the Rings prior to getting the role of Aragorn?

I knew practically nothing. I had heard of it, and I had heard of Tolkien. I had read a little portion of The Hobbit when I was a teenager, but I hadn't even finished that. When I got the role and then had to get on a plane the next day to go to New Zealand, I didn't know anything. I got the book the day the role was brought up, and two days later I am flying there. I started reading the book as quickly as I could. Luckily, a lot of it was somewhat familiar to me, particularly from Scandinavian mythology. Even if I hadn't seen that, I think I would have been able to apply any number of things in preparing for the part of Aragorn. You know, things from Westerns or samurai movies or fairy tales. The Lord of the Rings is the same epic heroic journey that has been told many times in many different places. The thing is that is remarkable about it is that it is a group's collective and individual hero's journey. The amazing accomplishment to me is that it is a journey of a whole society. The Fellowship, for me, is just a microcosm of Middle-Earth. There are disagreements and differences of character and different abilities, but they have everyone pulling together for the common good and putting the group before the individual. They all come onboard and it just gets harder and harder, and they overcome the obstacles. Even if all the Fellowship should die before reaching the end of the story, what has happened on the way will have been worth it because the bonds that have been forged in the telling of this story are what matter most. It is what happens to you on the way, not where you are going to. That was very true for all of us working on this story. When I see these movies, I remember the places in which we were shooting, how tired I was or if anyone else was, who was in a good mood and who was in a bad mood, how things were going at that time, and how the weather was. For me, the paintings, poems, and photographs that I took while I was there and the things that I had made on the side as I was doing this were ways for me, as an actor, to relax my mind as I kept going. You could stay calm by changing gears and looking at things with different eyes for a little while. Those things ate now tangible, just like the movie is, for me. I can remember where I made certain pictures, paintings or photographs; what went into it; and what I was thinking about at the time. It is a living diary or living journal - just like the movie is.

Viggo, many people know you as an actor, but you are also an artist and photographer. Is there anything new you can tell us about what you have been doing artistically?

There is a book that I just finished. It is a hardcover and has colour plates of these sort of abstract images of Lakota Ghost Dancers. It ends up having a lot of information about that period, the end of the 19th century and the Wounded Knee massacre, which is what these images are from, a recreation of that. These images were taken in the California desert near Nevada. The colours are beautiful, but they are long exposures so there is a lot of strange transparency in the figures. They are sort of abstract, but they are very pretty. I think this is my favourite book I've done so far. This is all photography, but these prints are taken with a panoramic camera that I borrowed just for the purpose to shoot this one roll. I really like the way they came out. This was original supposed to be for a scene in the movie I recently did called Hidalgo. It was supposed to be a hallucination of what this particular character saw - he is remembering what he saw at Wounded Knee. It is supposed to be kind of unreal and transparent like ghosts.

Is this your fifth book that you have published of your art and photography?

I think it is. We have also published several books of other people's work, too. If you go to our Web site, you'll see some of their work. We are one of the few small presses that actually make some profit, so we can keep reinvesting to make more books. It is very satisfying, and it helps other artists. The first batch of books we did about a year and a half ago included one of mine, which was reprinting some New Zealand images and that was the way we got the press started since I knew I had somewhat of an audience from previous photo work. Now, it is moving on its own, and the other artists' books that we have been doing are selling. I am very happy about that. We have some really good books coming out.

How has your art, poetry and photography been inspired by your experiences with The Lord of the Rings?

There isn't anything consciously that I have done differently since working on the films. I would guess now, four years after I started working on The Lord of the Rings, if I looked at some of the paintings or some of the photographs I took in New Zealand, there are certain kinds of colours - certain blues, greens and golds in particular - that are a little different. There is this certain rich green that I hadn't really been paying attention to, which I think was inspired by the colours in New Zealand. Other than that, I am not sure. There were certain things I was doing in various paintings that I had been doing in the year or two previous to going there that had certain symbols or designs that, when I got to New Zealand, I recognised in the culture there. They were things I saw in some of the paintings down there in some of the Maori art. They were things that were familiar already and are probably symbols which are universal. I have seen them in other places as well. I think that the experience of working with Peter Jackson and the entire crew affected me. The incredible, concentrated creativity that was part of this travelling circus that was making The Lord of the Rings, all these departments with all their creative input, it was like one big art and film school. It was incredible! Art, literature, the physical challenges, natural landscapes-the exploration of pretty much any area of interest to human beings, it was an epic story in itself. Mentally, spiritually, and physically, you were challenged and inspired. You had to be blind and shut yourself in your room to not be affected by this creative monster.

Have you always been a creative person? Were you drawing and painting as a young child?

Like most little kids, I was always drawing. I don't remember as much as my mom does, but I do remember that I used to draw and doodle all the time, which I think most kids do. My mom said I always had a pencil in my hand or was drawing something. I watch my own son, and he has always done that, too. There was a time, when my son was about 7 or 8, and all of a sudden I noticed he wasn't drawing like he used to. I said to him, "You don't draw anymore." He said, "Ahhh, I'm not very good at drawing." I said, "Yes, you are. You do great drawings. Did somebody say you aren't any good?" He said, "No." But, that reminded me of something that I had forgotten. At a certain age, which was older for me, 11 or 12, you compare yourself to other kids in the art class, and you notice that there are some kids that draw cars, people, or animals, and they have a real knack for it. They are just really gifted draftsmen. Each class in each school, there are always kids who are better than you. Just as some kids have more of a musical aptitude, that doesn't mean you shouldn't sing or play a musical instrument if you want to. You should never stop drawing. It is a good outlet for anyone. I remember now that I didn't draw for a while because of that. I asked my mom about it, and she said, "Yeah, but I think you always did it a little bit. You may have slowed down for a while, but you kept going." I did always draw, and I would write tiny short stories. When I got to be a teenager, they got a bit longer than that. I always did those things before acting. Afterwards, I gradually started writing more and more poems.

Were your parents inclined that way, too, or was it just you?

My dad did a little woodworking. My brothers are pretty good at it. They enjoy it, too. I think everybody is inclined to do it, and you just lose some confidence at a certain age. Then, it is a question of whether you keep doing it. There was an artist who spoke of this once, and he said, "Artists remain children in a certain way. They are keeping that curiosity and observation alive and that affinity and inclination to observe more active." People get busy - they get in relationships and they get jobs - and they don't make the time. They don't think it is important. I think it is as important as getting physical exercise. For me, especially when things are very busy, I tend to need that outlet - whether it is doodling or taking or looking at photographs. I look at reading the same way as writing things. You sort of let your mind go somewhere.

Had you been a horseman prior to the Lord of the Rings films, or did you become acquainted with horses during shooting?

I had ridden when I was a little kid. We rode quite a bit. When we moved to my mother's hometown when I was 11 that sort of stopped. Apart from one or two odd times throughout my teen years, I had never really rode again until about 10 years ago when I was working on a movie. I worked on a Western, and I had a small part and got to ride in that, which was fun. I hadn't really done it for a long time, but I think, like many things you learn when you are young - whether it is languages or riding a bicycle - I had some muscle memory of riding a horse, and I was able to pick it up again. I like horses, and I really enjoyed the time we spent on them in New Zealand. We had a good horse department and good horses.

It has been reported that you actually bought your horse that you rode in The Lord of the Rings. Is that true?It is true. I own that horse, but he has had to stay in New Zealand for re-shoots just like I have had to keep going back. Now that we are done, I will have to figure out what to do with him and how to get him over here, I am glad that I have been able to keep track of him and keep visiting him.

Did you also purchase the horse you rode in your latest film, Hidalgo?

I am thinking about it. It might not be so practical to own all of these horses when I am so busy with work right now. He might be able to get along with my horse from The Lord of the Rings. Although they are both stallions, one is more easygoing than the other. Brego, from The Lord of the Rings, is pretty strong-willed and very intelligent and physically strong and big. He is an imposing animal. He was also a last-minute replacement for another horse that was meant to be mine, and I only got to know him a day or two before we had to shoot for a scene. He had never been on a movie set, nor had he any experience of being around movie cameras, Orcs beating their shields, swords, and a bunch of other horses. It was not a good idea to start him with that. All of the other horses had been familiar with all of these sounds and objects that they would be dealing with on set, and he wasn't. So, he was just kicking and bucking and didn't want to have any part of it. That was a tough first day, and it was tough for a little while. It was a gradual process earning his trust. I suppose that made for a stronger friendship in the end because it wasn't that easy. When he finally got to where he trusted me, it was really rewarding. He doesn't trust everyone, and if he doesn't trust you, he won't do much for you. I consider him a good friend and another member of the cast that I got to be close with. He had good days and bad days just like we all do.

Tell me about Hidalgo.

At the heart of the story, it is about a long-distance race. As much as The Lord of the Rings is, too, this is about a hero's journey and someone with obvious flaws and some awareness of who they are, and what they are meant for in this life is challenged to go on a journey. During that journey, he comes up against great odds and obstacles that he must try to overcome, individually and collectively. In the case of Hidalgo, it is a man and his horse. In the case of The Lord of the Rings, it is the Fellowship. It is more important as to what happens on that journey than whether they reach the end or succeed or survive. I would say that Boromir is no less of the Fellowship at the end of The Return of the King for having died at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. His efforts, honesty, redemption, and his value to the Fellowship as a lesson during his life and in death are as important as the contribution of any of the rest of them. It is the effort you make and what you learn along the way. Then, if you are lucky enough to succeed, what do you do with what you have learned and what you have gained? How do you help your people and your society? Hidalgo is a similar story in that way.

Is that hero's journey what inspired you to take the lead role for Hidalgo?

I don't know that I consciously did, but one of the things that I thought was unique right away was that it was a studio movie that challenged the audience. This is a story about an American heroic character that is put into a situation where he is going to have to do better than he ever has, and that alone has the makings of a heroic character. Any mother who has gone through labor and childbirth knows what that is all about. Every person can relate to big and small struggles in our lives. I guess that what I thought was interesting is that you have an American character in a big-budget movie that goes overseas to the Third World, and he doesn't go - as is so often the case in those types of big American movies - to teach someone about the American way of doing things, to change their culture, to appropriate their culture, or to conquer, destroy, or question. He goes there on a challenge to win a horse race, but it is as much about what he learns during this race and during the overall journey that he is on emotionally that matters even more so than the end result of the race. It is a well-shot movie, and we were in some extraordinary places. I have been lucky. The places we saw in New Zealand and the places in Hidalgo that I saw in the Arabian Desert and the American West were really extraordinary - beautiful landscapes and all kinds of weather, light, seasons, and temperatures. Everyone who worked on Hidalgo has a particular memory of it.

Are you comfortable with the leading man persona that you now have? Well, the thing is that I know I wouldn't have gotten a movie like Hidalgo and offers to do other things if it hadn't been for The Lord of the Rings and the success of that. I know that things have come my way as a result of those films, as well as a lot of attention that I hadn't been looking for or expected. But, I don't think of myself any differently. I don't see myself behaving that differently. I am a little more stressed out at times just because of all this extra input that I am not used to and less privacy than I ever thought I would have. I like to spend a certain amount of time alone every day, and that is not an option anymore. I try to find time for it. Other than that, I don't notice things being that different.

I hear fans and critics alike comment that, unlike other movies that come and go, The Lord of the Rings films will become classics and watched time and time again for years to come. Do you agree?

I think that the way that The Lord of the Rings was made, not only the subject matter but also the execution, is an exception. The material is more complex, the way in which it was shot is more ambitious, and the content of the movies is more subtle and challenging for an audience than what they usually get from a studio. Maybe it will set a certain example for other filmmakers. There will probably be imitations of this type of movie. Most of them will probably be bad, as whenever a movie becomes a hit and you see imitations for a few years until it burns out into a B-movie kind of level, and then they stop making them and the next thing comes along. I am sure there will probably be some imitations or else they will go, "What else is there?" I have heard they are going to make a series of movies of C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, which may turn out great. I hope it does, but that is the kind of thing that will get the green light now.

Are you pleased with the way Hollywood is making movies today?

It is easy to criticize things. I haven't been around as long as other people, but I have been a film actor for 20 years now, which surprises me as it seems like it has only been five or six years. By being around that long, I have read lots of scripts and have been offered a certin amount of things recently, so I get to see more scripts. I don't think there are bad movies because there aren't very many good writers around. You hear people say, "Oh, they don't make good movies anymore." Yeah, they do, once in a while. I'm not sure if I am an avid student of movies, but I am curious so I have seen movies made by studios from their inception. I have seen lots of independent movies and foreign movies. I like to watch movies. That's one of the things I do with my son a lot. We watch a lot of different movies, and it is something I like to do as much as I like to read books. I like to make movies, and I like to watch movies. I think it is an interesting art form. But, from my point-of-view combined with my two decades of experience, I don't think there has ever been a period in the history of movies where less imagination has been shown than recent years. I think there are exceptions, but they are few and far between. It is easy to say that, but what do you do about it? I think part of it is that they cost so much money, and people are afraid to diverge from accepted things and the films that have worked before. I think that has always been the case to some degrees but there have been a lot of books and articles written about what happened to the last golden age of American movies in the early to mid 70s. It was right after that period that I started acting. Taxi Driver wasn't such an old movie, nor was China Town or the Godfather movies. Studios make thrillers today, but even those substitute a lot of flashy shooting and cutting and superficial dialogue, and they are beefed up by having talented performers say those lines and execute those action moves. But, they just don't seem to test people's imaginations that much. I don't find that most studio movies give you much to talk about. I think that is part of the reason that when people went to see The Lord of the Rings they couldn't believe it. Even if they were real film buffs or very particular, they might not have liked some of the crowd-pleasing aspects of it, but you couldn't deny that there was something more to it than the usual standard fare.

Fan club member Maria Phillips asks, "What do you do with all the gifts that fans give you? Do you think that you will use any of these offerings in your future art projects, or are they just kept as mementos of your special contact with them?"

I might use some of them. There have been a lot of beautiful gifts from all over the world, which I never expected to get. About a year ago, I announced that I would not accept or respond to fan mail anymore only because I always made it a point to read, answer, address the envelopes, and take each and every letter to the post office. When I started getting hundreds of pieces of mail each day, I found I would get home after a long day and spend a few hours well into the night working on the fan mail night after night. I realized that it wasn't going to slow down. I found I was spending way too much time on it, and it was not that I didn't care and that I wasn't touched by all the mail. I also didn't want to do what many actors do, which is to have a service where people would open the mail for you, read it, and either sign a response for you or send a pre-stamped signature kind of photograph. I wanted to either do it myself or not do it. I just felt I honestly couldn't do it, and with all due respect I would ask fans not to send any more stuff because I can't handle it. I got a few reactions from people saying, "I can't believe you would do that." But, for the most part, people have been appreciative of the fact that I was honest about it. In exchange, I will sign things for people in-person when they ask me wherever I am.

Fan club member Mark Vogels asks, "How is your toe after the Uruk-Hai helmet incident?"

Oh, it's fine. During wet weather, the older I get, I am sure I will notice it But, it is not the first bone I have broken. At certain times, I will get a little twinge if I step the wrong way or if I am running. It is not a big deal. I think if you are fit - and because I have been so busy I haven't been as physical as I usually am - take care of yourself, and are well-rested, you don't think about it. No major problems, though.

Do you have any other acting jobs lined up?

I haven't had a chance to think about it. I am trying to look for something because I could use the work, but most of the rest of I have obligations to both The Lord of the Rings and Hidalgo. There are a few opportunities that have presented themselves that I haven't been able to take because of obligations to The Lord of the Rings. At the moment, there are a couple of new things which seem interesting. Whether I'll be done in time and available, I am not sure yet.

Kayt Tourville, another fan club member, wishes to know: "How do you as an actor put one character behind you and move on to the next?"

Some people say it is hard to get rid of the character or hard to not bring them home with you. They say it is hard to shed dead skin and move on to another character, but I have never made an effort to do that with any character. I think you learn something from each one, and why forget about it? It doesn't get in the way of you playing another character. I think you have the capability of playing other characters and retaining the memory of another. There are certain muscles that you have to retrain or you have to learn to train for the first time, but that is the idea of playing different characters when you get a chance. You have to learn new skills and challenge yourself a little bit. Life is short and eventually, as you get older, your memory starts to fade anyway, so I would just as soon enjoy the memory of whatever I have experienced, especially with something as unique as being a part of The Lord of the Rings movie circus! I am not in a hurry to forget it. It is time to move on, but that doesn't mean move away from it. The most precious thing I carry is the memory of it, so I am not in a hurry to get rid of it.

Viggo, thank you for taking so much time to talk to us.

Well, you are welcome. You guys have done a good job with the magazine, and I am enjoying it a lot. The magazines are a good record of what has been going on with the films. Good luck with it.