An Underrated Study: Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen - Case Study

This Danish-American actor is another sly chameleon who somehow goes unnoticed by film goers as he is able to change practically his entire appearance through just the slightest alterations. You would think that with an unusual name like Viggo Mortensen he would get a bit more attention. However I believe it is his intensely private character and even his mysterious, soft-spoken persona that may be some of the factors as to why this incredible actor often passes unaccredited. 

Most people will know Viggo for his portrayal of the elf-loving, orc-killing heir of Gondor Aragorn in the Lord of The Rings Trilogy - a performance that despite the big-budget and scale of the films (as with many of the characters in the trilogy) is notable for it's compassion and truth. Equipped with a long dark wig and an English accent it is no wonder his most notable role is not what he is recognized for. 

For a point of reference, let's compare this with Mortensen's portrayal of Sigmund Freud in David Cronenberg's 2011 film A Dangerous Method.

At first you may be thinking "where is he?". But trust me, the grey haired cigar-smoking gentleman sitting down (opposite Michael Fassbender's equally excellent Carl Jung) is in fact Viggo Mortensen. This time a prosthetic nose and European accent concealing his identity. 

Aside from the obvious versatility in terms of genre, intensity and of course physicality:

Mortensen has a knack of playing very complicated, layered characters.  Pulling from the pool of depth and talent that he possesses which are vital elements needed to portray some of the people he has. 

A Perfect Murder see's Mortensen as David Shaw a painter who has an affair with the wife of a wealthy Wall Street hedge fund manager. David Cronenberg's A History of Violence (a film that has one of the greatest character arc's I've ever seen in a movie and Viggo SHOULD HAVE WON AN OSCAR!!) sees Mortensen as Tom Stall, a gentle family man accused of being a gangster. Both characters have some similarities but are played in such different ways highlighting his incredible versatility. (note: I highly recommend both of these films.. deffo both in my top 20.)

It would be remiss of me to not mention his role as Nikolai Luzhin in Eastern Promises (Cronenberg.. again) for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Aside from being an incredible actor, Viggo is also a poet, musician, artist and photographer. He is also fluent in English, Spanish, Danish, Swedish and conversational is French and Italian which makes him undoubtedly ... a very talented man. 

Viggo is currently starring The Two Faces in January (out NOW) and will appear in upcoming films Jauja and Far From Men.

10 Greatest Actors and Actresses

5 Actors & 5 Actresses

Here is an accumulative list of the best actors and actresses the industry has to offer.. in my opinion. (Note: additional list of 3 of my favorite performances of them )

Actors:

Gary Oldman

(Films: Sid & Nancy/ Bram Stoker's Dracula/ Leon: The Professional)

Viggo Mortensen

(Films: The Lord of the Rings/ A History of Violence/ A Dangerous Method)

Tom Hardy

(Films: Bronson/ Stuart: A Life Backwards/ The Dark Knight Rises)

Anthony Hopkins

(Films: The Silence of the Lambs/ Bram Stoker's Dracula/ 360)

Michael Fassbender

(Films: Hunger/ X Men: First Class/ 12 Years A Slave)

Actresses:

Cate Blanchett

(Films: Elizabeth: The Golden Age/ I'm Not There/ Blue Jasmine)

Kate Winslet

(Films: Titanic/ Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind/ Divergent)

Nicole Kidman

(Films: Cold Mountain/ Stepford Wives/ Rabbit Hole)

Meryl Streep

(Films: Sophie's Choice/ The Devil Wears Prada/ The Iron Lady)

Jessica Chastain

(Films: The Help/ Lawless/ Zero Dark Thirty)

An Underrated Study: Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman - Case Study

This post marks the beginning of the 'An Underrated Study' series that will explore the craftsmanship and filmography of several actors that I consider to be severely underrated among their peers. 

I first became aware of Gary Oldman's underrated-ness as I was expressing my admiration of his work to my parents. "You know Gary Oldman, right?" was my rhetorical question. "No" was both of their answers. I couldn't believe it. Possibly one of the greatest actors that has graced the screens and they "have never heard of him". My reaction inspired me to focus my A2 Film Studies Case Study on his work and how it has been overlooked. When I first started this blog, I thought back to this case study and it got me thinking of other actors that despite their blatant talent seem to go unnoticed. 

Gary Oldman. It may be a name that you have heard or seen somewhere but you just cant put a face to it. Well, this may be down to his undeniable chameleon abilities that have shaped him into one of the most versatile actors of all time. (yes, it sounds like a bit of an exaggeration but trust me it's not.) So, lets begin this investigation by analyzing just two of the roles that he has played across his four-decade long career. 

Firstly, Drexl Spivy in True Romance. A role that any male actor would die for, Oldman playing a Rastafarian-esque pimp in the Tarantino written film. There is a definite feeling of ambiguity surrounding Drexl who never fails to make the audience (and other characters) feel threatened and uneasy around him. 

In  contrast, we have Sirius Black. The Godfather of Harry Potter most notable for his part in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Black actually is the prisoner of Azkaban). He has strong paternal qualities and appears to be a very honest, approachable person.

In addition to the obvious versatility, Oldman also has this amazing quality where he can appear in highly successful big-budget films (he also plays James Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Batman films) and yet still remain relatively unknown. His inconsistency and unpredictability contributing to his physical ability to change his appearance with every role.

There has also been a massive surge of young actors (younger than Gary anyway) who have expressed their admiration and idolization of Oldman time and time again:

Tom Hardy "He is my absolute complete and utter hero"
Jennifer Lawrence "Gary Oldman I've always been blown away by because he's such a good actor and literally cant get famous because he is unrecognizable"
Daniel Radcliffe "I regard him as the best England has to offer"
Brad Pitt "Gary Oldman is the best"
Jim Carey "He's my rock star as far as actors go"
Benedict Cumberbatch "It's an inspiration to go up against an actor of Gary Oldman's quality"
Michael Fassbender "Gary Oldman has been a hero of mine since I was 14-15"
George Clooney "Gary keep on acting cause you f**** it up for the rest of us"
..... the list goes on

Despite the obvious appraisal by other actors, Oldman is continuously snubbed by critics and academies; hitting home how underrated he is. Lets have a look at a few of his performances and guess for which ones he was nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar):

Sid Vicious (Sid and Nancy)

Joe Orton (Prick Up Your Ears)

Count Dracula (Bram Stoker's Dracula)

Beethoven (Immortal Beloved)

Norman Stansfield (Leon: The Professional)

Answer: None

By stating this by no means insinuates winning an Oscar is the most important thing for an actor or that the fact he wasn't even nominated degrades his performances in anyway. Not at all. But if baffles me along with many others as to why his performances are continuously overlooked and yet people like Jennifer Lawrence (she's good ... but no Gary Oldman) who at 24 is already on her 3rd Oscar nomination.

So. To conclude. Gary Oldman is an incredible versatile actor with a humble upbringing and adored my many. Yet the media and film critics have failed to give him the recognition he deserves year after year. Thus I believe that the title for 'The Most Underrated Actor of his Generation' should be firmly handed to Mr. Gary Oldman.

Oldman recently starring in RoboCop and is currently in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Next year he will appear in upcoming film Child 44.