Viggo Mortensen Explains Absence from Franchises Post ‘Lord of the Rings’

American actor and musician Viggo Mortensen recently opened up about why he has not participated in another franchise following his iconic role in the Oscar-winning ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mortensen, who portrayed Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s epic films from 2001 to 2003, discussed his criteria for selecting movie roles.

Mortensen emphasized that the quality of the story is paramount to him. “I don’t really look for or avoid any kind of genre or any size budget. I just look for interesting stories,” he explained. “It doesn’t matter to me what the genre is or what the budget is or who’s making them. I would never do a movie just because so-and-so is directing it. It has to be about the story. And if I think I’m right for the character, that always comes first.”

Addressing his absence from other franchises, Mortensen stated, “That goes for franchises. If somebody came to me with X movie, the third part of the ninth part, and I thought it was a great character and I wanted to play that character and I thought I had something to contribute, I’d do it. I’m not against it. But they’re not usually that good. I mean, to me, they’re not usually that well-written. They’re kind of predictable. I mean, of course, there’s always the issue of if I run out of money.”

Although Mortensen is best remembered for his portrayal of Aragorn, he expressed uncertainty about returning for Jackson’s next film, set to release in 2026. “I haven’t read a script. So I don’t know,” he commented on the upcoming ‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.’ “The script is the most important thing to me unless I’m broke, I have no money and I’m lucky to get any job. So it depends.”

Mortensen’s commitment to compelling, well-written stories has guided his career choices post-‘Lord of the Rings.’ His approach prioritizes the narrative and character suitability over the allure of big-budget franchises, highlighting his dedication to quality storytelling in his acting career.