Photo: Sylvain Lefevre/WireImage; Attila Dory/20th Century Fox/Marvel Ent Group/Kobal/Shutterstock
Viggo Mortensenis opening up about his decision to turn downa role in theX-Menfranchise nearly two decades ago.
The actor, 62, appeared on last week’s episode of theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast where he revealed that he was initially offered the role of Wolverine inX-Menbut didn’t take the gig over a fear of a “commitment of endless movies.”
“I was nervous about that,” he told host Josh Horowitz.
The actor explained that his then-preteen son Henry also had a major influence on him saying no to theX-Menfilms.
Mortensen said that at the time, Henry was a big fan of the Marvel comic books and the star wanted his input on the film.
“There were some things, I mean they straightened most of them out, but I did take Henry to the meeting I had with the director…as my sort of good luck charm and guide,” Mortensen said.
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The actor recalled letting Henry read the script and his son saying, “This is wrong. That’s not how it is.”
“He goes, ‘He doesn’t look like this.’ And all of a sudden the director is falling all over himself and then the rest of the meeting was him explaining in detail to Henry why he was taking certain liberties,” he said. “We walked out of there, and [Henry] asks if they will change the things he told him about, and I say, ‘I don’t think so… I’m not going to do it anyway, because I’m not sure I want to be doing this for years.'”
“And then a couple of years later I’m doing threeLord of the Rings, so who knows,” Mortensen said with a laugh.
While Mortensen went on to play Aragorn in theLord of the Ringsfranchise, Hugh Jackman landed the role of Wolverine.
“I think he did great, I’m sure no one can imagine anyone doing it better than he did,” Mortensen said of Jackman’s portrayal.
Mortensen’s directorial debutFallingis now in theaters, on digital and On Demand.
source: people.com
