Viggo Mortensen insisted he wasn’t “any more nervous” on his first day directing ‘Falling’ than he is when he starts a new acting project.
Viggo Mortensen
The 61-year-old actor has stepped behind the camera for the film – which he also wrote and stars in – for the first time and he was excited about being questioned by his cast on what he planned to do, even when he didn’t have all the answers.
He said: “I wasn't any more nervous on my first day directing, just like acting I didn't sleep the night before.
"But because I had been sort of a nosy actor, I've always asked questions of directors when they would allow it.
"I've always been interested in the collective effort that goes into getting a story effectively told on screen.
"The big difference was now I was being asked the questions and I had to have the answers right then, even if it was, 'I'm not sure but let's try this.' It didn't bother me. I liked it."
Viggo learned a lot from his 'History of Violence' director David Cronenberg about preparing for the shoot.
He explained to Britain’s Esquire magazine: "[He taught me] there's no such thing as preparing too much or too early for a shoot."
And the 'Green Book' star even offered the filmmaker a small part in 'Falling' as a doctor, but insisted he wasn't out for a "favour" to attract more interest in the movie.
He said: "I didn't ask as a favour. I said, ‘Look, I'm going to shoot this movie in Toronto where you live, and there's a scene I think you'd be great for.’
"Fortunately, he read it and he liked it.
"If you're not a cinephile, maybe you don't know what he looks like, you just think, 'That actor's really good.' If you do know him, I suppose there's an added, 'Oh! It's Him!' "
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