Quote: The Silent Method Actor

[wowie]

When asked what's the longest he's ever gone without talking to someone, he pauses for such an extended length of time that he then laughs.

"I did a movie once directed by a guy named Philip Ridley, from London. "The movie was The Passion of Darkly Noon. Mortensen's character lived in the woods with his sister and was a deaf mute. "So I was on a plane - I got to east Germany, where we were shooting - and decided I would go for an entire day without making a sound. I get there and this guy picks me up - he was the producer - and I wrote a note that said,'I'm not going to talk for a day or so, just to get the feeling of what it's like.'"

He smiles, remembering that it made for an awkward ride from the airport to the set. An hour and a half of the producer chatting, essentially, with himself. "As soon as I stopped talking, I felt so calm. Most of what we say, we don't really mean to say. So I thought,'Well, I'll do it another day.' And I went through with it - through meeting the crew and the costume-fitting. No one had met me before, so they didn't know otherwise. And I liked it and I decided I'd just keep going. So for the whole f***ing movie, I didn't say a f***ing word." The shoot lasted four weeks. Mortensen didn't make one sound. Remembering it, his voice fills with warmth. "Yeah,I really enjoyed it. I keep telling myself I have to do that again, because I felt so relaxed. And it was funny because people treated me like I was mentally handicapped."

He would hang out with the crew, passing notes to them in a bar, or on the set. "I'd scribble lots of notes." He'd order food by pointing. "I was peaceful and happy - I just really liked it."

So he didn't say a word. Not one word out loud. Not even when he was alone in the shower? "No!" Not even an "ugh" or an "eh"? "No, I did not. Because my son at that time was about eight years old, I faxed my ex-wife and said,'I'm not going to be speaking for a while, but I will call. And can you put Henry on the phone?" He laughs again. "So I'd call and she'd say,'Hi,Viggo, how are you?' and I would be like..."

He is silent for about 10 seconds, breathing demonstrably through his nose.

And how did his son know it was him? "She would put him on the phone and I would be breathing so he could hear I was there. And he would tell me what was going on - but you know kids, they don't really say a lot on the phone anyway - and he'd go on about stuff and I'd make a sound to let him know I was still there, and then she'd get on and ask,'So you'll be home in two weeks? Three?' And there are certain breaths, or I would make clucking sounds."

Mortensen is laughing now, surprised and amused with his own behaviour. "The only word I said the entire time was the word "no". The World Cup was going on - I think it was Brazil, and whoever won I didn't want them to win - and I fell asleep watching the game and I wanted to know the end of it and I went to the guy next door. I was half asleep when he told me the score and it just came out: He utters, under his breath, a tiny "no".

The Brain Dane
The Sunday Times November 2003

I believe these are from sidhex3 from a while ago

Comments

[viggoaddict.livejournal.com]

Sometimes talk is overrated*hehehe* His body language is speaking just fine!!!! "I want VA, I need VA, VA makes me smile" It is crystal clear to me!*lol*

[raggedyannie.livejournal.com]

mmmmmmmmm

hot, sweaty, chest hair...*thud* Teddy has died!!

[fomocobaby.livejournal.com]

Those screencaps are beyootifull! Thanks for a nice little package of Clay for today!

[gutentag1.livejournal.com]

I had never read that before. I had known that he didn't talk during the shoot, but not to that depth. Thank you for posting this! {{{hugs}}}

article

[virtu-viggo.livejournal.com]

This is my favorite article about Viggo's method acting---I just think it is delicious that he went all those weeks filming those incredibly hot scenes without speaking---do you think he moaned?

Re: article

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

I bet he made lots of noises besides the whistling. Must be very interesting working with the man!