Viggo Mortensen isn't your average Hollywood leading man. He speaks no fewer than five languages, writes poetry, paints, plays music and was once a truck driver in Denmark. And since his star-making turn as the heroic Aragorn in Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy -- a role which he would have turned down had his son not begged him to do it -- he's pretty much steered clear of Hollywood blockbusters. Instead, he's opted to tackle grittier fare such as 'A History of Violence' and 'Eastern Promises,' the latter of which earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination and hordes of female fans, thanks in part to a savage all-nude knife fight that's become the stuff of movie legend.Incidentally, Mortensen is also the kind of guy who'd rather do a post-apocalyptic epic on a shoestring budget with an indie director like John Hillcoat than do a $200-million-budgeted special-effects extravaganza with Roland Emmerich (no offense to Emmerich, whose films seem to do pretty well regardless of who's in them). Hence, this Thanksgiving, moviegoers won't see Viggo in '2012,' but rather in the haunting adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 'The Road,' in select theaters Nov. 25.
Light on the one-liners and F/X and heavy on the drama and breathtaking cinematography, 'The Road' tells the tale of a man and his son (newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee) -- simply named "the Man" and "the Boy," respectively -- who, in the wake of an unspecified global catastrophe, traverse the barren, cannibal-roamed ruins of America with just one goal: survival. It's grim stuff to be sure, but also ultimately uplifting in its depiction of the simple love between father and son. And it's earning tremendously positive notices from critics and some Oscar buzz for Mr. Mortensen and his young co-star.
Moviefone caught up with Viggo in New York last week over breakfast, and Mortensen talked passionately about his hope that 'The Road' connects with audiences, dished on teaming up with David Cronenberg for a sequel to 'Eastern Promises' ... and revealed whether Aragorn, aka the king, will return in Guillermo del Toro's 'Lord of the Rings' prequel 'The Hobbit.'

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