MORTENSEN COLLECTS RUSSIAN MEMORIES TO PERFECT MAFIA CHARACTER

Last updated: Saturday, September 15, 2007

MORTENSEN COLLECTS RUSSIAN MEMORIES TO PERFECT MAFIA CHARACTER

VIGGO MORTENSEN became such a fan of Russia while researching his new role as a ruthless Mafia boss there, he created a scrapbook to help him remember the magical time he spent in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Viggo Mortensen as Nickolai in 'Eastern Promises'

The Lord of The Rings star spent two weeks travelling alone through Russia as he prepared for new film Eastern Promises and was astonished with the beauty of the country, so he started collecting keepsakes and taking photographs for a scrapbook he used to define his tough character.

He explains, "I wandered around the cities and saw the villages. I was in the interior of the country for a while and I really liked it; images from there, things I'd found. I made all these collages.

"It's kind of a rough blueprint and sort of a reminder. It helped me create my character - I'm playing a guy who's definitely from there and I wanted to keep that in mind so I had that. I would look at the photos each day and maybe add Russian phrases I'd learned."

And the actor admits the trinkets he picked up on his travels really helped him perfect the character he played in the film.

He adds, "In the movie, I smoke cigarettes from Russia and I had these worry beads made by a Russian in a maximum security prison. They looked like stones but they were really melted down cigarette lighters. They were really beautiful.

"I'm really superstitious and my pockets were always stuffed with lots of little religious icon cards and things that I collected on my travels."

Source: WENN

| Saturday, September 15, 2007

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MORTENSEN COLLECTS RUSSIAN MEMORIES TO PERFECT MAFIA CHARACTER

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