A belated report on Viggo's TIFF presence

[simplyaven]

I was working on the Recipes thread and haven't had the time to share what I saw from Viggo's coming to TIFF but here it is. I wasn't able to stay for the whole movie or press conference as I had to work but had the chance to 1. meet him meaning I was among those who were protecting him from the crowd [laugh] (this is always hilarious as volunteers do the so called "lock down" holding hands around the talent and making a corridor but actually there is very rarely a need for such thing!), 2. I listened to maybe 1/3 of the press conference including the famous "Are you retiring?" answers, and 3. I had the chance to experience his personal charisma. The answers to the retiring questions you all know already. He didn't look angry but was a bit annoyed, IMHO. It seems to me there is some discomfort inside him when it comes to the Hollywood machine and the rules he has to play according to. He is trying to express it but then he can not just say "Screw them!" as he still has to pay the bills and he has many times shared his care for his son and how to secure his future. As about the charisma, it is certainly there. However, I was surprised to find myslef a bit dissapointed by his very... soft appearance. I don't know why, it just left me with the feeling there was something not as I wanted it to be, and mind you I'm not falling for macho types in general. It was like he was someone else. Maybe he was acting but even his laughing was so... soft and gentle, I don't know. At the end I was confused. Overall, he is a very nice person. One who can be easily approached and talked to. That's all of it. []

 

[weathertop]

i think confused is the best choice - confused by, as you put it, his soft presence. in almost all the 'off-screen' talks with him it's like that, so i assume that's his 'normal' self. i guess it shows that much more of his acting ability to convincingly play the roles he does (GI Jane, History of Violence, LOTR, etc)...

 

[simplyaven]

Yes, I think part of this confusion comes from the very different personalities he has played. very different from himself. On the other hand, having many friends-actors, I have always heard from them that one subconsciously playes best what is closest to one's inner world. I guess that's what left me confused. Is he really so different from what he plays or is there a hidden side of him which is actually eager to show off and it gets this chance when he plays more manly, even cruel characters... In any case it was weird to see such a soft guy and think of Aragorn for example. [blush]

 

[Alassëa Eruvande]

[]

Thanks for the report. My impression of Viggo, just from the few tv interviews I've seen, is that he is very quiet, reserved and introspective. I think he only does these sorts of festivals and publicity tours because he has to. I'm sure he'd much rather be secluded in his studio somewhere working on his many and varied interests. I think he does enjoy acting; he just isn't all that excited about the hoopla associated with being a "movie star".

 

[simplyaven]

No protection from ptotectors! All left to our mercy! [laugh] By the way, they keep such a strict eye on all volunteers that it's sometimes annoying. Like we went there to only chase movie stars around! And being an event manager, and having done hundreds of events with stars, I was quite disappointed by this approach of the festival organizers. After all, if the more than thousand volunteers are not there, the festival will go in bankruptcy in two years as no one has the money to pay the salary if all these people are to be hired at regular wages. But enough rambling. [blush]

As about Viggo, you are certainly right in regards to the acting versus Hollywood industry rules. It was just my poor confused soul that didn't make the parallel between my all time favourite Aragorn and the quiet, soft man I was looking at. In fact, he looked like someone who needed to be protected and this may explain it better. While a grown up man he looked like he needed some wall behind him in difference from guys like Collin Farrell for example (he made me feel great for being a woman as he scorned one reporter for his behaviour, what a man!). I guess my maternity instincts are not working well towards movie stars. [tongue] Just impressions. []