Viggo Mortensen recently shared a shocking story about how he was dropped from the film Platoon, despite already being cast in a role. In an interview with The Independent series Go to Bat, the Lord of the Rings star revealed that he had auditioned and landed the role that eventually went to Willem Dafoe. Mortensen assumed he had secured the part of Sergeant Elias Grodin, Dafoe’s character in the 1986 Vietnam War drama.
However, a year later, while director Oliver Stone was still trying to secure funding for the film, Mortensen received unexpected news. He learned that he had been abruptly removed from the project in a rather brutal manner.
During an interview with Go to Bat, Mortensen shared his disappointment and frustration about the film project. He revealed that he had eagerly prepared for the role, immersing himself in research about Vietnam and even considering joining the army temporarily. He had filled notebooks with ideas and was fully committed to the character.
However, to his surprise, Mortensen discovered through a newspaper article that Oliver Stone had cast Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe in the film. Feeling confused and betrayed, he immediately reached out to Stone for an explanation. The director informed him that the film now had a larger budget and they were looking for a more famous star, with Dafoe’s recent success in films like “To Live and Die in LA” being a deciding factor.
Mortensen was left disheartened by the news, as he had invested so much time and effort into the role, only to be replaced without any prior communication.
In order to prevent his year’s worth of research from going to waste, Mortensen pleaded with Stone to reconsider. He expressed his readiness and even offered to do another audition to prove it, stating that he had gained even more knowledge since initially landing the role. However, Stone firmly rejected the idea, stating that it was not going to happen.
Despite the disappointment, Mortensen, who had made his debut in Peter Weir’s 1985 drama Witness alongside Harrison Ford, remained unfazed by the situation. He reflected, “If that had happened, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do the other things I’ve done. Perhaps, with such early success, I may have grown tired of it all and quit.”
In the early 1990s, Mortensen would make a significant breakthrough in the film industry with notable roles in Tripwire, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, and The Reflecting Skin.
During that decade, Mortensen took on various roles in movies such as Crimson Tide, Portrait of a Lady, and Gus Van Sant’s Psycho remake. However, it was in the following decade that he gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.
In addition to his acting career, Mortensen has also ventured into writing, directing, and composing. His latest project, the Western film The Dead Don’t Hurt, which he wrote, directed, starred in, and composed for, features Vicky Krieps as his co-star. The film is currently showing in cinemas.
