10 Amazing Behind The Scenes Stories From The Lord Of The Rings
4. Viggo Mortenson Kept Filming Through Several Injuries
If you watched these movies as a kid, Aragorn was the character you imagined being. If you played the early PS2 games, you'd select Aragorn at every opportunity. Viggo Mortenson embodied the role or Aragorn. On screen he portrayed the reluctant and exiled King of Gondor with a resolute and heroic stoicism.
And, Mortenson was just as heroic off screen, as he was on screen. When you're taking on hordes of heavily armoured stunt men, chances are you're bound to have a few accidents. Turns out Mortenson had more than a few... By now, you've probably heard the story of Mortenson breaking his toe after kicking a prop orc head, only to channel the pain into his performance.
Well, that wasn't the only time the Chief of the Dúnedain pushed on, in spite of injury. During the filming of the Battle of Helm's Deep, Mortenson was smashed in the face by a particularly rambunctious uruk-hai, shattering a tooth. Eager to keep filming, he requested someone super glue the broken shard back on. This time, however, the production team insisted he receive immediate treatment. While the rest of the crew were breaking for lunch, he had emergency dental work done, before returning to hunt some orc.