10 Obviously Uninsurable Actors Who Insist On Doing Their Own Stunts

8. Viggo Mortensen

Fight choreographer Bob Anderson knows a thing or two about swordsmanship - having worked on dozens from movies, from Star Wars to James Bond and The Mask of Zorro, he's helped craft some of the most memorable action scenes in film history. So when he described Viggo Mortensen as "the best swordsman I've ever trained" he probably knows what he's talking about. Mortensen - a charismatic actor with a stoic sensibility which compares favourably with some of the acting legends of old - was more than happy to perform all his own stunts on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, refusing to allow injuries to get him down. He took the role of Aragorn seriously, sometimes hiking to the filming location with his costume and sword donned in order to achieve that worn, haggard look. This look was inadvertently achieved during one take when Mortensen had a tooth knocked out - medics had to repair it over lunch so he could get back to the shoot immediately. More dangerous than his work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, however, were his horseback stunts for Hidalgo. A skilled rider himself, he performed all of the breakneck-paced racing scenes himself. Director Joe Johnson said, "I think he knew that if there was anything that was really life-threatening, he would come forward and say, 'I don't feel comfortable doing this.' But he never did."