10 Things You Didn't Know About Iconic Movie Character Costumes
4. Viggo Mortensen Wore His Aragorn Costume Non-Stop
In The Lord of the Rings film series, Aragorn's clothes have a particularly authentic, lived-in look, and for good reason. Instead of just rubbing them in some dirt or tearing a hole or two in the fabric, Viggo Mortensen decided to go method by wearing them both on-set and off.
In order to keep his tunic and cloak looking as realistically tattered as possible, Mortensen spent much of his time-off outdoors, hiking, horseback riding and fishing while wearing his costume. He even repaired any tears that developed himself, just as Aragorn would have done. While his clothes may not have been the most fragrant towards the end of filming, they certainly made Mortensen look the part.
To get into character, Mortenson would also go about his daily life carrying around Aragorn's props. On one occasion, the police were called when concerned citizens noticed the actor wandering about Wellington while brandishing a sword, "thrusting and parrying in encounters with invisible orc and uruk-hai opponents", as he put it.