The last time that Mortensen starred with a four-legged actor (”Hidalgo”), he ended up buying him at the end so the horse wouldn’t end up in the slaughterhouse.
Next for Mortensen is the film “Appaloosa” about a guy and his horse.
He tells Cindy Pearlman at the Chicago Sun-Times:
“I did buy the horse, but he probably won’t be in this new movie. It will be fun to work with another horse although my Hildago (TJ) is a ham.
“I haven’t told him he won’t be in the new movie,” Mortensen jokes. “I just have to make sure that when I’m painting he isn’t watching ‘Entertainment Tonight’ although he’s a big fan.
“I have unplugged the TV,” Mortensen says with a laugh.
I’ve been leary of Viggo Mortensen since he made the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I heard that many horses were not treated properly during the filming of those movies, but I never heard him speak up in their defense. For example, John C. Reilly walked off the set of a movie he made when a donkey used in the film was killed.
In response to jgershen:
I did not see the movie Hidaldo for that very reason, and the Fund filed complaints regarding the treatment of horses in the Lord of the Ring movies, and of course Flicka. Then there was the strocious scene in My Super Ex Girlfriend.
Joaquin Phoenix is a vegan, and will not wear leather, and has zero tolerance for mistreatment of any animal. We need more of this from the acting profession.
We are encouraging horse loving actors such as Viggo to take a stand. If they won’t, who will?
Horse advocates need not only vote with their feet but also let the studios know it is not acceptable to abuse horses in the making of movies.