Viggo Mortensen

Any nominations a movie gets helps to raise the level of curiosity in the public, so in that sense awards and nominations are important.

When there is conflict, it's good to step away, even for five minutes, because you could say terrible things that you can't take back, so it's best to walk away.

I try to avoid conflict. I don't want people to be unhappy.

I suppose a good director is like a teacher. I think that someone like David Cronenberg was very much like a teacher, because there's an openness, but a certain set of rules of behavior, and a certain conduct expected. But there's an atmosphere that's relaxed and conducive to exploration, and that is created by someone like Cronenberg.

Kids accept where they are because they don't know the past. They know what they have; they know where they are.

I'm just looking as always for something that's stimulating and I hope to find a good story that's a challenge, whether it's big or small. Or that it finds me. I don't have like a career plan. Maybe I should, but I don't.

When I land in a country and they ask for 'occupation,' I always just put 'artist.' I think that covers all of it.

There's no sense in doing something, especially if it's a hard job, if you can't have a little fun.

I think maybe because I do other things and they mean as much to me as movie acting, it takes the onus off me. It's not the end of the world if I can't get a film job, or if a movie doesn't turn out well - even though I don't like it when that happens.

It's not the end of the world if I can't get a film job, or if a movie doesn't turn out well - even though I don't like it when that happens. There are other things I enjoy doing, and I involve myself in them.

Pinochet and Barack Obama both have the same primary goal, and that's to be president and stay president as long as allowed.

My goal is just to make movies, whether they're big or small, that I'd like to see 10 years from now.