VIGGO MORTENSEN NUDE DURING FIGHT SCENE

Viggo Mortensen went beyond the call of duty by filming a fight scene in nothing but his birthday suit.

Viggo Mortensen, buffed and tattooed from head to toe for the role of the Russian mobster in Eastern Promises committed his mind and body 100 percent. During a scene in a Russian bathhouse, Viggo’s Nikolai is roughed up by rival mobsters, wearing nothing but his birthday suit.

Viggo describes how he felt shooting the scene without covering the family jewels.

“But it felt as awkward and vulnerable as it should. There’s two big guys in leather jackets and boots and knives and you don’t have anything so it was gonna feel awkward and dangerous. As far as getting hurt I knew for obvious reasons I couldn’t wear pads so I was gonna get banged up and I did but David was pretty efficient about it and got it over with after two days so I could heal up and get on with it.”

Director David Cronenberg took only two days to shoot Viggo’s naked fight scene to minimize the amount of bruising that was inevitable.

“At the end of it our make-up man was saying he’d spent more time covering the bruises than he was putting on the tattoos. But at the same time I think it’s gotta be exhilarating for an actor finally to do something like that, as difficult as it is. Finally just to say we’re gonna do it the way it would’ve happened. We’re not gonna have the cute little towel that miraculously doesn’t fall off. He’s not gonna force me the director not to shoot very discreet angles so we can’t get the full impact of the fight. That’s why I love working with Viggo. He’s a real actor. He’s not just being a star.”

Working with David Cronenberg has left Mortensen wounded before. In A History of Violence Viggo and his co-star Maria Bello were left bruised and battered after filming an aggressive sex scene on a wooden stairwell.