Aragon actor Viggo Mortensen has revealed his surprise pick for his favorite Lord of the Rings trilogy scene – mostly because it has "no effects" and "no imaginary monsters."
So, was it Aragorn's dramatic (and instantly iconic) opening of the doors at Helm's Deep? His coronation in Return of the King? Apparently not.
Speaking to Empire on the 25th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring's release, Mortensen says the moment of Boromir's death – one of Sean Bean's most iconic on-screen demises – "maybe" ranks above all else.
"That scene, I have to say, no offence to anybody else or any other part of the trilogy, but that’s maybe my favorite scene. It’s such a beautiful scene," Mortensen said.
"And there are no effects, there are no imaginary monsters. It’s just two people who have a connection in terms of their ethnicity -- you know, Gondor and all that -- but they’ve been at odds. They’ve been kinda butting heads until then. And then there’s just such a strong connection."
The moment in question, particularly the Extended Edition version, stands out as one of the trilogy's high emotional watermarks, with Boromir swearing fealty to his "king" as he lay dying – despite the previous tensions between the pair. He is ultimately slain by a volley of arrows while defending Merry and Pippin from a Uruk-hai assault.
We're returning to Middle-earth in 2027 for The Hunt for Gollum, though there's been no word yet on if Viggo Mortensen will return in any capacity, despite the focus on Aragorn's attempts to capture Gollum. The actor has previously been open to a return, however.
"I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot. I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise," Mortensen told GQ UK back in 2024.
The Hunt for Gollum hits cinemas on December 17, 2027.
For more, check out our guide to movie release dates and all the latest on The Rings of Power season 3.
