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MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT 3: More from Viggo Mortensen

It's been less than a week since "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" won a record 11 Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture, but Viggo Mortensen, the "King" of the title, already has a new movie opening Friday.

"Hidalgo" is based on the true story of the first American to enter the Ocean of Fire. This 3,000-mile race across the Arabian Desert is even more grueling because the story is set in the 1890s, long before air-conditioned cars and high-tech accessories. You might be surprised to know that before he became famous as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, Viggo worked in movies for nearly 20 years, and played important, but not starring, roles in more than 30 films.

In interviews promoting "Hidalgo," Viggo has been very humble and is excited about his chance to be in such famous movies, while also wondering if the interest in him is just a passing fad. His fans would surely disagree, though.

So if The Lord of the Rings trilogy didn't provide enough Viggo for your tastes, check out his new movie and what are sure to be other adventures in the future.

--Written by Lorie Witkop

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