Aunt Tulle interview

Subject: Aunt Tulle interview Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:33 pm

Here is a Danish interview with Viggos fathers sister (aunt) Tulle.

Thanks for the permission to post it here, Rosen from "Sunshine" and V.W..

Aunt Tulle interview ViggoaunttulleinterviewSEOGHR

Aunt Tulle interview ViggoaunttulleinterviewSEOGHR

Aunt Tulle interview ViggoaunttulleinterviewSEOGHR2

Here is Rosens English translation:
Quote: From todays issue of SE OG HØR, a wonderful interview with aunt Tulle.
Tulle’s Little Viggo
Viggo Mortensen’s aunt from Ringsted is often visited by the Oscar-nominated actor. Then it is everything else than Star-Mania, but hand-shaped meatballs (deller) and coffee from the gas station.
Announcement to all world stars: Get an aunt Tulle. A safe granny with a twinkle, home-brewed wine in the glasses and lots of room in the green sofa in the living room. E.g. take Viggo Mortensen’s aunt, Tulle Olsen from Ringsted. Her oldest brother, Viggo Senior, went to the US, got married and had 3 sons, of whom the oldest might win an Oscar for Best Male Performance in “Eastern Promises” on the 24th February.
- I promise you, I will stay up all night and watch it on television, Tulle nods, so the greyish locks hops.
She is 68 years old and second vice mayor in Ringsted with the children and the culture of the municipality as her favourite subject. – The youngest in a family of six children, that over the years have become a crowd of cousins – among them the world famous nephew.
- Viggo was ten when his parents got divorced, and when “Big Viggo” visited Denmark, Little Viggo and his two younger brothers stayed with my husband and me.
As Little Viggo grew up, he became a real labourer who wasn’t afraid to get down to it. I remember he learned to swear in Danish when he worked at B&W, and he also worked on the now closed steam mill in Ringsted where he “milled”?
Often pays visit
- Back then I didn’t think of Viggo as an actor at all. He drew and made fun as he used to. The first time I could ignore the fact that he was my nephew, was when I saw him in “ A Perfect Murder” in 1998.
That is over 30 successes ago. In 2004 Viggo mortensen earned 11 mill DKK in “Hidalgo”, and his part in “LOTR” made him as world famous as you can ever be on our little planet.
Sitting in the garden
Tulle says the star mania is bullshit and rushes to state, that Viggo Mortensen is completely down to earth. He visits his aunt as much as possible. And as unannounced as possible – no escort, PET and big limousines.
- Oh no, no. Our door bell does not work, but Little Viggo would never use that anyway. He knocks on the window or suddenly sits in the garden and reads the newspaper and does not want to disturb us. Then I say: “You didn’t call in advance, so that the roasted pork “flæstesteg” could defrost in time.”
Then he comes in, sits in the sofa and drinks the coffee I buy at the DK station in Ortved at 19,85 a pound, tells aunt Tulle and chews a bit on the question: How Little Viggo really is.
-Hmm, I will not say that he is restrained, but he is the lonely wolf, who writes poems, paints, plays music and goes hiking in Iceland or in Sweden. Then he comes to us and smells of Viggo, man and forest – and always walks barefoot. The entire family does that, says Tulle, who is looking forward to getting home to her yellow brick house, get her feet aired and fiddle Soffy, the yellow Labrador.
Half of the family Mortensen from Ringsted lives in the USA and it can be tough to summon all every second Christmas.
Joy for auntie
- Viggo is a real cosmopolitan who is not bringing back rye bread to the USA, but eats the food in the country he is in. But those over there know exactly where they belong – home in Denmark.
It is wonderful with a big family, because you learn to fight and love each other. Viggo loves to visit us and that is a joy for an old aunt to hear, Tulle Olsen smiles.
© SE OG HØR 5/2008
© Translation: ”Rosen” in V.W..

And here is my own translation of the small texts to the pictures + a translation of aunt Tulles meatballs with additions of my own:

Just above Tulles lille Viggo:
The world stars Danish basis.
Viggo and Henry:
Viggo Mortensen has a son with Exene Cervenka who is the lead singer in the band X.
The son is called Henry named after Viggos uncle who died recently.
Viggo as Nikolai:
Viggo Mortensen is nominated for an Oscar for the part as Russian gangster in “Eastern Promises”.
- Viggo learned Russian for the part and has linguistic instinct. He speaks five languages and has never been taught in Danish but when we email to each other there are only very few writing mistakes.
Beside Aunt Tulle with scarf:
- Viggo Mortensen once worked in the steam mill in Ringsted, Aunt Tulle tells, and shows the now closed factory.
Viggo holding Aunt Tulles head:
Tulle has many times been invited to USA to visit Little Viggo but she is afraid to fly and has thought about going into self-therapy to overcome the fear. Last time they saw each other was last year at the premiere on “Alatriste” in July in Ringsted.
Aunt Tulle showing the size on a meatball:
Viggos meatballs.
Tulles nephew loves Tulles meatballs. They are made on following way:
Put all the ingredients on the kitchen table two hours before you start, so they all have the same temperature.
Put 500 grams (17,64 ounces) ecological (can also be common) minced pork in a bowl, add a coffee cup of flour, 1 minced/grated onion, 1 egg, 1 coffee cup of milk , salt and pepper.
Now comes the most important: Stir the forcemeat ‘till it starts to say something - saying plop, plop!!
Form the meatballs to the size which Aunt Tulle shows with her hands in the picture and fry them in diet margarine, butter or oil for cooking (if nephews from USA come to visit you).
Viggos father, Viggo Sr., once ate 12 of Tulles meatballs.
©LQB.
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Addition: Some people use to mix ½ pork with ½ veal or ½ beef. You can also use oatmeal or whole wheat flour instead of white flour. My grandmother (mums mother) used to add a little margarine/butter/oil to the forcemeat before you form them with a tablespoon and fry them on the frying-pan. You can add different spices if you want.

Subject: Re: Aunt Tulle interview Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:02 pm

A little more addition:

By adding a little fat to the forcemeat you make the meatballs a little crunchy when you fry them.

Guest

Vigs, thanks for bringing these pics and your translations to Vhuts. Very Happy

You know I am starting to become a fan of Auntie Tulle too. For some reason, I think she shares her nephew's wicked sense of humour... Twisted Evil

I love those pictures and how nice to get a little infusion of Danish culture. bounce

I love hearing how he just shows up, goes to the garden to read the newspaper and doesn't intrude himself on anyone. Is that what makes her think he is a loner or is it because he tells her? I wonder...

Subject: Re: Aunt Tulle interview Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:03 pm

You are welcome, Kal!

The only translation I've done is the texts to the pictures and the reciepe for fried meatballs. The rest is Rosens work (also the scanning and uploading to the internet - as I have trouble with that for the time being). It feels a little stupid to have 2 computers (one I can scan with and one I can upload to the internet with). Why can't Windows Vista work together with the scanner part of my printer???? I can print from my laptop but not scan with it.

As far as I remember aunt Tulle she is a very nice and friendly woman. You remember she was my teacher in Danish (the subject) for one term/semester at the businessschool in Ringsted in 1979-1980. I wonder if she has compared me to Viggo sometimes because I was also shy and quiet at that time. I've always been!

Aunt Tulle has known Viggo since he was a little boy so I guess that's how she knows that he is a loner. I really think that she is a little extra mother to him. Remember when he and his brothers were boys and they were in Denmark with their father the 3 brothers always stayed overnight with aunt Tulle. I have a feeling that they have a special relationship with their Danish boy- and girl cousins.

I think the humour is typical Danish.

» CBC Interview with Viggo
» Sven Kvall interview 2005