Viggo Mortensen turned down a role in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight

Last fall it was rumored that Viggo Mortensen had met with THE HATEFUL EIGHT director Quentin Tarantino about a role in his new movie, however that was the last we heard of the actor possibly appearing in the Western. Mortensen's JAUJA opened in select theaters last week, and while speaking with Grantland, Mortensen confirmed he auditioned for THE HATEFUL EIGHT. The actor says he had to pass on the part due to scheduling conflicts, and Mortensen also revealed he had auditioned for Tarantino's RESERVOIR DOGS.

All of last fall, I traveled nonstop. I was on a plane every two days to promote Jauja and Far From Men. I knew as a producer and an actor that I needed to do that for those movies to have a chance to be seen. [Tarantino] wanted to start shooting at the end of the year and do rehearsals before that, and I just couldn’t do that schedulewise. That’s the only reason [I passed]. It would have been really, really fun to work with him. I think he’s really smart and funny. I’d never sat down and talked to him that much, although I did audition for Reservoir Dogs, which he remembered.

Mortensen can't remember which role he read for, but he may have auditioned for two different parts.

I might have auditioned for two. I had fun. I did one take where I made the character Hispanic. I remember it was in this tiny office on the Fox lot, I think, and I read with Harvey Keitel. I wish [The Hateful Eight] would have worked out, but that’s what I’m talking about: You either see these films through to the end or you don’t.

I'm not one to dwell on what could have been, but considering how selective Viggo Mortensen is when it comes to his movie projects (and the fact that he's a straight-up fantastic actor), it's a shame he couldn't fit THE HATEFUL EIGHT into his schedule. I would still love to see the two work together, and hopefully Tarantino will keep Mortensen in mind for any future roles.

THE HATEFUL EIGHT will be in theaters on November 13, 2015.