Fans stood in place for hours just for the chance of catching a glimpse of any of the stars of ?The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.? When Viggo Mortensen made his way around the red carpet at the movie?s North American Premiere, he was greeted with whistles and lots of invitations from women of all ages. Quietly taking it all in stride, Mortensen paused even during interviews to listen to the crowd and respond with smiles and waves.

Even though the red carpet was hectic, Viggo Mortensen patiently responded to questions about this third and final film of the trilogy.

VIGGO MORTENSEN (?Aragorn?):

The journey has ended and the trilogy is complete. How do you feel right now?
I don?t really even feel sad. Maybe I?m sort of in denial about it. I think it?s just going to keep going for a while.

The friendship will always be there with these people. It?s a really good feeling to be here with them. I was just in South America doing promotion by myself, which is fun, but it wasn?t as much fun as being here with them.

You all went through a lot together ? three movies in a foreign country. Do you think you will all remain close?
It didn?t seem like such a foreign country, to be honest with you. It felt just like home from the beginning, in New Zealand. I think we will be friends forever. I know that every time I see these guys, you can?t fake that ? there?s just a real good feeling. They always get up to some fun together, you know?

These are movies that will be watched decades from now?
I imagine our kids will get together and say, ?Oh my mom, my dad, they worked together.? I think there?s going to be that kind of legacy and I think these movies will live on for a long time, not just in our minds but in fans? also.

Is there any particular day of shooting that stands out in your mind?
My first day, I suppose. I came into it late and I didn?t have much time to get ready. That first day in October of ?99, more than four years ago now, was one that I didn?t have that much time to get nervous for. I got there and within days I had to do my job. But looking back on it, I did have the sense when I walked on the set that people were thinking, ?Okay, how is he going to do?? They?d already been shooting for a couple of weeks. I didn?t really feel nervous, I just knew that they were hoping that the trust they had placed in me would begin to pay off that day. I just wanted to do my best for them, so I guess that was memorable.

Did you ever question your decision to join the cast?
No. Once I did it, I did it. I mean I?m like that, though. Once I decide, I go for it.

Would you do something of this scale again?
It?d have to be a very good story (smiling).

Do you have a favorite moment from the trilogy?
This one. If you?d have asked me yesterday, I would have said that one. I mean every day from the beginning on this has been special. I can?t really pick one out. I can?t pick a scene out, I certainly can?t pick a favorite person out because we?ve all bonded like a big family. It?s the way movies ought to be made and the way people ought to feel about them is what this movie is all about.

What was the biggest challenge?
Just being patient. It was a long haul, there?s a lot of stuff to do. And every day the program changed.

Why have these films captured so many fans worldwide?
If you look at the foundation of it, the book, the same reason the book has such a cult following that?s only grown over the years and was huge before these movies were made, because people can apply it to their own lives. At the heart of it is the idea that we have more in common with others than not. That one should think about the consequences of one?s words and actions on others. That?s what I am reminded of when I look at the book, when I look at these movies, when I see these people I did this with who are all quite different. From different places, different acting styles and so forth. That?s what I get from it, and I think that?s what audiences connect to.

More interviews from the North American Premiere of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:"
Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Liv Tyler, Dominic Monaghan, and David Wenham and John Noble, Peter Jackson and Richard Taylor, and John Rhys-Davies and Bernard Hill

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" Premiere Photos
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" Production Photos
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King? Trailer, Credits, Interviews, and Movie News