LOTR Star Viggo Mortensen Explains Why He Turned Down The Role Of Wolverine In X-MEN Several actors were considered for the role of Wolverine in 2000's X-Men before Hugh Jackman laded the part, including Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen. Here, the actor reveals why he passed... RorMachine | 2/7/2021 It's common knowledge that Hugh Jackman was not 20th Century Fox or director Bryan Singer's first choice for Wolverine in 2000's X-Men (he was actually recommended for the role by Russell Crowe after he passed), and one of the actors considered was Viggo Mortensen. Despite being a fan-favourite choice for several different characters over the years, the