Viggo Mortensen Apologizes For Saying Racial Slur At ‘Green Book’ Screening

Actor Viggo Mortensen is apologizing after he used a racial slur Wednesday night during a panel for his newest movie.

Mortensen was doing a Q&A session in Los Angeles for “Green Book,” a film that depicts the relationship between a black classical pianist (Mahershala Ali) and his white chauffeur (Mortensen) as they travel the American South during the 1960s.

The film, directed by Peter Farrelly, deals explicitly with race relations, and during Wednesday’s panel, Mortensen used a slur in an attempt to make a point about progress, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“For instance, no one says ‘nigger’ anymore,” Mortensen said, according to numerous witnesses.

In making the point that many people casually used the ‘N’ word at the time in which the movie story takes place, in 1962, I used the full word. Although my intention was to speak strongly against racism, I have no right to even imagine the hurt that is caused by hearing that word in any context, especially from a white man. I do not use the word in private or in public. I am very sorry that I did use the full word last night, and will not utter it again.