NEW YORK -- When Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck broke up last year, it was Viggo Mortensen who took the heat.

Rumours had it Paltrow and Mortensen became offscreen lovers during the filming of A Perfect Murder.

"At first, it was really funny because the stories were so absurd, but when my mailbox, fax machine and phone got tied up with calls for interviews and snarky remarks, I had to change everything," says Mortensen.

"My cousins in Denmark were so happy for me. They said Gwyneth was such a snappy dresser and had such fashion style that they hoped it would rub off on me and I'd spend more attention on my clothes.

"The worst part was, I got some pretty mean hate mail.

"I've never got much press, let alone this much negative press in my whole career."

Mortensen's next film should help fuel the rumours. He plays a handsome stranger who breaks up Diane Lane's marriage in A Walk on the Moon.


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