Entertainment
How Viggo Mortensen's Other Iconic Character Became A Movie Star In Real Life
By TeeJay Small
| Published
Sometimes you check out your favorite movies on IMDb and realize that the same great minds are behind everything you love. Other times, you can make surprising behind-the-scenes connections that improve the viewing experience behind movies that you thought were already perfect.
If you’re a fan of the 2018 Best Picture winner Green Book, for instance, I’ve got a fun fact that might just blow your mind. The real-life man Viggo Mortensen portrays in the movie, Tony ‘Lip’ Vallelonga, went on to become an actor himself, starring in several episodes of The Sopranos.
In case you don’t recall, Green Book centers on the true story of Don Shirley’s 1962 concert tour across the deep South. Shirley, a black man, knew that this undertaking could be extremely dangerous and sought to hire a chauffeur with a background in conflict resolution.
After asking around town, he heard about Bronx bouncer Tony Lip, who was out of work while his nightclub underwent significant renovations. As the film shows, Lip was initially hesitant to take the job, though the two grew extremely close over the course of the tour.
By the time the credits roll on Green Book, Tony has effectively invited Dr. Shirley to become a member of his family. The two remained close friends all their lives, even as Tony returned to bouncing at the Copacabana nightclub shortly thereafter. Years later, Tony Lip would meet Francis Ford Coppola and Louis DiGiaimo at that very club. The pair quickly came to admire Vallelonga’s authenticity and hired him in a small, uncredited role in The Godfather.
From there, Tony Lip began taking small roles in numerous films, including Dog Day Afternoon, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Donny Brasco. His Italian-American heritage and lived experience as a nightclub bouncer in the Bronx made him an ideal candidate for mob movies, though his most memorable role was on the small screen.
In 2001, Lip began portraying New York mob boss Carmine Lupertazzi Sr. in The Sopranos. The character was known for his shrewd business acumen and ability to carefully speak in code to dodge the feds. Lip’s scenes playing off James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano and Vincent Curatola’s Johnny Sack feature some of the show’s most memorable moments.
Today, both Tony Lip and Dr. Shirley have passed away, but their friendship has been immortalized through Green Book. The fact that Tony went on to act in The Sopranos years down the line may not have a direct effect on the movie, but it may add some color to your viewing experience.
Furthermore, this behind-the-scenes fact reminds us that the era of Jim Crow and segregation is not as distant as we like to remember. It should be jarring that a person could be a grown adult man during that period of American history, and still be alive to perform in a show that ran through 2007.
Unfortunately, Green Book isn’t currently streaming anywhere, but it’s well worth the price to rent or buy a physical copy. All six seasons of The Sopranos are available to stream on HBO Max.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 29, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you love a good catch.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Fish or cut bait
The words are related to the outdoors.
Mashable Top Stories
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe going fishing.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Tackle.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
NYT Strands word list for April 29
-
Reel
-
Hook
-
Bobber
-
Weight
-
Tackle
-
Lure
-
Swivel
-
Cooler
-
Pliers
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 29, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re not a fan of big cities.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Countryside.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
The letter R appears twice.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter R.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
RURAL
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for April 29, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
To admire.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
ADORE
Mashable Top Stories
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Heavy.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
HEFTY
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Hurdle Word 3 hint
Two-legged.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
BIPED
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Hefty.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
HEAVY
Final Hurdle hint
Pointy.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
SHARP
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Alex Fitzpatrick officially accepts PGA Tour membership
Steelers place rare contract tender on Aaron Rodgers
