Actor joins pro-independence Catalan group

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May 10, 2018 1:06 PM

American actor Viggo Mortensen, known for playing Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has become a member of pro-independence Catalan association Omnium Cultural, the organisation said Thursday.

"The Omnium family is getting bigger and bigger, and from today, we have the honour to count on the support of actor Viggo Mortensen as a new member," the group said on Twitter in a post re-tweeted by an account of the actor.

The 59-year-old, who grew up in Argentina and currently lives in Madrid, is in a relationship with Catalan actress Ariadna Gil.

Last year, he came out in favour of an independence referendum in Catalonia, which took place on October 1 despite a court ban.

Founded in 1961 to promote the Catalan language and culture that were then being severely repressed by dictator Francisco Franco, Omnium has in the past years become a major actor in the region's secession movement, organising huge protests along with the ANC, another pro-independence group.

Its current president, Jordi Cuixart, has been in jail since mid-October, accused of rebellion for his role in the region's failed secession bid.

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