Sean Astin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sean Astin
Astin at the 2016 Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest
Born	Sean Patrick Duke (1971-02-25) February 25, 1971 (age 54) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles (BA) American University (MPAP)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1980–present
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Christine Harrell ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Patty Duke (mother) John Astin (adoptive father)
Relatives	Mackenzie Astin (brother) Alexander Astin (adoptive uncle) Allen V. Astin (adoptive grandfather)

Sean Patrick Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Mikey Walsh in The Goonies (1985). He also played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings movies (2001–2003). You might also know him as Bob Newby in Netflix's Stranger Things (2017).

Sean Astin has won several awards for his acting. These include a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Young Artist Awards. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 1994. Sean is the son of actress Patty Duke. He was adopted by her husband, actor John Astin, in 1972.

Sean Astin's Early Life

Sean Astin was born in Santa Monica, California, on February 25, 1971. His mother was the actress Patty Duke. In 1972, his mother married actor John Astin. John Astin later adopted Sean. Sean grew up considering John Astin his father.

In 1973, Sean's brother, Mackenzie Astin, was born. Mackenzie also became an actor. Sean has a close relationship with his family. He attended Catholic school and later became a Protestant.

Sean went to the Crossroads High School for the Arts. He also took acting classes. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in History and English.

Sean Astin's Acting Career

Starting His Acting Journey

Sean Astin in 1997

Sean Astin's first acting role was in a 1981 TV movie. It was called Please Don't Hit Me, Mom. He played an 8-year-old boy. His real-life mother, Patty Duke, played his mom in the film.

He made his first big movie appearance at age 13. This was as Mikey in The Goonies (1985). After The Goonies, Sean appeared in many other films. These included Like Father Like Son (1987) and The War of the Roses (1989). He also starred in the World War II film Memphis Belle (1990). Other roles were in Toy Soldiers (1991) and Encino Man (1992). He played Daniel Ruettiger in the football movie Rudy (1993).

In 1994, Sean directed a short film called Kangaroo Court. His wife, Christine Astin, helped produce it. The film was nominated for an Academy Award. Sean continued acting in the 1990s. He appeared in Courage Under Fire (1996) and Bulworth (1998).

Becoming Samwise Gamgee

In the early 2000s, Sean Astin played Samwise Gamgee. This was in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series. The movies were The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003).

The final movie, The Return of the King, won many awards. It received eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Sean Astin won five awards for his role. These included the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. The cast of The Return of the King also won awards together. Sean became good friends with his co-stars, especially Elijah Wood. Sean's daughter, Alexandra, even appeared in the final scene of The Return of the King. She played his character's daughter, Elanor.

While filming The Lord of the Rings, Sean made another short film. It was called The Long and Short of It. Many cast and crew members helped him. This film was shown at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. You can find it on the DVD for The Two Towers.

In 2004, Sean Astin wrote a book called There and Back Again. It's about his acting career. The book focuses on his experiences making The Lord of the Rings movies. The title comes from J. R. R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit.

After Middle-earth: New Roles

Sean Astin at UIUC, 2009

After The Lord of the Rings, Sean Astin kept working in movies and TV. He appeared in the Adam Sandler comedies 50 First Dates and Click. He also played Principal Mike Matthews in the film Smile.

On TV, Sean was a guest star as Lynn McGill in ten episodes of 24. He also appeared in TV movies like Hercules. He was in episodes of Monk and My Name Is Earl. Sean also directed an episode of the TV series Angel in 2003.

Sean Astin also does a lot of voice-over work. He narrated the show Meerkat Manor for Animal Planet. He voices the main character in Special Agent Oso. This show aired on Playhouse Disney and Disney Junior. He also voiced Kodi in Balto III: Wings of Change. In the video game Kingdom Hearts, he was the voice of Hercules. Sean also voiced Raphael in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series on Nickelodeon.

In 2014, Sean played a soldier in Boys of Abu Ghraib. He also played Jim Kent on the FX show The Strain. In 2015, he played Hank Erwin in the movie Woodlawn. This film is about a high school football team.

In 2017, Sean Astin played Bob Newby in Stranger Things season two. He returned for flashback scenes in season three. In 2019, he was Dr. Greg Pemberton on The Big Bang Theory. He also appeared in No Good Nick and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In 2020, he joined Josh Gad's YouTube show Reunited Apart. He reunited with his Lord of the Rings castmates.

Sean Astin narrated the 2023 comedy film Go West. He is also set to make his Broadway debut. He will play Santa Claus in Elf the Musical from November 2024 to January 2025.

Sean Astin's Personal Life

Sean Astin married Christine Harrell on July 11, 1992. They have three daughters: Alexandra, Elizabeth, and Isabella. His wife was once Miss Indiana Teen USA. His daughter Alexandra had a small role in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She played Elanor Gamgee, his character's daughter.

Sean has a tattoo on his ankle. It says "nine" in the Tengwar script. This tattoo celebrates his role in Lord of the Rings. Seven other actors from the Lord of the Rings cast have the same tattoo.

In 2015, Sean completed the Dopey Challenge. This involves running a 5k, 10k, half-marathon, and full marathon. He did this over four days at the Walt Disney World Resort. In 2015, he also finished the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. He completed the race in just over 15 hours. Sean also earned a master's degree from American University in 2024.

Sean Astin's Political Involvement

From 1995 to 2005, Sean Astin worked as a Civilian Aide. This was for the Secretary of the Army. He also served on the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Sean Astin supports the Democratic Party. He has campaigned for candidates like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton. In 2020, he supported Joe Biden for president. In 2024, he showed his support for Vice President Kamala Harris. He also appeared at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Sean Astin's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Web Series

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Sean Astin para niños