Sean Astin - Actors, Family and Life

Sean Patrick Astin was born as Sean Patrick Duke on February 25, 1971 in Santa Monica, California. The son of academy award winning actress Patty Duke, Sean was adopted by the famous director and actor John Astin who married Duke in 1972.

It was widely reported that actor and musician Desi Arnaz Jr. was his biological father. Even Patty Duke told Sean when he was 14 years of age that his biological father was Desi Arnaz Jr. after keeping him under the impression that his adoptive father John Astin was his biological father for all those years.

Later it turned out that Desi Arnaz Jr. was not his biological father. It was proved through a DNA paternity test that music promoter Michael Tell, to whom Patty Duke was married for 13 days in 1970, was his biological father. This news came when Sean was around 26 years old.

He became a Protestant while attending a Presbyterian church in Bel Air, Los Angeles though he went to a Catholic School in his childhood. He is Austrian Jewish through his biological father Michael Tell and is of German and Irish ancestry through his mother Patty Duke.

Sean did his graduation from UCLA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in History and English (American Literature and Culture). He is an Alumnus of Los Angeles Valley College as well and served on the school's board of directors of the Patrons Association and the Arts Council.

Sean Astin’s acting career started with his first appearance in a television movie titled ‘Please Don't Hit Me, Mom’ in 1981. He played the role of a child with an abusive mother, played by his real-life mother Patty Duke.

His film career started when he was a 13-year-old kid. He played the role of ‘Mikey’ in the movie ‘The Goonies’ in 1985. After this, he enjoyed a steady career, featuring in many short films and TV series such as ‘Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color’ (1986), ‘Like Father Like Son’ (1987), ‘White Water Summer’ (1987), ‘The War of the Roses’ (1989), ‘Memphis Belle’ (1990) ‘The Willies’ (1990) ‘Toy Soldiers’ (1991) ‘Where the Day Takes You’ (1991) and ‘Encino Man’ (1992).

Sean Astin’s first big break came in 1993 when he was featured in the title role in ‘Rudy’, a sports biography film based on a struggling college football player. This role of his was lauded by many movie critics and earned him the spotlight he deserved.

Astin and his wife co-produced a short film titled ‘Kangaroo Court’ in 1994. This short film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. His career continued to thrive and he did important roles in movies like ‘Harrison Bergeron’ (1995), ‘Courage Under Fire’ (1996) and ‘Bulworth’ (1998) in the late 1990s.

From 2001-03, he played the role of ‘Samwise Gamgee’ in the academy award winning ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy consisting of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001), ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ (2002), and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003).

In the ensuing years, Sean Astin appeared in many notable films and his works have been appreciated by the industry and the fans. After the ‘The Lord of the Rings trilogy’, he did a TV series titled ‘Jeremiah’in 2003. He was also featured in many films such as ‘50 First Dates’ (2004), ‘Elvis Has Left the Building’ (2004), ‘Bigger Than the Sky’ (2005), and ‘Click’ (2006).

Sean Astin is best known for his role of Samwise Gamgee in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. Directed by Peter Jackson, the trilogy became a very successful project which made his character one of the most popular and lovable among fans. Playing a truly devoted friend of one of the protagonists ‘Frodo Baggins’ portrayed by Elijah Wood, Astin earned many accolades from the film industry.

Sean Astin won the Young Artist Award for ‘Best Starring Performance by a Young Actor – Motion Picture’ for his role in ‘The Goonies’ in 1985.

In 1989, he won the Young Artist Award in the category ‘Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture’ for ‘Staying Together’.

As part of the cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’, he won the Screen Actors Guild award for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture’ in 2001.

For his role in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ he won the Saturn Award and Chicago Film Critics Association award in the category ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in 2003.

Sean Astin married Christine Harrell on 11th July 1992. His wife had won the ‘Miss Indiana Teen USA’ title in 1984. Together they have three daughters; the eldest is named Alexandra, followed by Elizabeth and Isabella.

He is a member of the ‘Directors Guild of America’, ‘Screen Actors Guild’, ‘American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’. He has been a long-distance runner for over 25 years. He became an Ironman at the Ironman World Championship Triathlon in Hawaii on 10 October 2015. He is a vegetarian.

He transformed his body by gaining 40 pounds of weight for the role of ‘Samwise Gamgee’ in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.