Sean Patrick Astin was born February 25, 1971 in Santa Monica, California to actor/director John Astin and actress Patty Duke. Sean attended Crossroads High School for the Arts located in Santa Monica, California, Los Angeles Valley College, and graduated cum laude from the University of California at Los Angeles with a B.A. in History and in English (American Literature and Culture). Astin has also studied acting with Stella Adler in her Master Class at the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting in Los Angeles. He has brown hair, brown eyes and is 5'7" tall. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Christine and daughters Alexandra Louise and Elizabeth Louise.
At the age of 9, Sean Astin starred in his first role alongside his mother in the TV special "Please Don't Hit Me, Mom". He made his feature film debut at age 13 in The Goonies (1985) and went on to act in the Disney television move The B.R.A.T. Patrol (1986) and with Kevin Bacon in White Water Summer (1987). 1988 had Sean directing his first film, a 16 minute 35mm short based on an American and Vietnamese soldier both caught in a trap (and must decide whether to work together) during the Vietnam War. Astin had released the film through a newly created production company named Lava Entertainment who he had co-founded with Christine Harrell. He was cast alongside Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in The War of the Roses (1989) and received a more prominent role in the World War II film Memphis Belle (1990) as a belly gunner.
On July 11, 1992, he married Christine Harrell at his mother's Idaho farm. He worked with Brendan Fraser and Pauly Shore in the comedy Encino Man (1992) and landed a starring role in Rudy (1993) where he played a small man whose dream it is to play football for Notre Dame. In 1994, Sean underwent DNA testing that revealed rock promoter Michael Tell to be his biological father. His mother and Michael Tell had been briefly married prior to her engagement to John Astin. In 1995, Sean received an Academy Award nomination for best live action short, for Kangaroo Court (1994) which he directed and co-produced with his wife. Sean won the Best Actor Award at the 1995 Fort Lauderdale Film Festival for his role in the independent film The Low Life (1995). In November of 1996, Sean and his wife had their first child, Alexandra Louise. Astin was in Showtime's adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron and in 1998 he had a role in Warren Beatty's Bulworth (1998). He also took roles in a series of independent films: Boy Meets Girl (1998), Dish Dogs (1998), Kimberly (1999), Deterrence (1999), and Icebreaker (1999).
In 1999, Sean was lucky enough to land the role of Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson's blockbuster The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Astin's wife and daughter accompanied him to New Zealand for the shooting and his daughter made her acting debut as a young hobbit in Sam Gamgee's family (The Return of the King). The couple's second child, Elizabeth Louise, was born between the release of the The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Sean has also directed an episode of the HBO series Jeremiah. His most recent role was co-starring with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in the romantic comedy 50 First Dates. Sean is also running for the director's chair for the upcoming Fantastic Four adaption.
Other Facts:
Member of the
Directors Guild of America, the
Screen Actors Guild and the
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Sean serves on the
President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. He is an active supporter of
The Wildlife Waystation and the
AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
Had to gain 35
pounds for his role of
Samwise Gamgee in the
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. - "I was not a happy camper at 197 pounds. It was uncomfortable. You look in the mirror and say, 'Who is that fat guy?'"
Awards and Nominations:
1986 -
Young Artist Awards: Won for Best Starring Performance by a Young Actor in a Motion Picture for
The Goonies.
1990 -
Young Artist Awards: Won for Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture for
Staying Together.
1992 -
Young Artist Awards: Nominated for Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture for
Toy Soldiers.
1995 -
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival: Won the
President Award for
The Low Life.
1995 -
Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Short Film, Live Action for
Kangaroo Court.
2002 -
Screen Actors Guild Awards: Nominateed for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture for
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
2003 -
DVD Exclusive Awards: Nominated for Best Audio Commentary for
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
2003 -
MTV Movie Awards: Won for Best On-Screen Team for
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
2003 -
National Board of Review: Won for Best Ensemble Performance for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
2003 -
Screen Actors Guild Awards: Nominated for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture for
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
2003 -
Seattle Film Critics Awards: Won for Best Supporting Actor for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
2003 -
Visual Effects Society Awards: Won for Best Performance by an Actor in an Effects Film for
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
2004 -
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Nominated for the
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
2004 -
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards: Won Best Acting Ensemble for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
2004 -
Empire Awards: Nominated for Best Actor for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
2004 -
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards: Won the
Sierra Award for Best Supporting Actor for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
2004 -
Online Film Critics Society Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
2004 -
Screen Actors Guild Awards: Won for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
2004 -
Visual Effects Society Awards: Won for Outstanding Performance by a Male or Female Actor in an Effects Film for
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Filmography
Smile (2004) (filming) .... Mr. Matthews
Elvis Has Left the Building (2004) (post-production)
Slipstream (2004) (post-production)
50 First Dates (2004) .... Doug Whitmore
"
Jeremiah" (2002) TV Series .... Mister Smith (2003-)
"
Party Wagon" (2003) TV Series (voice) .... Randy
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) .... Samwise Gamgee
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) .... Samwise Gamgee
Kingdom Hearts (2002) (VG) (voice) .... Hercules
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001) .... Samwise Gamgee
Sky Is Falling, The (2000) .... Mr. Schwartz
Last Producer, The (2000) .... Bo Pomerants
Icebreaker (1999) .... Matt Foster
Deterrence (1999) .... Ralph
Kimberly (1999) .... Bob
Dish Dogs (1998) (V) .... Morgan
Boy Meets Girl (1998/II) .... Mike
Bulworth (1998) .... Gary
Courage Under Fire (1996) .... Patella
Low Life, The (1995) .... Andrew
Harrison Bergeron (1995) (TV) .... Harrison Bergeron
Safe Passage (1994) .... Izzy Singer
Teresa's Tattoo (1994) (uncredited) .... Step-Brother
Rudy (1993) .... Rudy Ruettiger
Where the Day Takes You (1992) .... Greg
Encino Man (1992) .... Dave Morgan
Willies, The (1991) .... Michael
Toy Soldiers (1991) .... William 'Billy' Tepper
Memphis Belle (1990) .... Sgt. Richard Moore
War of the Roses, The (1989) .... Josh at 17
Staying Together (1989) .... Duncan McDermott
Like Father, Like Son (1987) .... Clarence aka Trigger
White Water Summer (1987) .... Alan
B.R.A.T. Patrol, The (1986) (TV) .... Leonard Kinsey
Goonies, The (1985) .... Michael 'Mikey' Walsh
Rules of Marriage, The (1982) (TV) .... Charlie Hagen
Please Don't Hit Me, Mom (1981) (TV) .... Brian Reynolds
As a Director:
"
Jeremiah" (2002) TV Series
Long and Short of It, The (2003)
"
100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd" (1999) TV Series
"
Angel" (1999/I) TV Series (episode 4.11 "Soulless")
"
Perversions of Science" (1997) TV Series
Kangaroo Court (1994)
On My Honor (1988)
As a Producer:
Long and Short of It, The (2003) (producer)
Kangaroo Court (1994) (producer)
On My Honor (1988) (producer)
As a Writer:
Long and Short of It, The (2003) (screenplay) (story)
As Himself:
2003 MTV Movie Awards (2003) (TV)
100 Years of Hope and Humor (2003) (TV)
Making of 'The Lord of the Rings', The (2002) (V)
Making the Movie: The Lord of the Rings (2002) (TV) (USA)
National Geographic: Beyond the Movie - The Lord of the Rings (2001) (TV)
Quest for the Ring (2001) (TV)
Breaking the Silence: The Making of 'Hannibal' (2001) (V)
Celebrity Profile: Patty Duke (1999) (TV)
Long Way Home, The (1997) (voice)
Notable TV Guest Appearances:
"
Las Vegas" (2003) playing "Lloyd Campbell" in episode: "
You Can't Take It with You" (episode # 1.17) 1 March 2004
"
Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) playing "Himself" 3 February 2004
"
Real Time with Bill Maher" (2003) playing "Himself" 23 January 2004
"
Ellen DeGeneres Show, The" (2003) playing "Himself" 19 January 2004
"
4Pop" (2003) playing "Himself" in episode: "Kuninkaan paluu - tarun päätös" (episode # 2.17) 21 December 2003
"
Frids film" (2002) playing "Himself" 18 December 2003
"
Biography" (1987) in episode: "Patty Duke" 17 December 2003
"
Rosie O'Donnell Show, The" (1996) playing "Himself" 14 December 2001
"
SM:TV Live" (1998) playing "Himself" 12 August 2001
"
Bull" (2000) playing "Larry Snow" in episode: "A Beautiful Lie" (episode # 2.11)
"
Perversions of Science" (1997) playing "Taylor" in episode: "Snap Ending" (episode # 1.8) 9 July 1997
"
Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The" (1962) playing "Himself" 4 June 1991
Sources:
http://www.seanastin.com/
http://www.sean-astin.net
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000276/bio
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800071967&cf=gen&intl=us
http://www.suntimes.com/output/movies/sho-sunday-sean08.html
http://www.eonline.com/Facts/People/Bio/0,128,46273,00.html?celfact1