Sean has been a long-distance runner since his teens. In 2004, Sean authored the NY Times best seller 'There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale,' chronicling his acting career with emphasis on his experiences filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy. As an ensemble, the Return of the King cast received awards from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and the Screen Actors Guild. He took home the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, and awards from the Las Vegas Film Critics Society, the Seattle Film Critics, the Utah Film Critics Association, and the Phoenix Film Critics Society.

Along with the many awards bestowed upon the trilogy (particularly its final installment The Return of the King), Sean received nominations for his own performance. Sean experienced another career breakthrough with his role as the epitome of loyal sidekicks, Samwise Gamgee, in Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, released in 2001, 20. Sean's adoptive father John Astin was nominated for the same award in 1969.

He directed and co-produced the short film Kangaroo Court (1994), which was nominated in the best short film category at The 67th Annual Academy Awards (1995). Followed by Sean's feature debut Бовдури (1985) and since then, he has had a steady stream of roles. At age nine, Sean starred with his mother in the after-school special Please Don't Hit Me, Mom (1981). Sean's mother was of Irish and more distant German ancestry, and Sean's biological father is of Austrian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent. Sean was raised by his stepfather, actor John Astin, who married Patty Duke in 1972 and whose surname Sean took. His mother was actress Patty Duke.Īt the time of his birth, his biological father was believed to be entertainer Desi Arnaz Jr., but Astinĭiscovered through a DNA test in the 1990s that his biological father is music promoter Michael Tell, who was married to Patty Duke in 1970. Astin was born Sean Patrick Duke on Februin Santa Monica, California. Sean Patrick Astin (né Duke February 25, 1971) is an American actor, voice actor, screenwriter, director, producer, family man, author, marathon runner, political activist and philanthropist who is well known for his film debut portraying Mikey in Steven Spielberg's Бовдури (1985), for playing the title role in the critically acclaimed Rudy (1993), and for his role as the beloved Sam Gamgee in the Academy Award winning trilogy, Володар перснів: Хранителі персня (2001), Володар перснів: Дві вежі (2002), and Володар перснів: Повернення короля (2003).

Sean & Toby by Xondra Day