Sean Astin

Sean Astin was born February 25, 1971, in Santa Monica, California. He's the son of two legendary sitcom stars, Patty Duke and John Astin (although Astin is not his biological father). His younger brother, Mackenzie, is also an actor. Sean's screen debut as Mikey in 1985's "The Goonies," is arguably his most popular role, which cemented him as a child star, a curse many actors never overcome. Astin looked to be a victim of a similar fate. He played the title role in 1993's "Rudy," giving a memorable performance as an adult actor but soon fell off the map again.

It wasn't until he landed the role as Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy that Astin finally got his big acting break. Since the trilogy, Astin guest-starred on Fox's hit show "24," playing a vastly different role than his fans were used to and proving his versatility as an actor. In addition to acting, Astin has directed and produced a couple of short films, one of which, "Kangaroo Court," received an Academy Award nomination in 1994. Astin graduated with honors from UCLA receiving B.A.'s in History and English. He released his biography, "There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale?," in 2004. He and his wife Christine Harrell have three daughters.