American actor, producer, and director Sean Astin has starred in some of the most prominent movies and TV series of the past three decades. Best known for his role as the loyal and protective Samwise Gamgee in the billion-dollar Lord of the Rings franchise, Astin has also delighted audiences as ringleader Mikey Walsh in cult classic, The Goonies, motivational speaker and college footballer Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger in Rudy, and Bob Newby in the immensely popular Netflix series, Stranger Things. He has won eight awards for his performance in The Lord of The Rings, and three others for his work in The Goonies, Staying Together, and The Freemason. Younger fans will recognise him as the voice of Hercules in the game Kingdom Hearts, or Raphael in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Astin began acting at the age of eight, first appearing in the TV movies Please Don’t Hit Me, Mom, and The Rules of Marriage before landing the role of a lifetime in The Goonies at age thirteen. Between larger projects, he’s also made appearances on a variety of shows and films, including Adam Sandler’s Click, 24, My Name Is Earl, NCIS, and The Strain. 

Fans can look forward to Astin’s performance in the upcoming Netflix original series, No Good Nick, before the actor takes on the role of Frankie in the crime-thriller Adverse, acting alongside Mickey Rourke.