Sean Astin, best known for his roles in Lord of the Rings and The Goonies, is a beloved actor, producer, and director, who has been acting ever since he was just ten years old. Since then, he has managed to rack up more than 160 acting credits under his belt in a very impressive filmography. The actor is adored for sharing his heart in every role he plays, and for making audiences immediately fall in love with the actor and any character in which he portrays.
Born in Santa Monica, California, Sean Astin has been acting his whole life. Being born into an acting family, with his parents being well-known actors, made it fairly easy for Astin to get into the industry very early on in his life. His parents were Hollywood actors Patty Duke and John Astin. Many other members of his family were also well-regarded actors, including his uncle Ray Duke, his brother Mackenzie Astin, and his daughter Ali Astin.
The actor's debut was on the TV show, Please Don't Hit Me, Mom, in 1981, where he played a child with an abusive mother, portrayed by his real-life mom, Patty Duke. Soon after, in 1985, Sean Astin landed his first feature film role with the Richard Donner classic, The Goonies. This led to a very successful acting career, starring in classics like, Rudy, Toy Soldiers, 50 First Dates, and more recently, Stranger Things. So, with a very successful acting career under his belt, let's take a look at Sean Astin's best performances.
Updated May 13, 2023: If you like Sean Astin's movies and love his acting, then you'll be glad to know this article has been updated with additional content by Yosra lagha.
8 White Water Summer (1987)
In this 1987 summer flick, Sean Astin stars as Alan Block, a quiet and timid teenager who is sent to summer camp by his parents. Alan Block is the narrator to his own story, similar to Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, breaking the fourth wall to directly tell the audience the story. While the film wasn't very successful on release, with the film receiving fairly negative reviews, Sean Astin still gained a lot of praise for his performance in the lead role.
White Water Summer follows Alan Block, a quiet and geeky teenager from New York, who is convinced by his parents to spend his summer at a summer camp with a hardcore and experienced wilderness guide, Vic (Kevin Bacon).
7 50 First Dates (2004)
Starring as Doug Whitmore, a lisping, steroid-dependent bodybuilder, Sean Astin delivers a hilarious performance as the arrogant brother of Drew Barrymore's character. Sean Astin brings his usual heart and charisma to the role, making us fall in love with the character. In a film with lots of fun characters and many hilarious actors, who are frequent Sandler collaborators, Sean Astin makes the character of Doug a fan favorite and beloved character.
50 First Dates Follows Henry (Adam Sandler) a playboy vet who sets his heart on romancing Lucy (Drew Barrymore). Upon finding out that Lucy has short-term memory loss, where she must relive the same day over and over, Henry must find a way to woo her again and again.
6 Rudy (1993)
Sean Astin delivers an exceptional performance as the lead role in this sports biopic, bringing his usual charisma and impeccable acting chops to the role. The film is hailed as one of the most inspiring movies of all time. With Astin's infectious performance in the lead role, he makes every time we see the character fail so heart-wrenching, but seeing the character triumph feels incredibly rewarding, and will make you feel proud. Astin's performance grants Rudy a place in the best sports films ever made.
Released in 1993, Rudy follows the real-life story of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who has dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame but has many obstacles he must first overcome before achieving his dreams.
5 Stranger Things (2016)
Astin's performance as Bob Newby, Joyce's boyfriend in Season 2, quickly made Bob one of the most beloved characters on the show. As perhaps one of the purest characters on television, Astin brings much depth, demonstrating the character's purity and big heart, which made fans fall instantly in love with him. This made Bob's death towards the end of the season so heartbreaking and left every single fan with tears in their eyes.
Stranger Things Season 2 sees Will Byers being tormented by a giant tentacled creature known as the Mind Flayer. This reunites the group back together to solve the latest mystery about the upside down and save Hawkins from the Mind Flayer.
4 The Goonies (1985)
As Astin's first feature film, audiences immediately fell in love with his portrayal as the adorable, charming, and adventurous Mikey. While only 13 years old, Astin delivers a performance more engaging and endearing than many well-respected and famous actors at the time. The Goonies made Sean Astin a star and opened the door to many more groundbreaking and beloved roles, and a very successful filmography.
This 1985 Richard Donner classic follows a group of kids, who attempt to save their town from foreclosure. While doing so, they find a map that leads them on a dangerous and exciting mission to find the treasure of the legendary 17th-century pirate, One-Eyed Willy.
3 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Starring as Samwise Gamgee, the kind-hearted, pure, and loyal Hobbit, Sean Astin delivers a performance with so much heart, that it made Samwise become one of the most beloved characters in fiction. As one of the best characters in the trilogy, Sam is a true friend to Frodo and the best companion anyone can ask for. Sam is Frodo's source of hope, constantly talking about the journey back home after they destroy the one ring, and finally marrying the love of his life, Rose. Sean Astin's performance elevates the character from being an annoying and overbearing Hobbit, which at times the film wants you to believe, but instead, makes the character lovable, and a true friend we all wish we had.
The Lord of the Rings follows a fellowship of courageous warriors, wizards, and Hobbits, as they set out on a quest to destroy the one ring that has brought darkness and death into the world of Middle Earth.
2 Staying Together (1989)
Even though this movie is not the most known among Sean Astin's movies, Staying Together is a funny movie, in its own unique way. It's a comedy-drama movie that was released in 1989 and directed by Lee Grant. It is similar in theme and in many other areas to Succession. Staying Together, too, is about three siblings who spend most of their lives relying on their father's growing business (a family restaurant) as a guarantee for their future. They took it as a fact that they will one day inherit the business from their father. Sean played the role of the youngest brother who is even more clueless about life than his two brothers. On a whim, their father decides to sell the restaurant and just like that, all future guarantees evaporated.
The movie is about how these three brothers navigate through life's ups and downs and discover what it really means to be independent and self-reliant. Sean's character is called Duncan McDermott, the most fun, outgoing, and probably most reckless of them all. He's the sensational teenager who looks for his professional, romantic, and sexual identity while trying to live up to his father's expectations and make him proud. The movie would not have been the same if it wasn't for Sean's onscreen charisma and his absolutely magnificent acting skills.
1 Like Father, Like Son (1987)
Is another fantasy comedy film starring Sean Astin that is an absolute must-see. Its plot is original and absolutely entertaining, while at the same time targeting serious themes. Like Father, Like Son is about a very successful and driven surgeon called Jack who is so absorbed by his own work that he ignored the problems of his son Chris who goes to high school.
One day, Clarence (Sean Astin) who is Chris's friend invents a formula that caused the father and his son to switch minds. This takes us a few years forward to 2009 when the movie 17 Again, which handles pretty much the same theme, was released. One day, out of the blue, Jack was taken back to the old times of high school, remembering how hard it was for some teenagers, and Chris took a closer look at his father's adult life. While Sean Astin did not have the leading role in this movie, his performance gave the movie an even more comedic aspect and a lighter mood. He is definitely the secret ingredient in every movie that he stars.