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| Frodo | Sam | Pippin/Merry | Bilbo | Fun Links | Elijah Wood | Sean Astin | Billy Boyd | Dominic Monaghan | ||
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Bag End |
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Sean Astin |
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His biological father is actually Michael Tell, whom Patty Duke was married to for only a month in 1970. Sean
was adopted at age 3 by John Astin, but considers both men to be his father. Graduated from UCLA with honors & a B.A. in History & English. On 4 December 2001, Sean had his image as "Samwise Gamgee" immortalized on a 90 cent New Zealand postage stamp
that he shares with Lord of the Rings co-star Elijah Wood ('Frodo Baggins'). However, Sean's last name is spelled incorrectly on the presentation pack of the stamps (Austin instead
of Astin). During principal photography for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Astin directed trilogy director Peter Jackson and fellow cast members in a documentary short about cameraderie and friendship within difficult working environments. This
topic mirrored a significant theme of the trilogy. Had to gain 35 to 40 pounds for his role of Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Announced at the Texas Film Festival on 22 February 2003 that he has optioned the book "Issac's Storm" and
is planning on shooting an epic film centered around the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. While filming LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) ran into a lake to stop Frodo
( Elijah Wood). When he did this he stepped on a piece of glass and had to be rushed to the hospital. He received many stitches to repair
the injury. Started his own production company, Lava Entertainment, in the late '80s. Eyes are hazel, yet tend to change from brown to green depending on what he wears. Wanted to direct "Fantastic Four" at one point. Calls four people "Dad": John Astin, Desi Arnez Jr., Mike Tell and Mike Pearce (his step-father).
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"But I'm not really Sam... Nobody could be that good, that noble. He's just better than the rest of us. I'm
a lot more Hollywood than Sam would ever be." [refuting the remarks of cast and crew that Sean IS Samwise Gamgee] "I'd never heard of The Lord of the Rings, actually. So I went to the bookstore and there it was, three shelves
of books about Tolkien and Middle-earth, and I was like, 'Holy cow, what else am I missing out on?'" [about the scene in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) in which Sam helps Frodo up Mount Doom:] "It was an incredible acting experience, being on the side of a volcano with that
language. That language is so beautiful. 'It'll be springtime soon, and they'll be sowing barley on the fields.' When Peter
came up to tell me to lower my arm, something like that, tears were streaming down his face, and to see him that emotional
just forced me into it. ... It [i.e., finally seeing the last three reels of the film] was a huge cry. It was all of the tension
and stress and pressure of having a wife and children, having a career, the investment of these movies. I was sobbing and
heaving, I could barely breathe, and the movie facilitated that. It was just a huge release." [December 18, 2003] [on his character Sam Gamgee:] "I spent the film doing lots of things, but the crying is what lived. He [
Peter Jackson] tricks you into thinking you're going to get to do all these brave, heroic things most of the time, and you have to cry
once in a while ... and then he cuts out the heroic moments and you're left thinking, 'I look like a big baby'." [December
14, 2003] [on souvenirs from Middle-earth:] "I got Sam's backpack, which began to feel like a second skin, albeit a
very uncomfortable skin. I also got to keep Sam's sword, as well as some hobbit feet and ears. I can take them out and make
the whole family smile!" [February 12, 2004] Wow I never realized how interesting Sean Astin is!
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