Sean Astin on getting the role of Sam in The Lord of the Rings trilogy

[@Mr.Weeast]

Can you imagine in retrospect, being a Barnes and Noble employee in 1999 when Sean Astin walks into your store and asks you if you have ever heard of Tolkien?

[@MannyBrum]

Who better to play someone who's never been out of the Shire?

[@tevailan4567]

Yeah I wonder if the Barnes and Noble employee remembers Astin and their interaction

[@azurephoenix9546]

I would have made him take the collector's edition edited by Christopher Tolkein with notation and footnotes.

[@cyric28]

I got the LOTR books on CD at Barnes and Noble on my way back to Canada in the early 2000's

[@shirleymattingly5137]

That's just too funny. There is someone out there

[@MagiMystik]

My wife believed that Sam was the most important person. He grew as the story went on, but he was the only person who was strong enough to come out the other side the same person who went in.

[@kartoffsun]

Tolkien has even said that it's not Frodo that's the main character. It's Sam.

[@ogladaczr.t.3168]

i mean, she's right

[@johnnyelfilo]

@@kartoffsun source?

[@sagichdirdochnicht4653]

Sam actually was the most important. He did spare his Rations to get Frodo somewhat going. He carried Frodo up to Mount Doom, since he was to weak to go anymore. He rescued him, after he got kidnapped by the Orcs after an Attack of Shelob. At that time, he even had the ring, since he first thought Frodo was dead. And gave it back, without issues, wich means his mind altough simple, is very strong. One gets easily seduced by the Ring. Even briefly holding it may change you forever. Tough he felt it's weight and at least a little bit changed him. Altough he hated Gollum as much as he could possibly hate someone - he didn't kill him at the end. After wearing the ring just for that slight period, he also felt pity for him, just like Frodo. Without Sam, the quest would propably have been over, before Frodo came even close to Mordor. He was the ultimate Good guy. Helping wherever he possibly could. Doing everything for his dearest Friend, no matter what, even if he had to die.

[@MagiMystik]

@@sagichdirdochnicht4653 ❤️

[@drosnelochmir6346]

I'm glad he got the part, he was magnificent.

[@theashrook6129]

Drosne Lochmir The cast was really the perfect recipe for this movie. Change any one actor and I don’t think it would be as good, maybe even terrible.

[@robfab5204]

@@theashrook6129 I agree, the cast is sensational.

[@cgvapors963]

Arguably one of the best parts of the entire trilogy.

[@davecrupel2817]

@@theashrook6129 Everything about those movies happened to mix with *miraculous* perfection. I don't think such fortune has befallen any other movie/series before....or since... And i doubt its going to happen again in our lifetime.

[@michikomanalang6733]

I agree! Even people who have a lot of complaints about the film never complain about him. He was perfect.

[@8mmkyle865]

Sean Astin has been in Hollywood since he was small and yet he seems like the most normal guy, awesome dude

[@cgvapors963]

Yes, for someone who's been around the crazy Hollywood lifestyle since birth, this man is incredibly grounded and wholesome.

[@8mmkyle865]

​@Lucius Sulla Im sure he is. Every actor I admire is crazy on twitter: Mark Hamil, Duncan Jones, Alan Tudyk, Mark Ruffalo... but I still admire their work and humbleness when they show it.

[@ahriik]

@@cgvapors963 Eh, I don't think he's really "been around" the lifestyle much. Just look at his work, very few major pictures, lots of voice acting for direct-video/streaming content - that is the kind of content you go for when you want a grounded, predicable life. Nothing wrong with that, he's a family man that wants a predictable, stress-free schedule so he can spend all his free time with his family, and I respect that. But to do that, you do miss out on a lot of opportunities for the really big stuff which is more aligned with the "hollywood lifestlye."

[@stephw1702]

One summer when he was younger, Sean got a job at a theater. He understood the very real possibility that his career in films could end any time and wanted the experience of a 'real job' for someone his age. His name tag had his middle name on it. One day Corey Feldman walked in with his entourage celebrating his newest release. Apparently Corey ran into Sean cleaning the theater and gasped, asking what happened to him.

[@mediocreman6323]

Probably this is why he was so perfect as Sam: The guy simply cannot be corrupted by power 😉

[@aggrael8285]

I think the reason why Sean Astin did such a great job as Sam is that he kind of is Sam. What I mean is that Sam does not know all the Kings and the Lords of the Realm, he is just a simple Gardner who just wanted to do his part to try to do the right thing. Sean is the same. He is simple, but his simplicity is eye catching, and just because he is simple, does not mean he is stupid or weak.

[@Serai3]

Oh dear, you really know NOTHING about Sean Astin if you think he's "simple".

[@SugarBlood15]

but sam in the books was pretty dumb.

[@Serai3]

Dumb? Hardly. Uneducated, sure. But definitely not stupid. Remember that he was the only one who knew what Frodo's intention was at Parth Galen - while everyone else ran around with their hair on fire, Sam took a moment to think and realized Frodo was going off on his own. Thus the Quest was saved by Sam's understanding, which no one else could come to. He wasn't dumb, not by a long way.

[@Serai3]

And besides, what does that have to do with Sean Astin? You do realize they're two completely different people, right? It's called _acting_ for a reason, you know.

[@PechilvrsPreciousPeepsNursery]

William Housman in another behind the scenes video the other actors discuss him caring after his fellow stars just like “Sam”

[@philochristos]

He didn't like Hobbits bursting into tears, but as soon as he found out he got the part, he started crying. That's perfect! No wonder he got the part!

[@MiguelBaptista1981]

He mention the frequency of it, not the act itself.

[@annettehunt900]

All of the hybrids, especially Sam did a great job of crying. I couldn’t figure out why photo didn’t cry in the end when he was leaving, but I guess because he knew he was finally going to be able to heal.

[@Quincy_Morris]

Sean not knowing about the books seems like it would actually help with the character of Sam who doesn't properly know or understand the wider world of Middle Earth

[@tobiyoarcangel]

Sam was actually really interested in Middle Earth's lore. He would always listen to Bilbo talk about kings of old and such

[@jamesnialG]

Yeah he knew more than any of the other hobbits. This is depicted in the movies, when, as the fellowship leaves Rivendell, Frodo says, "Gandalf, Mordor, is it right or left? I forget", and when after the fellowship is formed, Pippin asks, "Where are we going?" In the books, Sam knew a lot about old tales and such, as he had listened to Bilbo's as a child.

[@ekszentrik]

By the same token, it fit Saruman perfectly that Christopher Lee already knew everything there was to know and even met Tolkien.

[@DeadManSinging1]

@@tobiyoarcangel Sam might have known about Dragons, Goblins and Oliphaunts, but he doesn't understand the convoluted political significance of what is actually happening around him. He doesn't know anything about the crown of Gondor, or what Sauron is or the rivalry between Harad and the men of the west. He just knows that the Ring is evil and if it isn't destroyed, everything else will be

[@JB-xx3dq]

@@DeadManSinging1 If it threatens Mr.Frodo, kill it. - Sam.

[@johnduncan4287]

Had the pleasure of meeting Sean Astin several years ago at a Comic Con in Tulsa, OK. My dad and I were in line to get an autograph for my mom (who first loved him in the Goonies, then Lord of the Rings and many more). I have to say, he is one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met. A little boy in line with his parents in front of us, couldn't have been older than 3 years old, was telling Sean the entire plot of the Hobbit trilogy. And Sean just kept saying "Now I wasn't in those movies! You'll have to tell me what happens!" And the boy continued to recite the entire plot! It was great.

[@triciadavidson9420]

I met Sean a few years ago, always a big fan. He was so kind and patient, very gentle. He helped my daughter out of her wheelchair, held her arm and hands for a photo. She was so moved as she just thinks the world of him. He took his time, no rushing, spoke to her, asked her about her day and so on. While others were waiting, he did not hurry, then helped her back into her chair, smiled and gave her a hug. A few times throughout the day, when he caught a glimpse of her, he smiled and waved. He won this mother's heart forever!

[@Tawadeb]

Lovely story. What a kind kind person

[@JaxonBurn]

“Howard Shore’s music is so powerful” What a smart guy.

[@benfrankog6111]

Incredible film with an incredible soundtrack.

[@ChadKakashi]

You can’t deny blatant truth. The score is magnificent

[@jules11yates]

What I love about Sam is that no one but Frodo was there to realize all the brave things Sam had done to support and protect Frodo and destroy the rings. Nobody saw it. He was so humble, so full of love for his friend, that he never says anything about it to anyone else. He is the silent strength behind Frodo’s achievements. That’s heroism.

[@Serai3]

You could say exactly the same thing about Frodo. No one knew what he went through except Sam. He never spoke about it to anyone, and Sam was utterly heartbroken that no one appreciated Frodo when they got back home. He was ignored because he made people uncomfortable, because they didn't know how to handle the gigantic sacrifice he'd made, which they couldn't even really understand and mostly didn't really believe happened.

[@rowanaforrest9792]

You're both right. Doesn't Frodo say something like, "I had to lose the Shire so that others can have it"? Something like that, I don't have the book handy (at the moment).

[@alvarh9398]

You’re gin drunk crazy

[@truesoulghost2777]

Kinda sad that Christopher Lee really wanted to play the part of Gandalf, but didn't get it. I don't think it was a mistake for him to be Saruman, but we all know he could have done a great job as Gandalf as well. He was happy to reprise his role as Saruman in the Hobbit because at that time Saruman was still good and had not yet been corrupted. He wanted to be the good guy, but anyone who knows of him, and all the works he put in during his lifetime they will know he was a GREAT man in life and will be remembered as such, and maybe some, even be inspired to become better themselves. He lived a more full life in just his last 20 years than most anyone will ever have in a whole lifetime. If that is not inspiring then I don't know what is. R.I.P. Sir Christopher Lee

[@ishmaelforester9825]

He was good Saruman though.

[@velvet_victor]

That made me tear up :’)

[@chupasaurus]

Sir Lee declined the proposition himself because he couldn't do the part due to the problems of the age.

[@Brinta3]

chupasaurus You are mistaken: “A very awkward 30 minutes followed, with Fran and I trying our best to explain to a rather peeved Christopher Lee that we were already talking to Ian McKellen about Gandalf - but what an incredible Saruman he would be! Chris wasn’t hearing a bar of it, and eventually commanded us to turn on the video camera so he could audition for Gandalf ... Eventually we confirmed Ian for Gandalf and officially offered Chris the Saruman role.” - Peter Jackson

[@chupasaurus]

@@Brinta3 Thanks for the correction. I heard what I said from his interview after films were finished.

[@moogie1954]

I heard that his mom, Patty Duke, just couldn't understand how he didn't get an Oscar for that role. I agree... he WAS "Sam"!

[@janicenicholls5924]

He was truly magnificent in this role!

[@miralabualjadail4206]

It doesn’t even matter his role will always be remembered universally. Doesn’t need a trophy for it.

[@CloudslnMyCoffee]

His mom is Patty Duke?! The world now makes a little more sense and has a little more magic in it

[@miralabualjadail4206]

I loved him in Rudy.

[@324cmac]

The Oscar's is purely political.

[@Elrond_Hubbard_1]

There were so many great acting performances in Lord of the Rings. Out of all the characters, I thought Samwise really gave the story heart.

[@dropoutsproduction4831]

It was a perfect movie. Every actor did well.

[@mgway4661]

Ian McKellan stole the trilogy I my opinion

[@BethJehovah]

I like the close friendships and relationships. Never had that in my own life so I was very drawn to watching the Fellowship be friends and loyal to each other thru anything.

[@damienleigh9943]

He's the hero

[@Qichar]

Sean really reassures me about humanity. Sometimes I get a bit cynical, usually after reading a toxic comments section on KZbin. But Sean is so naturally down-to-earth and approachable. And I love how honest he is about his feelings of insecurity and how he doesn't pretend to know more than he does.

[@alexanderpadillas4323]

I love that Sean serves the God of Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory!!

[@albertosaurschannel6946]

“I can’t carry it for you, Mr Frodo! But I can carry you!” I loved that line. I was so upset that Sean Astin didn’t get nominated for academy award.

[@megandunklin6147]

Why this man never got an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for return of the king remains a mystery. I was 13 when ROTK came out and it still to this day remains the most important movie of my life, and one Sean Astin should have received an Oscar nomination

[@shindari]

Agreed. For all the Oscars "Lord of the Rings" DID win, that was a notable missing link. I mean "Return of the King" literally obliterated all the worship, and frankly sickening lust, that Hollywood had for "Titanic." After ROTK, you didn't hear about Titanic anymore. You just didn't. Because the fancy bubble had finally been popped by a movie that was LIGHTYEARS better than it was! Everyone who got an Oscar for LOTR deserved it. But Sean Astin was a notable exclusion from that club. Even at the time, I felt that Hollywood had skipped over some well-deserved awardings in the Oscars for LOTR. Samweis was one of those. I'm simply not sure Sean Astin will ever get another real shot at an Oscar, and that makes me sad to think about.

[@mgway4661]

I was also 13 when ROTK came out

[@Tawadeb]

I felt that Ian Elijah Viggo and Sean all deserved best actor. Every actor in LotR was amazing!! And all the actresses were fabulous

[@coltonhill6095]

not taking anything away from the rest of the cast who all played their parts to near perfection if not better than perfect, but it's my opinion that Sean gave the most compelling and genuine performance. the scene when he tells frodo that he can't carry it for him but he can carry him and carries him up the face of Mount doom makes me tear up everytime. same goes for the speech in the two towers when he says that there's good in the world and it's worth fighting for.

[@janicenicholls5924]

YES!!

[@sheriffpapa396]

Him and Viggo were my two favorite parts in those movies. Both were absolutely incredible. Not to take anything away from the rest of the cast, but God they were perfect for those roles. They were Sam and Aragorn.

[@Tawadeb]

Elijah also gave an amazing performance. As did Ian and Viggo. They all deserved an Oscar

[@jhibbitt1]

he got no Oscar nomination :'( not even for the "tales that really matter" speech

[@ancogaming]

Because he didn't deserve one. He's a lousy actor, benefiting from one of the best scripts ever and got the part through nepotism. Did you see his performance in Stranger Things? It was cringe-worthy. Any overweight dork from the streets could play Sam if there's a good director around, which happened to be the case in LOTR.

[@CJCabbie]

@@ancogaming Guess you've never seen Rudy

[@ancogaming]

@@CJCabbieNope. Is his acting better or worse in that film? If better, well, good for him. Probably wasn't half-assing his roles as much when he was younger. ;) Edit: Look, this is really up to anyone's opinion, personal preference and how in our minds we had made the characters, e.g. Hobbits, out to be after reading the books. There's most probably no right or wrong on this matter. From my point of view, I can only state that in all the three LOTR movies there were only two scenes of Sam which really struck a chord. The rest was meh at the best of times, if not ham-fisted, and I think that his ability or talent to play the supporting role as the unsung hero for Frodo left a great deal to be desired. I still overall love the movies though, sure enough. I just feel like I would love them even more, had Sean put a bit more heart and credible, convincing emotion into working out his character, like bring back some of the magic he had back in the day when playing Mikey in "The Goonies". And Elijah, on the other hand, could have overplayed his part a bit less since he was just one whiny step away from going full overly dramatic Emo Teen Edgelord. We all know the golden rule: Never go full overly dramatic Emo Teen Edgelord.^^

[@TRWS3]

​@@ancogaming I can get behind that. However, while we all certainly have different opinions on the performance of actors, It is also significant to identify what, if anything, makes an actor objectively good at their job. Certainly we're all drawn to different personalities. What some might see as bravado from Trump, others clearly see as arrogant and inappropriate. Is Nicholas Cage a good actor? There are a lot of opinions on that as well. But one thing is universally undeniable about acting: Honesty is everything, and that's the only path to an excellent performance. Sean Astin may not have the charisma of Will Smith or the range of Leonardo DiCaprio, but that's sort of the point. That's why I think he DOES deserve a mention of an Oscar. Because it's clear that he didn't try to be anything BUT himself in his portrayal of the character, which is honesty. I don't think he did bad in Stranger Things either for the same reason: I fully believed his portrayal of this average geeky guy, and that's the point. If you didn't like his performance, it's not because he can't act, it's either because you found his performance dishonest or that traits of his personality you've associated with some kind of negativity from past experiences with other people. Whatever the case, I would argue that Sean Astin's performance in LOTR is objectively honest, which makes him (at the very least) a good actor in the film.

[@ancogaming]

@@TRWS3 Fair enough, that's a valid opinion.

[@TS57ovr4]

Astin is exceptionally eloquent here. Very refreshing to hear such an honest and thoughtful commentary.

[@themordyn]

Sean Astin is just an extraordinary guy. I always cried with his Sam. Always... every single time...

[@Serai3]

That was the one bit of casting in the film that matched what I had been seeing in my head all those years - except for the crap about him being fat. That was a real insult to Sam, who was not.

[@Serai3]

As much as I love all the actors in these films, Sean was the ONE guy who was exactly like I had always pictured Sam.

[@jdamore71]

Medardo Maza cringe

[@malifor00]

@@jdamore71 cringe yourself

[@jdamore71]

Malifor he went extra... with that crying with sam bit.... come on now.... (see what i did there? Unnecessary right? ok then thats what he did in the original comment)

[@TennesseeMelanie]

Sean Astin is a professor in the making...He is an excellent instructor.

[@silverdragon710]

omg you are so right!

[@Iheartdgd]

I watched ROTK 10 times in the theatre alone. That trilogy was such an important part of my childhood, Tolkien created a true masterpiece, and I believe that no one will EVER be able to portray those stories the way Jackson did. I wish I could say the same for The Hobbit movies.

[@vananon51]

A B Bikes Cars N’ Guitars Sadly your very correct. The Hobbit trilogy fell flat. The first Hobbit film was great, and DoS was very good, especially Smaug himself, but the "love story" was so cringe worthy. It was awful...Peter should've stuck to the book more. They added some details from the Silmarillion, which was cool like the White Council, but there were a lot of cringe moments. The elf army at the battle of the five armies was so bad...it was as if they took ONE(1) actor and duplicated him a thousand times...the orcs looked so fake and cartoon-like, vs in the LOTR they were real actors in costume and makeup.

[@halwaffles]

TJAnon15 a lot of the problems with the hobbit were demands made by the studio and not PJ.

[@Sipu97]

I hate it when people don't do their research...

[@Iheartdgd]

@Alexander Supertramp Sorry, i thought your reply was to 'halwaffles' for some reason.

[@Sipu97]

Alexander Supertramp It makes me happy to see that there are people who understand what was going on behind the scenes and who do not jump on the bandwagon and blame Peter Jackson.

[@trammellhunter]

The Fellowship of The Ring holds a special place in my heart. I was 6 when it came out in theaters and it was the first and only time me, my brother, and my parents went to the movies together as a family. It may seem like nothing at the time but it was one of those things that sticks. In my 24 years of life that was the only time I was in a movie theater with my dad.

[@blackbird8837]

man this guy is 48 yrs old. I feel old now. I grew up with LotR and I kid you not I have seen it 100 times. It's still the best movie for me in many aspects.

[@davidstufflebean3285]

Don't feel bad I grew up with him as Mikey in The Goonies =p He is just a couple months older than me.

[@alexk.35]

Danny B greatest ever.

[@Dennzyl]

F: "Go back Sam!!! - i am going to Mordor alone!" S: "Of course you are... and i am coming with you!"

[@wattsnottaken1]

Dennzyl Vania literally the saddest/most heartfelt scene probably ever

[@Dennzyl]

@@wattsnottaken1 right after Sam's speech!

[@xakariz]

If I had to pick one scene that triggers me the most emotionally in any film, it's that one. I cry every damn time he almost drowns.

[@googleuser2874]

I love that scene.

[@googleuser2874]

@@xakariz There's something deeply symbolic about that scene, he is giving his life in every way possible in order to save Frodo from imminent doom. I am sure that was intentional for Tolkien that he almost drowns. Sam is the symbol of unconditional love.

[@davestevenson2485]

I had no idea that he was so deep accomplished, focused and professional. The ease at which he tells the story which must have been so many nuances of complications sin knowing that his life is moving in a different direction. I give him great Applause for his part in Lord of the Rings. I'm pretty stunned by his performance right now in front of her private crowd

[@JohnKooz]

I learned a lot from this. My favorite lesson was that "the market doesn't always pick what's 'right' ". The market doesn't select the highest quality thing. I really like Sean Astin. I listened to (and recommend) his full multiple-hour audio book "There and Back Again" about what it was like filming LotR.

[@dustjunky2000]

The true hero of the LOTR, Astin blew this part out of the water.

[@EmilyGiuffre]

No Sean! No one will ever be able to remake Lord of the Rings. They may try, but it will never have the same effect! We love you!

[@MostLikelyMortal]

Emily Giuffre' the Tolkien estate won’t let anyone else touch it lol

[@Brinta3]

MostLikelyMortal The copyright on the books will eventually expire and then the Estate has nothing to say about the matter anymore.

[@shanemcvetis5309]

At some point they will get remade people we just need to deal With it.

[@mrs.schmenkman]

TheFilthyLiam Copyright now goes to infinity. Ask Disney they had all the laws changed

[@osareafallire]

Hollywood kills all great movies eventually.

[@deavonw]

Really a shame he didn't get an Oscar for this role. Spectacular work.

[@hickorysocks2628]

deavonw Who caresssssss. Oscar Shmoscar.

[@JayMaverick]

I love how he clearly isn't a Tolkien fan, but he has so much appreciation for good art and storytelling. Also yeah gardening is badass.

[@dragoslav3859]

Frodo was the glue that held everything together and was played brilliantly by woods, but Sean’s Samwise was the heart of those movies.

[@RalphRoberts1]

It's just Wood. No "s".

[@dragoslav3859]

@@RalphRoberts1 I'm guessing you have no friends.

[@vuxdinh]

I don't think anyone who ever watched the Trilogy would imagine any roles being played by any other actors regardless how close it was for other people to land the jobs. Just like in Friends, these actors were destined to play those characters and forever synonymous with the roles. For Sean in particular, I always feel a sense of benevolence about him which fits the mantra of "not all heroes wear cape" in Samwise Gamgee perfectly.

[@Visbokaal]

Love to hear him talk, he's a great storyteller

[@maximumdm9612]

He mentions that the illustrations look like history One of my favorite things about Tolkien is the statement of he didn’t think of it as telling a story. He thought of the stories as telling a history.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

That entire cast is perfect. I can't imagine any of those movies with any of the characters cast differently.

[@audioliquor]

I love love love the movies and have seen the whole thing 7 times but I still think Eowyn was miscast. Nothing against Miranda Otto but she just sticks out from amongst all the cast as someone not matching the book description.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@@audioliquor "Éowyn is described as very beautiful; she was tall, slim, pale, and graceful, with long golden hair and grey eyes. In temperament she was idealistic, spirited, brave and high-minded, but very lonely, having sacrificed her own happiness for years to care for her sick uncle and meet the responsibilities of a shield-maiden." That's according to her Wiki. Miranda Otto may not be tall enough, and to some she may not be pretty enough, but I think she matches that description from the books in the movies well enough.

[@joshuakahelin6524]

@@Richard_Nickerson Eowyn is miscast. She needed to be way stronger of character. Also Theoden needed to be a lot older. He was far too young. The same actor right now might be old enough.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@@joshuakahelin6524 Wow so many people missing the point... Did I say the cast was book accurate to a tee? No. Aragorn would have been older, Legolas never would have had eye color issues... we could nitpick everything about literally every movie. The cast was cohesive, the cast did well, the cast never took you out of the moment, the cast worked together extremely well... the casting was perfect. I can't imagine any of the trilogy with any of the characters cast differently. Don't get me started on The Hobbit though...

[@audioliquor]

@@Richard_Nickerson It's true I don't think she is beautiful enough. I read somewhere that she wasn't the first choice and at one point Peter Jackson felt she was miscast. The rest of the cast, to me, was exactly how I imagined them to be, which in itself was a small miracle. Just my humble opinion. We can agree to disagree!

[@stevocasey1992]

Seems like a genuine down to earth guy

[@ghostpuppet31]

My friend Darlene was doing a small local charity run around a bay area and she heard someone running behind her and heavy breathing, after a while she heard a voice say quietly 'Can i run with you?' And she said 'Yes ok' and later on she realized it was him! Cool guy, to do a small charity run!

[@HTMR-de8gz]

@@ghostpuppet31 "Less can be more, and small can be beutiful..."

[@ghostpuppet31]

@@HTMR-de8gz Truly.

[@qpap14]

Down to Middle earth.

[@amaziing22]

😉 he is kinda cool and he acts very normal not as a snob

[@TheJoker-fp2lk]

Samwise Gamgee is one of the greatest heroes in all written history. The fact THE Goonie was Sam was just amazing, and I thank him, everyone elseI loved, and God that these amazing stories and films were made.

[@petershanks3049]

OMGG i can barely believe it but your right - the resemblance shines through now that you informed me :-)

[@patrickhaggerty8465]

I was in this crowd. It was so intimate and laid back. He is such a nice person. I'm so glad I met him.

[@YaakovBuchner]

It's so sad that he was only paid $225,000 for a 3 movies combined. $75,000 per film! I would have thought he would have made millions! The trilogy made more than 3 billion.

[@grantmalone]

Well, he brought no real star power to the film. Every salary is a negotiation. When you've got a guy who isn't going to bring in the audience on his name alone and is thankful to the heavens to even have a shot at the role it's not surprising. Personally I think the value he brought to the film was way more than some of the 'stars' but that's just how it works. Anyway, I read that they all received hefty bonuses when the films proved to be so successful. I hope that's the case as he deserves it for his excellent work and dedication.

[@Jawawash]

Though he only made around that much money initially, after the movies became a huge hit they apparently started to receive large bonuses.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

Yeh, but Sean will be 80 years old and his generation will still remember him as Sam, and he'll always benefit from that role. Always.

[@YaakovBuchner]

I think the Lord of the Rings are the best films made in decades, yet the movie has not done a whole lot for many of the cast members. Orlando Bloom went on to allot of roles in other films for a few years, but I haven't seen any of the Hobbit characters outside of independent films. 3 films and years of your life for less than the price of a low end house, seems like an injustice. Especially when they are among the highest grossing films of all time.

[@PechilvrsPreciousPeepsNursery]

1stsgt.Murphy505thPIR each actor also got an undisclosed amount of box office revenue

[@janineharrison5186]

Loved Sean in LOTR....he was such a necessary character. Watching this video I can't help but see his mother in his mannerisms and appearance. John Astin raised a wonderful talented son.

[@rationalityfirst]

Best bro ever in movie history.

[@stuflames4769]

When I worked in an elementary school, sometimes we would put on a series of children's books as read by celebrities during the lunch hour. Some readers were more engaging than others, but Sean Astin as the storyteller was by far the best of them. An absolutely charming guy.

[@Version135]

"Went right down on my knee and started thanking God" That's a good man.

[@jbrownbyu]

My family has a tradition of watching the LOTR trilogy about every year, and every time we do (and even when we're not), the question arises of which character we think we're most similar to, or that we'd like to be similar to. Every time I say Sam. And, watching this, I feel even more justified. Such an incredible, positive, confident, and good person. Thanks for your great work, Sean!

[@maryo4013]

Love the guy...

[@StellaAdler_]

His tears in the movie broke my heart. His performance was so earnest and pure. Phenomenal actor

[@codytestroet3774]

For the love of God, ground your sound systems!

[@mylefnepple1936]

How? I’m an engineer for this studio your info would be helpful.

[@codytestroet3774]

Looks like you’re in a rented room? Maybe not? Either way, you have 60hz hum, that’s a grounding issue. Could be directly on an input, or more than likely it’s in the sound system. Is the noise present with the system on and all inputs muted? Then you have a ground loop issue between the mixer and the mains. If it’s on a specific input it’s probably a bad ground in a cable or the mic itself. Could also be a ground loop into your recording interface. You need to isolate where the grounding issue is and address it.

[@bradley5210]

Have you heard of Google?

[@dgking80]

@@codytestroet3774 actually I just had it on my tongue and his voice was coming out of my butt

[@likilikiki]

@@mylefnepple1936 Yeah ……. i call BS on that if you have to ask.

[@energybengt]

the way "content" is used upsets me as well. It's isolating processes into categories. It invites a skewed view of what creativity is, of what art is, of what life is. it tries to label something that is label-less. It reduces magic to concrete blocks ... which is why many films and franchises are devoid of heart and lack imagination and no longer invite or challenge thought by the audience. Why was Star Wars so magical when it first came out? Because it was just itself. No package. No references. No comparisons. It was alive. so, yeah, i appreciate what Sean says about this word's useage!

[@eddiec2913]

Seans efforts to portrait samwise will be an almost impossible act to follow, he really understood the character and i cant imagine anyone that could of done a better job

[@tubailey2459]

He played such an humble, loyal, loving male character!!! THANK YOU ☺️

[@Pendragon44321]

Those movies better not be rebooted.

[@petershanks3049]

They will do it but next time it will be 2 females - that take the main roles ( Frodo and Sam )

[@TallisKeeton]

@@petershanks3049 lol :D :D

[@azraelsgrave]

In the news today. LotRs reboots coming.

[@lucialu833]

@@petershanks3049 :thats dum🤦 Tollkien didnt imagine it that way. And Lotr is Christian book.Peter Jackson respected all Christian symbology and he show them in movies. Now they change that.No it not gonna work.

[@MrParkerman6]

They will but they will be in front of purple screen all the time.

[@jeremysmatana2592]

"It's a privilege to be an ambassador for some of those big ideas." Well said.

[@GingerPauley1]

Peter Jackson. Trilogy. Newline. 😂

[@sartanko]

He was really great, truest to the book character out of all of them, and a great performance.

[@miamihurricane865]

For me the Mines of Moria sealed the deal. The scaling and action was one of a kind! The Balrog was stoooopid awesome!

[@JosephAlanMeador]

12:48 made me tear up a little. Moments like that in life, what a beautiful memory. Gratitude

[@violet-trash]

I had no idea he was American, he had the West English accent down perfectly.

[@charlietheanteater3918]

Violet Fyxe Same, I assumed everyone who did the lord of the rings was either british, Irish, or from New Zealand. I was surprised to find out how many Americans were involved in the cast.

[@SPFLDAngler]

He's been acting his entire life... how could you not know

[@chatteyj]

I agree I've never heard an american do a westcountry accent before and often american actors don't really do anything other than English RP but Sam did it very well especially considering the short amount of time he had, it was very impressive.

[@charlietheanteater3918]

Devonian Usually Americans aren’t that bad at stereotypical cockney accents or really exaggerated posh but they really only work for comedy not drama. It’s impressive how they can pull off the accent

[@damienleigh9943]

@@SPFLDAngler Personally, this is the first role i saw him in. I was only 6. I think this person might be in a similar situation.

[@christopherjordan6237]

" I got on my knees and began thanking God" - Sean Astin Amen!!

[@digitaldazzle5836]

I love that too!!

[@timq6224]

As if god had anything to do with a movie about fictional and anti-christian characters.

[@michaeldukes4108]

How could this story be anti-Christian when Tolkien himself was a devout Roman Catholic who, while despising cut-and-dry analogies, nevertheless injected his legendarium with overt Judeo-Christian themes and parallels? Try a bit more tolerance - ignorance, especially in this area, is unbecoming.

[@timq6224]

@@michaeldukes4108 -- Gandalf was a messiah figure -- raised from the dead after fighting the Balrog. Using fantasy to make fun of the holy scripture is about as unchristian as you can get.

[@michaeldukes4108]

Tim Q ... Parallelism doesn’t equal mockery, dude. Lighten up.

[@sunshineTV3]

Sean should have won as oscar for Return of the King. His performance in the last hour of that film is absolutely phenomenal.

[@susanbarlow1585]

OH! MY! I am SO glad that I saw this clip. A very special insight into this incredible movie that I waited SO long to see ... I read the books YEARS before the movie was made ... THIS was a continuation of the absolutely magical moments I experienced, when Peter Jackson brought the pictures in my mind, into life. THANK YOU Sean Austin!

[@maspleben]

Awww. So he doesn't like the hobbits bursting into tears? Well, sir, you make me cry EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I have reached the Grey Havens scene because of your tears. By rewatching newcomers reactions to the trilogy on KZbin, I have realized even more how good you were and how impactful your performance is. I think, out of all the trilogy, the most poignant moment is when Frodo wakes up in Minas Tirith, everyone enters the room one by one, you are reminded of each character's relationship to Frodo, and finally, it's Sam... That moment, when he stays in the frame of the door, not joining the cheerful reunion... it hurts so much. Frodo and Sam share something that is stronger and more painful than any relationship. That look...

[@eleven864]

I'm amazed how well he did the West country accent. I mean that is incredible that the dialect coach got him to learn it that way. In England they're so classist, and Frodo has posh/'standard' accent because he's very middle class then Sam, the gardener, has a West country accent. West country known for its farmer stereotypes. Just wonderful. It's also absolutely wonderful how he expressed Sam's essence. Sam and Aragorn are still my idols to this day.

[@dasparado]

I wonder when he read he was a gardener, that he was actually the real hero of the story.

[@josefnagy4075]

Gardener is a literary term, he didn't mean a literal gardener. A gardener is a character who goes through the classical cycle of character development known as The Hero's Journey but then inverts the ending. Normally a Hero's Journey's ends with the character realizing their life has changed too much to go back to what they were, and in fact Frodo is a classic example of this type of Hero's Journey, but a gardener is a Hero's Journey where the hero can go back home and just be at peace, like Sam settling down and marrying in The Shire where he started.

[@andrewmoriarity567]

@@josefnagy4075 Yah but Samwise was a gardener though.

[@josefnagy4075]

@J D Sam is a gardener (profession) because he's a gardener (literary) - symbolism is a big part of Tolkien's writing. The context he was using when he said that was referring to the literary.

[@josefnagy4075]

@J D It's not an obscure literary term, it's one of the basic building blocks of literature, I'm not a lit student, and I know about it specifically because I'm a fan of Tolkien's works - and he wrote extensively about the Hero's Journey and its subversions in his own extensive notes on literary tropes, a topic he wrote about more then anyone else to ever live probably. I guess he was a pompous ass too.

[@josefnagy4075]

@J D Also, if you don't think everything Tolkien writes has symbolism to it, you don't know Tolkien. For every published paragraph there's atleast an essay in his extended notes to expand upon it. The man had 400 pages of published work when he died, and left behind millions of pages for others to spend the last few decades sifting through.

[@hakonsoreide]

Best frank, honest and interesting actor talk on a role I've ever seen. I love how reflected he is on the significance of what he and others do, both at work and in life. Refreshingly it's not so much about the actual part of Sam.

[@rosaryinkeanushand4827]

Frodo ain't shid... Sam saved Middle Earth! Pushed off Merry when he tackled Frodo, stopped Frodo from putting on the ring under the tree, first to bust thru the door at the Prancing Pony, first to attack the Nazgul at the watchtower, went looking for the healing leaf, cooked for the fellowship, first hobbit to charge in Moria, willing to drown unless Frodo brought him along, intuition about Smeagol being fake was correct, saved Frodo from the Witchking, put Faramir in check, fought a giant spider chopped its arm off & put fear in that moffka it fled. THEN! He takes the ring showing better resistance than Frodo, kills all remaining orcs/uruk in Cirith Ungol, saves Frodo again by starting a fight IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOOKIN ARMY, carries Frodo to Mount Doom, saves him again at the edge...he never got stabbed, he never falter, loyal to the end, & as scared as he was at times, he was the first to jump into a fight. THE ALMIGHTY SAMWISE GAMGEE!

[@hibye-by3yb]

WIthout a doubt, the ring would have never been destroyed, albeit made it to mordor without Sam, but it's kind of implied that Frodo was the most resilient towards the ring. You have to understand that he carried that ring for the better part of a year; Sam had it for a couple hours and realised that he couldn't handle the ring hence "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you." Point is neither of pair, well honestly the trio, well actually the fellowship, would have made it to mordor and destroyed the ring without each other

[@rosaryinkeanushand4827]

@@hibye-by3yb yes you right. I just like to put Sam up there for laughs.lol I think Peter Jackson did say nobody emotionally can destroy the ring. Even Frodo couldn't do it, it just fell in the fire with Gollum.

[@TheKoboldHoard]

Samwise the Brave. I wanna hear more about Sam.

[@Serai3]

WRONG. Frodo was the reason the Ring was destroyed. Sam would NEVER have been able to do it himself; in fact, he would never have volunteered for the mission at all if it weren't for Frodo taking it on. I'm getting pretty fucking sick of hearing how Frodo was weak and a wuss. He had to fight off the Dark Lord ON HIS OWN. WITH NO ONE TO HELP HIM. Sam could protect his body and keep him fed, but he could do NOTHING about the real War of the Ring - the one waged between Frodo and Sauron, where his master had to fight off the darkness on his own. NONE of the other characters could have done with Frodo did. NONE.

[@DreamingCatStudio]

Serai3 And to your point, Frodo suffered so greatly he eventually had to leave the Shire and Middle Earth altogether. He couldn’t heal from such a grievous encounter with evil, he couldn’t participate in his life before the Fellowship. Sam was able to stay, have a family and lead a normal life.

[@rehmanmir7865]

It’s insane how he was so confident...so comfortable with the audition... and yet he was still so thankful and relieved when he got confirmation on the part. That’s some great humility

[@miralabualjadail4206]

I love how bookish and smart this guy is in real life. And his character Sam was so heartwarming.

[@MSP106]

11:27 for the next ten seconds or so. That is literally Sam talking. Love it! Great interview Sean.

[@POOFAYMANN]

This puts off such a TED Talk vibe he should do one

[@Corsina]

That "all in no matter what" he got from both his parents. This was a fascinating talk. Thanks for the post!!

[@brunobucciarati1537]

as soon as I herd Alan Lee I looked up his pictures, they are just moving of how well he describes middle-earth.

[@andrewhazlewood4569]

Sean's performance was perfect. His interplay with Elijah Wood and especially Andy Serkis were phenomenal. The leap forward LotR made with performance capture could not have been the success that it was without Sean's ability to respond so believably to a character who was there in voice, personality and movement but not in body.

[@Andy-dh2sv]

Sean Astin the MAN, Sam was maybe my favourite along with Aragorn

[@tomholland438]

Andy same

[@TJSaw]

Thank you, Sean Astin, for giving us one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history! ❤

[@ZekeThePlumber86]

My favorite actor of all time. Seems like such a nice and humble man.

[@NerdNewsToday]

He was exceptionally personable at this event and gave everyone so much one on one time. Great dude!

[@Nini8991]

My stepdad worked with him once. Said he was an amazing and down to earth guy.

[@GeoffreyJohns]

I feel privileged to have seen that

[@gembocobo9484]

Him having no clue about lotr ironically made him the perfect fit. Sam would be the last one you'd count on to know anything about the history or what's at stake in the grand scheme of things in universe. Holy hell the serendipitous nature of some of the casting is just unbelievable. Just sad that Mr. Peter Jackson had to drop the ball for the hobbit.

[@TitanFind]

The Hobbit was a misconceived project. It was always going to be impossible to get it right tonally.

[@terragthegreat175]

The Hobbit wasn't Peter Jackson's fault. They swapped directors at the last second and didn't give him anytime to work. They were writing scripts right before they shot, had no time to do anything practical and so had to rely on CG, and it's all the studios fault. They dropped PJ into and didn't give him a chance to be Peter Jackson.

[@slein1055]

The hobbit wasn't really Peter's fault. He was kinda thrust into the captain's seat of a sinking ship

[@TitoTimTravels]

As soon as he said that, I thought the same thing. He played a great Sam. You would not expect Sam to know all the history, but if it was important to Frodo and Gandalf - he would be there - and the be anchor for the fellowship. The Hobbit was a train wreck from the beginning - no way it could be a trilogy. Pure greed ruined what could have been a great single movie.

[@acej7271]

Wrong. Sam is fascinated by the history and especially elves.

[@deborahgarrett2997]

@9:21 “All the signs were pointing in the yes direction”...Works for Sam, and also the trilogy in general. What Peter Jackson held in his hands with these movies was pure magic.

[@NesconProductions]

"I see a lot of actors in this room, what we need is writers." - Well said! For example take a look at what happen to the Star Wars franchise when Spielberg was removed from the equation. Movies are one example for music these days is in the same boat. The lack of creativity in both these fields in recent years can only be described as disturbing.

[@kguerr197]

A few years late but the Star Wars series started with George Lucas not Spielberg.

[@robbabcock_]

I love Sean Astin! He's such a fine actor and seems like a genuinely good and thoughtful person. It's hard to imagine anyone else in RUDY or LotR.

[@AleisterCrowley.]

Tolkien to this day is the only writer I have experienced that communicates between the lines. It's like he goes through your conscious mind directly to your soul. You can feel it happening, you are consciously aware that he is communicating subconsciously. Him and Dickens (Tale of Two Cities), for me, in the English language. Trouble with Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, great as they are to me it feels like they may be like that, but as a native English speaker I cannot perceive it. Thanks for the talk, really enjoyed it.

[@mikemorris7247]

His performance was the glue that held all three productions together; his contributions cannot he overstated. He should have gotten an Oscar …

[@LordofHogwarts]

Sean Astin: I've never heard of The Lord of the Rings. Samwise Gamgee: You don't mean that!

[@adoringfan1924]

I was so enthralled listening to him speak. Must have been wonderful to be there !

[@nobodygrinder5667]

Amazing, I'm very happy he didn't take the character of Samwise Gamgie lightly. I just know his support in the story was very gritty, and it took patience and diligence. Thank you Sean.

[@superslayerguy]

Sean seems so chill. Loved him in Rudy also, he’s a perfect underdog

[@shannoncurry2037]

Of all the cast he is the kindest

[@machoflops]

Every single actor in the whole trilogy just couldn't be more perfect for their character and role, and Peter as the director, and Tolkien as the author of the books, this was and still is something so unimagineable to have seen happen in our lifetimes, the CGI, the way fantasy films weren't that big or well respected at the time - and yet RotK became one of the biggest movies ever made to date - and how everything just.. fell into place so elegantly like some kind of universal force of nature was just coalescing the trilogy into existence, it's still unreal to think about.

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

During a particular rough time in my life i got a dog. Just for me, just for my peace of mind, just to have a companion to help me up the mountain. I was taking it upon my shoulders to care for my parents. They lived on the tallest hill around and my father could be volatile..i named that dog Marjorie Samwize Gamgee. He was my companion and my saving grace as I went up that mountain. And then cared for mom ( with his watchful eye on her) at my house. Everybody needs a Samwize in their life.

[@aaronswords404]

I've been listening to the audio books during my commute to and from work. I just reached the part where Frodo and Sam wake up after destroying the ring and Aragorn bows to them. I actually had tears in my eyes driving to work. Amazing stories.

[@GodmyX]

Thank you! For me too, Lord of the Rings is one of the most experience-profound series of movies there's ever been!

[@Isidore22]

Sean Astin really added to the humanity and grounding of the lotr trilogy in a super positive way

[@GreigNiven]

Just finished watching LOTR again and Sean is perfect, difficult to imagine anyone else. Great casting and even better knowing how humble Sean is from this interview

[@Daniel-xl4io]

LOTR Truly has an amazing casting.

[@THEBODYPRACTICE]

It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing these characters. They’ve become such a part of our movie culture/history.. SA is a great actor and simultaneously down to earth.

[@t3hnaku]

All I'm thinking is from the dvd extras where Elijah is told to put his sword under Sam's chin, and asks "... which one?"

[@_Singularity_]

why? what's the context?

[@mrmoviemanic1]

@@_Singularity_ It a hilarious dirty joke.

[@Serai3]

No, it wasn't. It was a joke on how fat Sean had gotten at that point.

[@Serai3]

Yes, really. They caught it on camera and it's in the extras of the extended editions.

[@Serai3]

It was in the Two Towers when they were at Osgiliath. Frodo is trying to put the Ring on and Sam tackles him. They fall down some stairs and end up with Frodo pulling his sword and nearly killing Sam. Elijah was full of beans that day and got sassy, LOL.

[@Michael-uf1hz]

No one can upstage the original trilogy Mr.Astin, it was a masterpiece and you were a significant part of that. You sir are Sam wise and that will never change.

[@wattsnottaken1]

“What are you his bodyguard?” Sam: “His gardener” Also: “Mr. Frodo!”

[@BennyBestt]

Sean played a brilliant role as Sam. Just watched LOTR again and Sean in my opinion is the best wingman OF ALL TIME