Sean Astin has had an incredibly successful career in Hollywood, starring in classics like “Rudy,” “The Goonies” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Despite working steadily for decades with nearly 200 acting credits to his name, Astin admits that the reason he got his start in the industry is because of his mother, actress Patty Duke. His father, John Astin, starred as Gomez in the original “The Addams Family” television show.
In an interview with Page Six, he explained that he always credits “nepotism” for getting him his big break.
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Sean Astin speaks during New York Comic Con – Day 2 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 4, 2019, in New York City. (Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for ReedPOP)
“Listen, it’s just true,” he told the outlet. “Life is hard, work is hard. Finding your way in the world is hard. So when people have some good fortune, I don’t begrudge that.”
He added, “And I don’t begrudge myself having been born into a family where I was given a lot. I also feel that that comes with a lot of responsibility that you have the opportunity to embrace or not.”
Joking about nepotism, he said, “So yeah… you know… nailed it. Got it in one!”
Patty Duke attends the Creative Coalition’s Capitol Hill Spotlight Awards ceremony with her son actor Sean Astin March 30, 2004, in Washington, D.C. (David S. Holloway/Getty Images)
Astin’s first role was in a TV movie called “Please Don’t Hit Me, Mom” in 1981. He was 10, and he acted alongside Duke, playing her son.
He did another TV movie in 1982, and in 1985 he landed his first feature film, “The Goonies.” He’s been acting steadily ever since, and he currently has a movie called “The Shift” in theaters now.
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Despite joking about his “nepo baby” status, he said, “I’m grateful, I’m always grateful.”
Sean Astin poses with brother Mackenzie Astin, left, and father John Astin. (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
“I’ve spent many weekends a year going to places where people (give me) feedback, how important those films are to them and how much they mean,” he explained, referring to the fan conventions he’s attended over the years.
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Astin was raised by Duke, an acclaimed actress. She won an Oscar at 15 for playing Helen Keller in 1962’s “The Miracle Worker,” a role she originated on Broadway. She starred in her own television series, “The Patty Duke Show,” and went on to win a Golden Globe for the film “Me, Natalie.” In the ’80s, she spent three years as president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Sean Astin isn’t afraid to embrace the fact that nepotism played a role in the start of his career. (Brian Stukes/Getty Images)
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Speaking of Duke, he told Page Six that she “had such an easy connection with people everywhere, everywhere she went. Such a normal way of communicating. And it was so disarming for people. That was my experience as a little child, watching an impact that people could have with each other. And I think in some way my life just sort of emulates that in a strange way.”