Sean Astin's Real Name: Sean Patrick Astin

Quick answer: Sean Astin's birth name is recorded as Sean Patrick Astin. He was born on February 25, 1971, in Santa Monica, California, the son of actress Patty Duke. He was raised by actor John Astin, and a DNA test later showed that Michael Tell was his biological father. He played Mikey in The Goonies, the title role in Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings. In 2025 he was elected president of SAG-AFTRA (Library of Congress; AP).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Astin, Sean," and one citation reads "b. Feb. 25, 1971, Santa Monica, Calif; actor, director, producer, writer; birth name: Sean Patrick Astin."

His mother, Patty Duke, won an Oscar as a teenager for The Miracle Worker and was born Anna Marie Duke, AP reported in her 2016 obituary. AP identified Sean as her son with her third husband, John Astin of The Addams Family. People reported that before Sean's birth Duke had briefly married Michael Tell, a marriage that was annulled. She and John Astin married in 1972, and Astin raised Sean as his own.

Sean learned the truth about his paternity in stages, according to People. As an adult he took a DNA test, and in 2001 he told the magazine, "John Astin is my father, Michael Tell is my biological father." He has kept relationships with the men in his life but regards John Astin, who raised him, as his father.

Career highlights

The Hollywood Reporter says Astin started acting in the 1981 ABC Afterschool Special Please Don't Hit Me, Mom, opposite his mother. His role as Mikey in the Steven Spielberg-produced The Goonies (1985) made his name, and he went on to star in Rudy (1993). His biggest success came as the hobbit Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, which THR says grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide. AP also lists his later role in Stranger Things. Learn more about the trilogy's director on our Peter Jackson real name page.

In September 2025, AP reported, SAG-AFTRA members elected Astin president, succeeding Fran Drescher, by a 79% to 21% margin. His mother had served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988.

Name notes for searchers

Astin is the surname of the father who raised him, and it is the name he has always used professionally. His mother, Patty Duke, was born Anna Marie Duke, which is why "Duke" sometimes appears in searches about his family. The LOC record lists Sean Patrick Astin as his birth name.