Actor Sean Astin, known for roles in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Goonies, is running for president of SAG-AFTRA. Astin’s mother, Patty Duke, became the second-ever female president of SAG-AFTRA in 1985, following a fruitful career in films such as Valley of the Dolls and The Miracle Worker.
In an interview, Astin referenced his history of working on negotiating committees as preparation for the role. “It feels like this moment is a culmination of that work,” he said. “The time feels like it’s absolutely right and I’m excited to do it.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Astin will be running alongside Michelle Hurd (Blindspot, Star Trek: Picard), who is seeking the position of secretary-treasurer. Hurd commented that she is running because “every member deserves to know how our union’s resources are being used – and to trust that they’re being used wisely.”
According to Astin, his and Hurd’s platform will focus on strong contracts, healthcare reform, AI protections, stronger residuals, safe working conditions, and the unique needs of the union’s 25 Locals.
SAG-AFTRA (also known as the Screen Actors Guild) is a 160,000-member organization that recently gained attention for winning a historically long strike that lasted 118 days. Astin was on the negotiating committee that secured the contract that ended that strike.
The full SAG-AFTRA candidates list is expected to be released next week, with ballots being collected between August 13th and September 12th.
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