Posted on 04/08/2003 1:54:19 AM PDT by Stuckathome
LOL - actually, I was surprised by some names, but very glad for all of them.
HA!
Great list. :)
You made my day!!!
talk to HairOfTheDog...she has a report about him...a very good one!!
Howdy {{{HOTD}}}!
What's this about Sean Astin?
Sean Astin California
Sean Patrick Astin has shown a promising talent in acting since a young boy, making his first feature film debut at the age of 13 as "Mikey Walsh" in Richard Donner's adventure The Goonies. Astin is also remembered for his portrayal of a young man determined to play football for Notre Dame in Rudy (1993) which won hearts across Amerca, and continues t o inspire young people whenever it is shown. He is currently starring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, playing the role of Samwise Gamgee. Astin graduated with honors from UCLA with degrees in History and American Literature and Culture. He has served as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army since 1995. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Christine Louise and daughters Alexandra Louise and Elizabeth Louise.Additionally, this statement, written about his role in Memphis Belle, appear on his official website:
Sean Astin on Memphis Belle
I'll never forget being with David Puttnam and Mathew Modine in Japan on January 15, 1991 promoting Memphis Belle. I had asked David to bring me with him when it came time to publicize the film in Asia. I was sitting on a dais preparing to field questions about making an "American War Movie", when I glanced at my watch and saw that it was 12:00 back home...the UN Deadline had just expired and coalition airplanes were about to begin a massive bombing campaign in the air above Kuwait and Iraq. I remember feeling later that day that my country was at war and I needed to get home. The irony was not lost on me. I think the real value of our film is that it attempts to show, in a realistic way, human faces during a critical moment in the evolution of American Air Supremacy.
The report Alkhin is talking about was from an appearance of his I went to Saturday, reported in The Hobbit Hole post 23916...
Excerpts from that report!
Sean Astin... Let me say this.... Sean Astin is a really nice person. Didn't get to meet him personally, he didn't make a real opportunity, and there were so many 14-17 year old girls there, I wouldn't have stood a chance. But he talked to this audience as if it were a chat, not an ounce of pretension, and a lot of embarrassed discomfort when little girls made gushing swooning comments... No pictures were allowed. Y'all will have to just imagine it!When asked about the 'importance' of acting, he recalled a time he was talking with Kathleen Turner about the importance of acting, and she had said, "We aren't making wheat." [pause].
Politics... He talked a lot about liking politics, but was subtle about expressing any real views. He said that he and his size double "BK"(?), in addition to playing lots of chess, talked politics all the time. BK called him "Mr. President". HA! Perhaps he was hinting at aspirations. He said that he wished he had spent more time with John Rys Davies at the time, but that JRD had been so reclusive... He said JRD loved politics too, and was "just to the right of Atilla the Hun". HA!
Said he liked the concept of Treebeard, he said he liked the idea of the environment itself rising up to defend itself. "not out of radical environmentalism, but out of self-defense, trees that had been here long before us, and would remain long after us, the environment itself being strong." Something like that.
When asked about his comments at the oscars (reminder here http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/2/1048505775 ) He said that it was hard to go to those things, when the world is in such hard time, and the stars are trying to do something important by deciding which 'pin' to wear. That he had debated with himself which pin to wear. He said he had an Army pin he almost wore, but in the end had decided it would cause too much comment to come out that far, and wore his US Flag pin instead. He said, "I am proud of my country, and so many people want their voices to be heard right now, a lot was said that night [frown] and even on the way here I saw anti-war protestors" [shook head] "I want my voice to be heard too... which brings me to why I am here. (I think he was not sure what to expect in this audience and he stammered around a bit, so I am paraphrasing of course) On 9-11-2002, I was on a plane headed for the memorial service at the Pentagon, and I decided I wanted to do something good. And at the event a White House staffer approached me and asked me to serve on this White House volunteerism council to encourage civic participation... A grey haired man in the audience yelled out "You are doing something good Sean!" And he got much *standing* applause.
Additional comment: I don't want to imply he is a conservative, because indeed, the last time he was asked, he said he is a democrat (though the views I have heard are not unpleasant to the ears). He is, I think, conscously trying to avoid a "political actor" image on either side, which I respect. But he is distinctly pro-America, which he deserves to be recognized for.
Sean Astin at the Oscars:
You should enjoy this site...
http://www.jerseygop.com/RepublicanBabes27.html
Funny thing, I heard Dr. Laura reading a newspaper article about some of the people who were released from Gitmo and sent back after being held about a year. When they arrived they were held for a week in Kabul jail and released. They all complained about their treatment in Kabul, but praised their stay in Gitmo. They said they got three meals with meat a day, it was the best they ever ate in their lives. They were given Korans and reading material in Pashtun, allowed to excercise, and to pray and see a Muslim cleric. In Afghanistan they had been hungry and cold all the time, and they loved the climate in Cuba. When they were released they were given new clothes, and about a hundred dollars (a lot of money for an Afghan) and an apology for the mistake. Basically it was like a tropical resort to them. They said the week in the Kabul jail was worse that a year in Gitmo.
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