Penn State Altoona Distinguished Speaker Series to host actor Sean Astin

Sean Astin headshot

Sean Astin

Credit: Provided

ALTOONA, Pa. — As part of the Penn State Altoona Distinguished Speaker Series, actor Sean Astin will offer a virtual presentation at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 18. The free event is open to Penn State students, faculty and staff. Registration is available online.

Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist and producer, best known for his film roles as Samwise Gamgee in "The Lord of the Rings," Mikey Walsh in “The Goonies,” the title character of “Rudy,” and Bob Newby in Netflix’s hit series “Stranger Things 2.” He is also the author of the New York Times best-selling “There and Back Again,” a memoir of his film career.

Since “The Lord of the Rings,” Astin has served on the board of several nonprofit organizations, including the National Center for Family Literacy. A vocal advocate for literacy, mental health awareness, bipolar disorder, and civic engagement, Astin is an energetic, passionate speaker who promotes a culture of volunteerism to all audiences.

The event is sponsored by the Sarah Simonton Fund, the John and Ann Wolf Speaker Series, the Marjorie Wolf Kuhn Fund, and the Penn State Altoona Student Initiated Fee.

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