Matt here, introducing the latest entry into the Where Are They Now series on THE GOONIES, which is SO late, I owe you guys and also the series author Gareth Bunkham a massive apology. With all the stuff going on around here, I completely forgot about this set of articles but let's not panic, they are better late than never! I will quickly post the rest probably one each day and once we have made our way through THE GOONIES, we have another very special geek movie from the 80's to ask, just WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY NOW?
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SEAN ASTIN AS
MICHAEL MIKEY WALSH
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As was the case with most of his young co-stars, Sean Astin's role as Mikey Walsh in THE GOONIES was his first big screen appearance. Following THE GOONIES, Astins next big screen appearance was in a small role in 1989s THE WAR OF THE ROSES, the following year he took on the role of Sgt. Richard Rascal Moore in WWII drama MEMPHIS BELLE. Astin went on to receive top billing in 1991s little known TOY SOLDIERS and THE WILLIES. In 1992 Sean Astin starred alongside Pauly Shore and Brendan Fraser in the caveman comedy ENCINO MAN (or CALIFORNIA MAN as it was known in Europe) That same year Astin showed a different side to his acting with a role in ensemble piece WHERE THE DAY TAKES YOU, the impressive cast also included Will Smith, Christian Slater and less impressively; T-Bag from Prison Break. 1993 saw Astin take the title role in RUDY, a biopic about a college student who dreamt of playing college Football despite the clichéd obstacles one can usually apply to a film of such a nature. At the 1994 OSCARS Astin and his wife Christine were nominated for Best Live Action Short for KANGAROO COURT a film they directed and produced together. Astin went on to appear in COURAGE UNDER FIRE and the Warren Beatty political comedy BULWORTH but after a number of other insignificant roles in nothing films it seemed as though this former GOONIES career was floundering. That soon changed though when he was cast as Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, Astin played the role of Frodos loyal hobbit friend in all three films. After THE LORD OF THE RINGS, Astin had a recurring role on apocalypse drama series JEREMIAH before returning to comedy, playing Drew Barrymore's brother in the Adam Sandler rom-com 50 FIRST DATES. His film roles in the years that followed were pretty uninspiring, typified by SLIPSTREAM, a lame sci-fi action film in which Astins scientist creates a time travel device and has it stolen by Vinnie Jones' bank robber. Astins TV work at this time was altogether more inspiring though, he appeared in Steven Spielberg's Western mini-series INTO THE WEST, as did his former THE GOONIES co-star Josh Brolin. Astin then went on to land the role of by-the-books CTU agent Lynn McGill on season 5 of 24, appearing in ten episodes before dying a heros death by exposing himself to deadly nerve gas to save others. Good on ya, Sean! In 2006, Sean Astin reunited with Adam Sandler on CLICK and has also made recent guest appearances on TV shows Monk and My Name is Earl, his voice can also be heard as the narrator on the US version of MEERKAT MANOR. He has most recently been seen on our TV screens in Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic alongside a whos who of British thesps including David Jason and Jeremy Irons amongst a host of others. Astin currently has a number of films in pre and post production including voice work on a couple of upcoming animated features. NEXT TIME: CLARK MOUTH DEVEREAUX THE GOONIES WHERE ARE THEY NOW!POLICE ACADEMY WHERE ARE THEY NOW!THE TERMINATOR WHERE ARE THEY NOW!BACK TO THE FUTURE? WHERE ARE THEY NOW!
