Joe Layden

Sean Astin

The personal story of the actor known for his performances in "The Lord of the Rings" films describes his relationships with mother Patty Duke and father John Astin, his childhood acting roles, and his experiences with fellow performers.

An Actor's Tale

There and Back Again

Joseph Layden

An Actor's Tale : a Behind-the-scenes Look at the Lord of the Rings

When Sean Astin, veteran Hollywood actor of over 30 movies including The Goonies, and Rudy, landed the part of Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings, he knew it was going to be different to anything he'd ever worked on before. Here he shares his heartfelt opinions on his early movies, how he got the part of Sam at that point in his career, and what it was like to be on set for nearly two years of his life. How did he and the other cast members get along? What were the excitements and the dangers they faced during filming? What happened the evening that Elijah Wood lost the keys to his room? How did Sir Ian McKellen cope when he didn't like the music the hobbits listened to during make-up and what happened when the crew considered striking? Revealing and immensely readable, There and Back Again is the behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to be involved in the making of one of the biggest movie franchises of all time.

There And Back Again: An Actor's Tale

Wil Wheaton

George Perez

William P. Kennedy

Denholm Elliott

Daniel Petrie

Jack E. Freedman

Wayne S. Williams

Patricia Herskovic

Keith Coogan

T. E. Russell

Andrew Divoff

Louis Gossett

Liz Jordon

Tri-Star Pictures

Press kit includes 1 booklet containing listing of cast and credits and production information.

Toy Soldiers

Peter Jackson

Howard Shore

John Gilbert

Elijah Wood

Christopher Lee

Cate Blanchett

Fran Walsh

Viggo Mortensen

Liv Tyler

New Line Cinema Corporation

Barrie M. Osborne

WingNut Films (Firm)

Andrew Lesnie

New Line Home Entertainment (Firm)

John Rhys-Davies

Billy Boyd

Dominic Monaghan

Orlando Bloom

Ngila Dickson

Grant Major

In the land of Middle Earth, young Hobbit Frodo Baggins is entrusted with the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron and with a fellowship of eight others, embarks on a quest to destroy it.

The Lord of the Rings

David Jason

Terry Pratchett

Vadim Jean

Tim Curry

Color of magic

The fascinating memoir of a Hollywood life and an inside look at a life-changing role and the groundbreaking Lord of the Rings films that captured the imagination of movie fans everywhere. The Lord of the Rings is one of the most successful film franchises in cinematic history. Winner of a record eleven Academy Awards--a clean sweep--and breaking box office records worldwide, the trilogy is a breathtaking cinematic achievement and beloved by fans everywhere. For Sean Astin, a Hollywood child (his mother is Patty Duke and stepfather is John Astin) who made his feature film debut at 13 in the 1980s classic The Goonies and played the title role in Rudy, the call from his agent about the role of Samwise Gamgee couldn't have come at a better time. His career was at a low point and choice roles were hard to come by. But his 18-month experience in New Zealand with director Peter Jackson and the cast and crew od The Lord of the Rings films would be more than simply a dream-come-true--it would prove to be the challenge of a lifetime. There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale is the complete memoir of Sean Astin, from his early days in Hollywood to the role that changed his life. Though much has been written about the making of the films, including the techniques and artistry employed to bring Tolkien's vision of life and the various relationships between castmembers, the real story of what took place on the set, the harrowing ordeals of the actors and the unspoken controversy and backstage dealings have never been told. Sean's experience and candid account of his time filming in New Zealand is unparalleled. More than a companion guide to the Ring films, There and Back Again filled with stories from the set and of the actors involved that have never been revealed before and is an eye-opening look from a Hollywood veteran at the blood, sweat and tears that went into the making of one of the most ambitious films of all time.

Langdon Foss

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