Penn State Altoona’s Distinguished Speaker Series will welcome Sean Astin on Thursday, March 18. The virtual presentation will begin at 7 p.m. via Zoom and is free for any Penn State student to attend, provided they register beforehand.

Astin is likely best known for his role in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of “The Lord of The Rings.” In the films, Astin plays Samwise Gamgee, an extremely loyal companion to the film’s main character. Astin has also graced the silver screen as the titular character in “Rudy” and starred as a young boy in the cult classic movie, “The Goonies.”

Astin has also directed and produced various films in his career, many of which are detailed in his career memoir entitled “There and Back Again,” for which he became a New York Times bestselling author.

Outside of his illustrious film career, Astin has served on the board of several nonprofit organizations, including the National Center for Family Literacy. Publicly, Astin is a vocal advocate for literacy, mental health awareness, bipolar disorder, and civic engagement. Astin’s lectures typically promote a culture of volunteerism to audiences.

Students can sign up for the event and submit questions for Astin through this link.