Stalking Sam (not really ...)

I feel like I am stalking Sean Astin. Not really, of course. But I really hoped to interview him for my book, “Escape Artists.”
Astin starred in the cult kiddie flick “The Goonies” (as a child actor) and played a young would-be jock hero in the inspirational football film, “Rudy.” But he is now best known for his role as Samwise Gamgee, aka “Sam,” Frodo’s trusty sidekick from the film trilogy “The Lord of the Rings.”

So, here at Dragon*Com in Atlanta for four days, I hung out at the “Walk of Fame,” hoping to snag a few words with him alone at his autograph table.
I attended every one of Astin’s talks and panel discussions. I listened to his stories of being on the set of Peter Jackson’s fantasy epic. I heard about his weight loss and weigh gains to bulk up and down for various roles. I giggled with the hundreds of other fans as he described water fights between “Dom” (Dominic “Merry” Monaghan) and “Vig” (Viggo “Aragorn” Mortensen), related his odd encounters with the crusty personality of John “Gimli” Rhys-Davies, or his awe for Ian “Gandalf” McKellen. The stories may be five years old by now, but I sucked them up like a good fanboy.

I was mainly curious to learn how he felt about the burden of playing such a beloved character as Sam. Tolkien’s book is among the most read in the world. Now Astin “is” Sam for many, many millions. What a weight that must be, being the flesh-and-blood embodiment of a beloved character. Or, an honor.
In the end, I didn’t get my interview. But I did get an autographed photo, I chatted with Astin for about 20 seconds, and I shook his hand. Am I a shallow fan? A sucker? Or just a guy hoping to take home something that proved, hey I had my moment with Sam.