'Lord of the Rings,' 'Rudy' actor Sean Astin hits the road for Kamala Harris
It’s Middle America rather than Middle Earth, but Samwise Gamgee is charging in to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Sean Astin on Tuesday announced on social media that he plans to be in Indiana Wednesday to support Harris’ presidential bid.
Well that does it,
I’m hitting the Campaign Trail. #Astin4Harrispic.twitter.com/n4YIlxoMWq— Sean Astin (@SeanAstin) August 13, 2024
The "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy actor posted to X a black and white video from downtown Chicago saying he was on the stomp for Harris.
“I just decided that I needed to get out and start campaigning for Kamala Harris for President. I got back from overseas yesterday, and I was gonna head home and be with my beautiful wife and my gorgeous children,” he said in the video. “And then I remembered that I fashion myself some sort of a leader; at least in my own mind. And the only kind of leadership that means anything anymore is leadership by example.”
He signed off his X post with "#Astin4Harris."
Astin appeared in the July 29 White Dudes for Harris Zoom call that organizers said raised more than $4 million for the Harris presidential campaign.
Sean Astin's Indiana ties
While he didn’t reveal where Indiana he would be on Wednesday, the “Goonies” star has plenty of ties to the Hoosier state.
He starred in “Rudy,” the University of Notre Dame -set sports movie, as well as “Stranger Things,” the Netflix sci-fi horror drama set in a fictional Indiana town.
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His wife of more than 30 years, producer Christine Astin, is a former Miss Indiana Teen USA who attended IUPUI before transferring to UCLA.
He hinted at more campaign appearances. The Wolverine State is likely up next, according to the video.
“Did you know that (Indiana) shares a border with Michigan? Interesting," Astin said. "Stay tuned.”
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin headed for Indiana to support Harris