The Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin didn’t find out who his father was until he was 26 years old. Not that he lacked a fatherly influence, as he was raised by mother Patty Duke, with actor John Astin. For years, the actor believed Aston to be his biological father. However, things were about to get complicated.
Samwise Gamgee and Gomez Addams
Sean Astin was born on February 25th, 1971. Patty Duke had met John Astin the previous year, and she’d formerly been married to director Harry Falk. Duke and Astin’s relationship initially began as an affair; he was married to Suzanne Hahn until 1972.
The middle-aged star was best known for playing Gomez Addams on The Addams Family (1964-66). When Sean entered the world, Astin appeared to be his father. As it turns out, this wasn’t the case!
I Love Lucy connection
Patty Duke had a bombshell for Sean Astin down the road; when he was 14, she revealed the true identity of his fathr: Desi Arnaz, Jr., the son of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.
The relationship had been interesting one – with an age gap. Duke was 23 and Arnaz was just 17. Their union lasted only a matter of months, as Lucille Ball did not approve and the pressure mounted.
Young Sean was thrown a curveball. However, the situation had a happy ending. He grew close to Arnaz, Jr. while maintaining a connection to adopted father John Astin. All seemed to be settled – or was it…?
Tell me your secrets
There was another individual in the mix: rock promoter Michael Tell.
He and Patty Duke were married for a short space of time (13 days) in 1970. This marriage was reportedly one of convenience. You see, Duke suffered in the spotlight, and the idea was to take the heat off by setting up a fake relationship with Tell. It had looked as if the deal was platonic. However, Sean Astin was about to learn that wasn’t quite the case!
A relative of Tell’s reached out to inform him that he might have another candidate as his biological father.
A happy family
This must have been a shock for Sean Astin, who ordered a paternity test in the late 1990s. John Astin, Desi Arnaz, Jr. and Michael Tell all took part.
Finally, the results were in: Michael Tell was Astin’s father. Not that Astin was going to forget about those who’d played a large role in his life. “John Astin is my father, Michael Tell is my biological father,” he said to PEOPLE in 2001.
What has Sean Astin been up to?
Sean Astin married Christine Harrell in 1992. They have three children together. He also has a brother from Patty Duke and John Astin’s relationship, fellow actor Mackenzie Astin.
Astin had a busy career of his own for decades. As a teenager, he starred in The Goonies (1985), and, to many fans, he’s Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s J.R.R. Tolkien-fueled The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03). He also capitalized on his 1980s kudos by starring in Stranger Thing’s (2016-present).
How did Patty Duke feel about Michael Tell being her son’s father? She reportedly took issue with the revelation. PEOPLE quoted her as saying she “can support his truth as long as my truth, if not supported, is respected.”
Patty Duke, award-winning actress and campaigner
Patty Duke passed away in 2016, at the age of 69. An in-demand talent, she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the film, The Miracle Worker (1963) early in her career. She went on to feature in Valley of the Dolls (1967) and Me, Natalie (1969), for which she won a Golden Globe.
Duke’s friend, William Jankowski, spoke to Woman’s World, revealing what happened during her brief marriage to Michael Tell. It was her co-star from The Miracle Worker, Anne Bancroft, who helped her through this difficult time. “Anne got her on a plane back to LA and into a psychiatric hospital,” Jankowski said.
Clearly, there were mental health issues. Twelve years after the unwise union, Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She became a respected mental health advocate, and between 1985-88 was president of the Screen Actors Guild.
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In a statement following her death, Sean Astin praised his mother as “our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, matriarch and the exquisite artist, humanitarian, and champion for mental health.”