Ask American Profile

Sean Astin, Brittany Snow, W.E.B. Griffin

I’ve heard that Lord of the Rings co-star Sean Astin is married and has a daughter. Is this true? If so, how long has he been married and how old is his daughter?
—Jenna D., Massachusetts

Sean Astin, who plays the hobbit Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, married Christine Harrell in 1992. They have two daughters, Alexandra Louise, 6, and Elizabeth Louise, who was born in August 2002. Alexandra Louise is scheduled to follow Astin family tradition and make her professional acting debut as Sam’s daughter in The Return of the King, the third movie in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Her dad’s first acting role was in the 1981 afterschool special Please Don’t Hit Me Mom, with his mother, Patty Duke Astin. Sean Astin, 32, was born in Santa Monica, Calif. He directed a short film titled Kangaroo Court that was nominated for an Academy Award in 1995. His wife co-produced the film. Astin’s other acting credits include The Goonies, Toy Soldiers, and Rudy. He lives in Los Angeles with his family.

Who plays Meg on the NBC series American Dreams? What else did she do before this show?
—Marie B., Florida

Brittany Snow, 17, plays the likable teen-ager who becomes a dancer on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand on the new NBC drama American Dreams. The Tampa, Fla., native says she had a “blast” learning new moves for her role. “Meg is trying to prove that there’s something in her life that she wants to be and something that’s special. She’s trying to branch out from her parents for the first time,” Snow says of her character. The role was a big payoff for countless hours spent in dance lessons since age 3. Snow began her acting career in commercials, moving to television with a role on the soap opera Guiding Light. Other television credits include Safe Harbor, seaQuest DSV, and the pilot Murphy’s Dozen. Snow is an avid movie buff who loves to study the acting techniques of her favorite stars. She also loves to shop, go to the beach, and hang out with friends.

Will W.E.B. Griffin continue his series of books about the Office of Strategic Services and the Marine Corps? His books leave the reader wanting more.
—James W., Texas

The prolific author is at work right now on his next military-based novel, part of his Corps series about the Marines from World War II to Korea. Look for it in 2004. In the meantime, fans can read his latest police novel, Final Justice. Griffin’s knowledge of the military comes from experience. He enlisted in the Army in 1946, received counterintelligence training, and served in post-war Germany. He stayed in the country to continue his education and attended Phillips University. However, his studies were interrupted when he was called to serve in the Korean War in 1951. He served as a combat correspondent there, as well as acting X Corps information officer. His first novel, The Lieutenants, was published in 1982 and became the first in his Brotherhood of War series, whose nine novels cover army life in the period from World War II through Vietnam. Griffin, 73, has written more than 30 novels and counts Tom Clancy among his fans. “Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me how much he enjoys reading my books,” Griffin says.

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