Sean Astin

This week, Kim talks with SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin about stepping into the job during a tumultuous year for Hollywood. His early tenure has already included an FCC clash involving Jimmy Kimmel , the arrival of synthetic “performers,” and some wonky legal maneuvering from OpenAI . Astin discusses the most pressing issues facing the union as bargaining is underway, including wages and working conditions as well as the challenges posed by AI companies scraping copyrighted material. Plus, David Ellison has unveiled plans to merge Paramount+ and HBO Max into a single streaming platform. Kim Masters and Matt Belloni dig into the proposal – which comes with about $80 billion in debt and the strong likelihood of layoffs – and the familiar promise that “synergies” in tech, ad sales and platforms will do the heavy lifting. They also examine how the shake-up may affect HBO leadership, the uncertain future of CNN, and how Donald Trump’s influence could complicate an already fraught moment for media companies.

Here’s another episode in our series of interviews from the December 2, 2003 roundtable discussions! In this interview–just before The Return of the King was released–Sean Astin reflects on wrapping up The Lord of the Rings films and the impact they had on his career, his perspective on playing Sam, and how he navigated fame and family life during the trilogy’s success. He also discusses: Why Astin sees Sam’s cinematic arc as more heroic than the book’s version The struggle to balance being “strong” on screen with being a faithful hobbit Sword training with a Star Wars legend—and why it didn’t make the cut What “the Shire” means to Sean Astin personally—and where he finds his own ideal home (again!) In our extended episode (for members at https://theonering.com/members ): How you can beta test the new Exploring Tolkien app and help shape its future 🎉 To get the extended episode, become a member at https://theonering.com/members ($4/mo and free for the 1st month)! BECOME A MEMBER! Get access to the extended edition of this podcast, our private Discord chat, and live chats. Click here! 🔗 Episode Links Submit a LOTR Film Change 🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast Get the Extended Podcast Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on Google 🔍 If You Like Tolkien Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat The Silmarillion The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien 🗣 Special Thanks to Austin Robertson for the use of his voice!

It's our final episode of May, which means it's the last episode in this format before the crew returns next week with a brand new episode and tons of fun and shenanigans in June. This week, we’re continuing our Q&As from recent comic cons and anime fests with Sean Astin from Missouri Comic Con. Enjoy! Join the Pop Goes the Culture team at Iron City Comic Con Saturday, June 1st & Sunday, June 2nd in Birmingham, Alabama. Get your tickets online at IronCityComicCon.com .

This week, acclaimed actor and mental health advocate, Sean Astin, joins for an enjoyable and thought-provoking conversation on several topics including his personal & family journey over the last year and a half, our re-engagement in society, our daily rhythms, how we engage with our mental wellness, and the benefits of living with a spirit of playfulness. Sean also shares powerful mental health insights on stigma, empathy and the sometimes unintentional condemnation of mental illness, from his perspective as the son of Patty Duke, who both navigated mental illness and was strong mental health advocate. A genuine and honest conversation, challenging all of us to examine how we approach and talk about mental health and mental illness, the importance of hope, and the benefit of focusing on how to effectively navigate mental health challenges. We’ll even hear quotes from a well-known hobbit “guest” speaking to community and the importance of holding onto the good, amidst many of the challenges we may face.

Special Holiday deal! Every purchase of a 2-year plan will get you 4 additional months free. Just go to https://nordvpn.com/retroreplay and use our coupon code RETROREPLAY at checkout. Merry Christmas! It's the Holiday Season! Let's do a show, do a show, do a show! This week on Christmas Eve, Nolan North sits down with the one-and-only, Sean Astin (The Goonies, Lord of the Rings, Rudy, 50 First Dates, Stranger Things) for a chat about The Goonies and his wide array of film roles, favorite Christmas Movies, and much, much more! We also have two new Exclusive Uncharted Movie Photos to unveil! Witness Drew nerd out trying to solve the mystery behind these photos. Get ready! This is RETRO REPLAY. Let's Play! Watch the original episode on YouTube . Support the channel: https://www.youtube.com/retroreplay/join We have merch! Shirts, hoodies, pins! https://retroreplayshow.com/shop/ Check out the RETRO REPLAY website and sign up for our newsletter. Follow Retro Replay on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook . Follow Nolan North on Twitter and Instagram . And finally follow producers Drew Lewis & PJ Haarsma .

M. Night Shyamalan is one of the most polarizing directors in the business today, so how did his latest film 'Split' do under the critical breakdown of our critics. On the second half of the show, movie critic Dewey Singleton and Matt Sardo interview Ice Cube about his latest film 'Fist Fight,' and we close out the show with a conversation with 'Goonies' legend Sean Astin. Ice Cube interview at 45:20 Sean Astin interview at 54:23 Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 107 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here. Do you want to be our SUPER-FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible. Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show? Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.