Sean Astin Is Elected SAG-AFTRA President, Mr. Frodo

Samwise Gamgee can’t carry the One Ring, but he can carry the vote. Sean Astin was elected president of SAG-AFTRA, succeeded Fran Drescher in the role. His mother, Patty Duke, was also SAG-AFTRA president 37 years before Astin’s tenure. “Now is a time for optimism and creativity. I am thrilled that the members have allowed me to lead our storied organization out of this challenging moment and into a future defined by confidence, progress and fierce advocacy,” Astin said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m excited to get to work.”

Astin was elected alongside his running mate, Law & Order: SVU and Star Trek: Picard star Michelle Hurd. She will serve as secretary-treasurer. In her own statement, Hurd said “Our industry is at a transitional moment, and we are facing real challenges, but I am optimistic and ready to fight.”

Astin and Hurd ran on a joint platform of bringing production back to the U.S. and improved protections against A.I. They both served as members of the negotiating committee during the 2023 strike. In 2026, the pair will return to the bargaining table when guild’s current film and television deal expires.