The NCIS Character You Likely Forgot LOTR Star Sean Astin Played
With four decades of experience in the entertainment industry, Sean Astin has become a national treasure. As Samwise Gamgee, he carries Frodo (Elijah Wood) up Mount Doom in "Lord of the Rings," and as Bob Newby, he dies in a heartbreaking fashion in "Stranger Things." Luckily for fans of the actor, his appearance on a major prime-time television drama isn't as emotionally wrought.
Taking a swing at the world of crime procedurals, "The Goonies" star appears in Season 9, Episode 18 of "NCIS," entitled "The Tell," where Astin joins an already stacked cast, including a guest arc from Jamie Lee Curtis as PsyOps leader Dr. Samantha Ryan. Ryan's take-charge attitude rubs some people the wrong way (namely Tony), but she endears herself to her protege, Tyler Elliott (Astin), who respects her deeply.
If Astin's addition to the cast of "NCIS" for just one episode seems out of place, it doesn't feel that way for the actor. "'NCIS' is legendary for having a very close-knit, family-style, hard-working, professional team," Astin told Entertainment Weekly, as reported by Outsider. "So being able to step in and participate with them, it makes you feel a little less like a free agent for a minute. It makes you feel like you're a part of something." Though the cast members were no Fellowship of the Ring, Astin was embraced by the long-running procedural.
The role was written for Astin
Sean Astin's Tyler Elliott only joins the NCIS team for a brief moment, after successfully faking an assassination on SECNAV Clayton Jarvis (Matt Craven). Ryan proudly introduces him to Gibbs (Mark Harmon), and soon he joins the effort to uncover a Naval blackmail plot. Elliott becomes central because Ryan prefers his talent to Tony's (Michael Weatherly) false bravado and volunteers him for investigation. Though he's a good-natured agent who gets along with Ziva (Cote de Pablo), replacing Tony for a time causes some conflict before the episode ends. But Astin's character is hard to dislike, something that is a common thread with the characters the actor usually plays, and "NCIS" creatives crafted the role specifically with Astin in mind.
"I've been a big fan of Sean's for years and this is a part we literally tailored for him," EP Gary Glasberg said in the Entertainment Weekly interview. "Jamie's character, Doctor Ryan, oversees a team of brilliant PsyOps agents and Sean will prove to be her go-to operative." Though Astin doesn't stick around for Curtis' entire arc, he was a breath of fresh air for a series that had been airing for almost a decade at that point. Astin's Elliott is unrufflable, offering a stark contrast to Tony's tiresome, arrogant schtick. His introduction into the universe is a satisfying change from the typical predictable fare of crime procedural land.