Summary
- Astin’s portrayal of Samwise Gamgee in
The Lord of the Rings
is beloved for imbuing the character with heart, courage, loyalty, and humor. - Sam’s emotional monologues and selfless actions, like refusing to let Frodo go alone to Mordor, define his heroic journey.
- Astin’s performance in Sam’s emotional farewell to Frodo in
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
showcases their deep, vulnerable friendship.
Sean Astin’s performance in The Lord of the Rings films helped solidify Samwise Gamgee as an all-time beloved fictional character. Astin further elevated the enduring character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, imbuing Sam with heart, courage, loyalty, humility, and a sense of humor that makes it easy to invest in his journey. Sam proved to be the ultimate friend and ally through his actions and the sacrifices he made to help Frodo (Elijah Wood).
While Astin has had many prominent roles outside The Lord of the Rings, including Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger in Rudy, and Bob Newby in Stranger Things, the actor is still primarily associated with his iconic portrayal of Sam. Throughout Peter Jackson’s trilogy, Astin helped bring Sam’s best moments to life, from brave acts of heroism and emotional monologues to talking about how much he missed a preferred cooking ingredient. It is with good reason that Sam is considered one of the best characters in The Lord of the Rings.
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10 Talking About The Many Uses Of Potatoes
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
One of Sam’s best comedic moments is during The Two Towers, when he expresses how much he misses potatoes and their many uses. In a story filled with epic action and visually captivating fantasy, a character passionately talking about something as mundane as potatoes stands out and feels refreshing. The scene is made even funnier by Sam’s emphatic delivery and phonetic breakdown of the word “potatoes” when speaking to Gollum (Andy Serkis).
This would have been enough to make the scene memorable, but it is taken a step further with the specificity Sam adds, describing how one can “boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew,” along with a fond remembrance of “lovely, big, golden chips with a nice piece of fried fish.” Gollum is leading Frodo and Sam to Mordor via a path few others know of, and yet, he is flummoxed by what Sam initially refers to as “taters.” All these elements make the humorous scene between Sam and Gollum a standout moment.
9 “If I Take One More Step, This Will Be The Farthest Away From Home I’ve Ever Been.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
In the book A Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, the author breaks down how part of the hero’s journey is when the hero leaves their ordinary world behind and crosses the threshold into adventure. This scene is a perfect example of this step in the hero’s journey for both Sam and Frodo. Sam struggles to leave behind the ordinary world of the Shire and cross the threshold to what lies beyond his home, and even though Frodo is more eager to do so, it is still a pivotal moment for him.
Unlike Frodo, who craved adventure and wanted to go on one like his Uncle Bilbo Baggins did, Sam did not have that same desire, and was content to remain in the comfort of the Shire. It is touching to see Frodo acknowledging the momentous nature of Sam taking his furthest step away from home yet and helping him do so, but Sam’s ability to move beyond what he knows also demonstrates his bravery. For his friend, Sam is willing to leave everything behind and help him.
8 Saying Goodbye Before Frodo Leaves For The Undying Lands
The Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King
It is emotional seeing Frodo leave Middle-earth forever and saying his final goodbyes to Sam, Pippin (Billy Boyd), and Merry (Dominic Monaghan), but his final moments with Sam are particularly emotional. Astin’s delivery of the line “what does he mean?” when Gandalf (Ian McKellen) says “it is time” for Frodo to leave already makes the scene sad. When Frodo explains what is happening and Sam tearfully says, “You don’t mean that, you can’t leave,” the scene goes from sad to utterly heartbreaking to watch.
It is a beautiful scene in which male friends are unafraid to be emotionally vulnerable with each other.
It is fitting that Sam is the first and last of the group that Frodo bids farewell to before he boards the boat, and that Sam is the last one to leave the docks after the boat sails away. It is a beautiful scene in which male friends are unafraid to be emotionally vulnerable with each other. The depth of their farewell feels earned after everything they endured together, and Astin’s performance helps give the scene the weight that it needs.
7 Refusing To Let Frodo Travel To Mordor Alone
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
Frodo tries to pull a classic hero move as he takes on a burden alone, insistent that he go to Mordor on his own, and that none of his friends will have to get hurt by helping him anymore. Sam, of course, refuses to let Frodo go to Mordor alone, wading into deep waters even though he cannot swim in order to reach Frodo. When Frodo pulls Sam out of the water, Sam makes it clear that his actions are not about being a hero, but to honor the promise he made to help his best friend.
There is a moving simplicity in Sam explaining that he promised Gandalf to never leave Frodo’s side during their journey and to look out for him. Sam never had any intentions of breaking his promise, regardless of the dire threats they faced along the way. Despite the death of Boromir (Sean Bean), the Uruk-hai kidnapping Merry and Pippin, and the fellowship breaking, The Fellowship of the Ring is still able to end on a hopeful note, largely because of Sam.
6 Returning Home
The Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King
Sam brings hope to the endings of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. In The Return of the King, he closes out the trilogy with an earned sense of peace and contentment when he returns home to be reunited with his wife and his children, which is further enhanced by the calming music composed by Howard Shore, and narration from Frodo, revealing the inspiring message he left in the book he gave to Sam.
It is a rare ending that is satisfying and does not leave the audience wanting more, while also emphasizing that Sam’s story will continue to go on.
No one deserved a happy ending more than Sam, and it is fulfilling to see him enjoying that, and knowing he will enjoy it for many years to come. It is a rare ending that is satisfying and does not leave the audience wanting more, while also emphasizing that Sam’s story will continue to go on. Astin’s performance helps ensure that the perfect film trilogy ends on a deservingly perfect note, further solidifying the epic tale as one of the greatest stories ever told.
5 Joining The Fellowship
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
After the grand pronouncements that Gandalf, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimili (John Rhys-Davies), and Boromir make about joining Frodo in his quest, it is delightful to see this juxtaposed with Sam running out from behind the bushes and joining them as well. He does not need to swear on a prized weapon that he will defend Frodo’s life, as he has already proven his fierce loyalty and dedication on numerous occasions. Instead, there is just the simple declaration of, “Mr. Frodo’s not going anywhere without me.”
Not every great moment needs to be filled with drama or deep emotion. The combination of humor and the power of his connection to Frodo is enough to make this a great Sam moment, as he casually joins a perilous undertaking that will forever change him and his friends. He is not as clueless as Pippin, who does not even know where the fellowship is headed, but Sam still jumps in without having the full picture because of how much he cares for Frodo.
4 Fighting Shelob
The Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King
Sam is not a warrior, but that does not stop him from leaping into action and fighting the giant spider Shelob in order to save Frodo. Much of the fighting does not go smoothly, as Shelob sends Sam flying through the air and knocks him down. Despite all these challenges, Sam refuses to give up, and is ultimately able to stab and wound Shelob grievously enough that she crawls back into her lair, ensuring that neither Sam nor Frodo will perish at her hands.
Shelob will appear in
The Rings of Power
season 2, with Isildur having to confront her.
The Lord of the Rings often shows the perils of underestimating certain individuals, from Hobbits being constantly underestimated, to Saruman (Christopher Lee) underestimating the Ents. Shelob certainly underestimated Sam, which she only realized too late was a grave mistake. Sam went from being a gardener who had never left the Shire to someone who took on the monstrous Shelob and won, which is only one of his many heroic feats during his journey.
3 Rescuing Frodo From The Tower Of Cirith Ungol
The Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King
Sam’s newfound battle prowess continues beyond fighting Shelob as he infiltrates the Tower of Cirith Ungol and confronts multiple Orcs. It is fitting that Sam momentarily appears before the Orc with the looming reflection of his shadow and the echoing sound of his grunting, making him seem larger than life itself. Sam’s heroism and the incredible feats he has achieved since his humble beginnings is a larger-than-life tale of its own.
Even when the shadow disappears and the Orcs see Sam, he does not lose his courage as he dispatches all three of them in the stairwell in the names of Frodo, the Shire, and his father. This is a great reminder that as far as Sam has ventured from home since the beginning of the trilogy, he has not forgotten his roots and the people who matter to him most. There is an endearing authenticity to Sam that makes his bravest moments even more impactful.
2 Carrying Frodo Up Mount Doom
The Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King
Sam declaring that “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!” is not only one of his character’s best moments, but is one of the best moments in the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. He could not carry the One Ring himself, but he still took on a heavy burden as he carried Frodo on his back while ascending the slopes of Mount Doom. Sam managed this feat while he was clearly exhausted, dehydrated, and starving, and yet he persevered and supported Frodo when he needed Sam the most.
Astin should have received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in
The Return of the King
, with this being the scene played during the Academy Awards to highlight why he was nominated.
It is impossible to not watch this scene without feeling inspired and emotional. Astin should have received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Return of the King, with this being the scene played during the Academy Awards to highlight why he was nominated. Even though he did not receive a nomination, this scene has endured beyond the scenes performed by many other Academy Award winners.
1 His Hopeful Monologue
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Sam’s greatest moment is the hopeful monologue he delivers during the ending of The Two Towers. His reminder that “there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for” is an uplifting sentiment, and it rings true as his monologue plays over scenes of the heroes proving victorious at Helm’s Deep and Isengard. In a moment of despair, Sam knows how to say exactly the right thing, with hopeful words that have deep sincerity behind them.
The monologue not only works well in the context of The Lord of the Rings, but can be a valuable reminder in everyday life. Regardless of what happens, there will always be good people and goodness in the world, and that alone is a fundamental truth worth fighting for and defending. Sam represents much of that goodness in The Lord of the Rings, and provides much of the heart and soul within the beloved fantasy story that has stood the test of time.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
Movie(s) The Lord of the Rings (1978) , The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring , The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers , The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug , The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies , The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim Created by J.R.R. Tolkien First Film The Lord of the Rings (1978) Cast Norman Bird , Anthony Daniels , Elijah Wood , Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler , Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Sean Bean , Ian Holm , Andy Serkis , Brad Dourif , Karl Urban , Martin Freeman , Richard Armitage , James Nesbitt , Ken Stott , Benedict Cumberbatch , Evangeline Lilly , Lee Pace , Luke Evans , Morfydd Clark , Mike Wood , Ismael Cruz Cordova , Charlie Vickers , Markella Kavenagh , Megan Richards , Sara Zwangobani , Daniel Weyman , Cynthia Addai-Robinson , Lenny Henry , Brian Cox , Shaun Dooley , Miranda Otto , Bilal Hasna , Benjamin Wainwright , Luke Pasqualino , Christopher Guard , William Squire , Michael Scholes , John Hurt TV Show(s) The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Expand