An acclaimed Hollywood actor is coming to Victoria later this month.
The characters Samwise Gamgee (“Lord of the Rings”), Rudy Ruettiger (“Rudy”), Mikey Walsh (“The Goonies”) and Bob Newby (Season 2 of “Stranger Things”) were all portrayed by Sean Astin. Astin will give a lecture and answer questions from the audience inside the Victoria Fine Arts Center at 11 a.m. on March 28. The event is free to the public.
Astin is the only guest of the 2022-23 Lyceum Lecture Series hosted by Victoria College. The event is scheduled to last an hour — a 15-minute question-and-answer session will follow a 45-minute presentation from Astin, according to Victoria College Director of Marketing and Communications Darin Kazmir.
“Sean will be talking about his experiences in filmmaking and his advocacy for mental health,” Kazmir said. “His mother, Patty Duke, became an advocate after being diagnosed with a bipolar mood disorder.”
According to Astin’s website, the actor has been credited in over 160 works since making his debut in 1981. An avid runner, Astin finished 12 marathons and two triathlons between 1998 and 2016.
Kazmir said seats will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis inside the Fine Arts Center, which seats 1,481 people. Students and faculty from the Victoria, Calhoun, Industrial and Nixon-Smiley independent school districts, as well as attendees from Sacred Heart Catholic School in Hallettsville, also are coming to the lecture.
“Victoria College has also revised its class schedule so students and faculty can attend the event,” Kazmir said.
According to Kazmir, the college is looking forward to hosting the event.
“We welcome people to join us,” Kazmir said.
Prior to cancellations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lyceum Lecture Series featured four speakers each year, Kazmir said. The upcoming lecture is the first since the 2019-20 academic year.
“The Lyceum’s mission is to bring the world to Victoria and for Victoria to hear the world tell its stories,” Kazmir said.
Kazmir is on a Lyceum Committee with 10 other faculty members and staff at Victoria College. He said the public is invited to suggest speakers for future lectures.
“We are already working on next year’s series,” Kazmir said. “We’re excited to bring back the Lyceum Lecture Series.”
