Sean Astin Announces a Major Career First That Fans Say Is 'Everything'
Sean Astin has already brought plenty of iconic characters to life—like Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. But now, the actor is officially taking on Santa Claus as his next role, playing the well-known figure in his Broadway debut in Elf this holiday season.
The official Instagram account for Elf shared the news with fans, writing, "Santa! I know him! Oscar nominee Sean Astin will be making his Broadway debut as Santa in @elfonbroadway this holiday season!"
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The casting is already making waves, with plenty of excited fans celebrating the news.
"This is everything," declared one fan in the comments, as others chimed in to say, "Let’s goo samwiseeeee," "Ho ho ho yes," and "That’s fantastic!"
Another praised the Goonies star for finally venturing to Broadway before referencing one of Astin's other famous roles as they wrote, "I'm dying!!!! Been wanting RUDY to be a musical for a while. This is my chance to pitch it to him."
More fans cheered, "Oh I love this 🔥🔥," and "SLAYYY."
The news comes not long after the show cast its title character, with Grey Henson playing the happy elf named Buddy. Henson previously played Elder McKinley in the first U.S. tour of The Book of Mormon and originated the role of Damian in Mean Girls on Broadway.
As of writing, Astin and Henson are the only cast members who have been announced.
Previews for Elf start on Nov. 9, with the official opening night on Nov. 17, as reported by Deadline. The show will have a limited run, ending on Jan. 4, 2025.
Next: Corey Feldman Reveals Little-Known Fact About Goonies Cast Almost 40 Years Later