The Voice of Sean Astin

Sean is a well-known figure on both the big and little screens, with several score roles to his credit besides his iconic Samwise, Rudy and Mikey. His voice is also well-known: among other projects, he was the beloved narrator of the first three seasons of Animal Planet’s “Meerkat Manor.” Parents of toddlers and pre-schoolers may recognize his voice (in a slightly higher register!) as the stuffed secret agent panda bear in Disney’s “Special Agent Oso.” He’ll also be heard later this year in the animated feature film “Ribbit” and a new “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” series on Nickelodeon.

Lesser known is that Sean has also done old-fashioned radio dramas—yes the kind you listen to on your radio! He has now done four episodes of the Twilight Zone™ Radio Dramas, based on the famous Rod Serling TV series from the 1960s. TZRD, begun in 2002, currently airs on almost 200 radio stations around the country as well as the XM and Sirius satellite networks. It's hosted by the solemn voice of actor Stacy Keach and features the voice talents of Jason Alexander, John Ratzenberger, Jane Seymour, Ed Begley, Jr., and many more.

Series producer and CEO of Falcon Picture Group, Carl Amari talked with us via telephone about Sean’s involvement with TZRD. According to Carl, Sean's first project with him was as narrator for “The Word of Promise: The Next Generation,” an audio dramatization of the New Testament aimed at young people.

Photo courtesy Carl Amari