20 years ago,The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingchanged cinema forever. The final film of Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy grossed a whopping $1.1 billion at the box office, making it the second-highest-grossing film of all time. On top of that, the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1955 novel won 11 Academy Awards out of 11 nominations, tyingBen-HurandTitanicfor the most Oscar wins ever. Its Best Picture win made it the first fantasy film to earn the coveted accolade, solidifying the film as not onlythe best of its genre, but also as one of the most influential movies ever made.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Considering all the accolades heaped onThe Return of the King, it may seem excessive to point out an area where the film was snubbed. But, the truth of the matter is that, despite all the technical Oscars the movie earned, it surprisingly received zero representation in any of the acting categories (throughout the entire three films, only Ian McKellan received an acting-related Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Gandalf inThe Fellowship of the Ring). There were so many fantastic performances inTRofK,but if there’s anyone who definitely deserved Oscar buzz for their acting in the third movie, it’sSean Astin.
Astin’s performance as Samwise Gamgee, the unassuming hobbit who played a crucial role in getting his best friend Frodo to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring and save all of Middle-earth, clearly merited acclaim at the highest level for its emotional resonance and its overall impact on the franchise. Here’s why Sean Astin deserved an Oscar nomination for his inspiring performance inThe Return of the King.
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Sam Has the Best Character Arc of the Series
The Return of the Kingpresents challenges for all ofits main characters, but let’s face it: the four hobbits – Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam – clearly have it the hardest of any members of The Fellowship, as they are all accustomed to their lives of safety and contentedness in The Shire. They’re not battle-tested like Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli. They don’t have magical powers and thousands of years worth of wisdom like Gandalf. To whittle it down even further, while Merry and Pippin have to deal with their fair share of hardships, the hardest leg of the journey is clearly left for Sam and Frodo. And, while Frodo is the one tasked with carryingthe ring, the sense of adventure that he inherited from his uncle Bilbo makes him a believable protagonist. Which leaves us with Sam.
Of the four hobbits, it is Sam who is the least compelled to go on the dangerous mission to Mount Doom. At the beginning of the epic adventure,he’s a humble gardener whose pretty much afraid of anything beyond the boundaries of his home. By the end, he’s dealt with unbelievable adversity, both physical (taking on a freakin' giant spider and climbing Mount Doom) and psychological (resisting the ring’s temptation and helping Frodo to do the same). Through the purest of motivations (loyalty to his friend) and with limited abilities and experience, Sam is able to accomplish almost impossible tasks, and it’s clear he exhibited the most growth of any other character. Even Tolkien himself considered Sam to be the “chief hero” of the story, and it’s hard to argue with the man responsible forThe Lord of the Ringsin the first place.
Related:Sean Astin Recalls Peter Jackson’s Brutal Critique on Lord of the Rings Set
Sean Astin Is the Emotional Glue That Holds the Film Together
The importance of Sam as a character inThe Lord of the Ringsrequired a resonant on-screen portrayal, and Sean Astin definitely delivered, particularly inThe Return of the King. It’s hard not to overstate the emotional depth that the star ofRudyandThe Gooniesbrings to Sam in the final film, from his sobbing heartbreak over Gollum’s brief corruption of Frodo to his sword-wielding moment of bravery in Shelob’s lair. And he does it all while pretty much nailing a very specific rural English accent.
Still, many Oscar-worthy performances can be encapsulated in a single scene, and the scene that should’ve earned Astin the nomination comes while Sam holds a weakened Frodo on the slopes of Mount Doom. His teary-eyed nostalgia over The Shire turns to fierce determination to get Frodo to complete his mission, culminating in the line, “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.” By the time Sam ascends the mountain with Frodo on his back, viewers are both crying and cheering. Peter Jackson called this scene “the heart” of the movie, and said that “if anybody is going to cry, that’s going to be the scene that will start them.” In just two minutes, Astin makes his case as the film’s best actor, despite other powerful performances from Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, and Viggo Mortensen.
Related:Watching One Lord of the Rings Scene Still Makes Sean Astin Cry
Astin Earned Great Acclaim for HisTRotKPerformance
Even though Sean Astin didn’t get major recognition at the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes forhis performanceas Sam inThe Return of the King, he still received a number of awards from reputable film organizations. Here’s a complete look at all of Astin’s wins and nominations forTRotK:
Nominations
Saturn Award - Best Supporting Actor
Chicago Film Critics Association Award - Best Supporting Actor
Critics Choice Award - Best Acting Ensemble (Shared with Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, and Elijah Wood)
Online Film Critics Society Award - Best Supporting Actor
Sierra Award (Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards) - Best Supporting Actor
Empire Award - Best Actor
National Board of Review Award - Best Acting by an Ensemble (Shared with Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, and Elijah Wood)
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Screen Actors Guild Award - Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (Shared with Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, and Elijah Wood)
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards - Best Ensemble Acting (Shared with Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, and Elijah Wood)
Seattle Film Critics Award - Best Supporting Actor
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award - Best Supporting Actor
Visual Effects Society Award - Outstanding Performance by a Male or Female Actor in an Effects Film
Online Film & Television Association Award - Best Supporting Actor
Utah Film Critics Association Award - Best Supporting Actor
Awards Circuit Community Award - Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Golden Schmoes Award - Best Supporting Actor of the Year
International Online Cinema Award - Best Supporting Actor
Gold Derby Film Award - Ensemble Cast (Shared with Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill · Ian Holm, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, and Elijah Wood)
