As part of Northern FanCon's perks, those in attendance could be part of the Q&A taking part on the mainstage. On Saturday afternoon Sean Astin, best known as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings, faced the audience to answer their questions as best he could.
Astin sat down with Citizen reporter, Frank Peebles, to offer some insight into his many roles, their impact not only on audiences world wide, but on himself as well.
Astin talked about believing that a lot of what he'd done before getting the role of Samwise Gamgee was preparing for what was to come and then even he seemed surprised at what he said next about reading the J.R.R. Tolkien books.
"It was the first time that I remember really being exposed to literature where I felt like I get it, I get what's happening here," Astin said.
He explained that he married Christine Harrell, who was from a down-to-earth family, and he always felt he had an earthy connection.
"Just like normal people, normal things, and something about reading Samwise in my intellectual understanding of the importance of agrarian life, something was fusing in me in the sense that the part of me that has just lived that is now connected to the idea of that," he explained.
Astin said he connected most while reading the books with the character of Samwise.
"What Sam appreciates, his being a friend, being faithful, being durable and constant - like all those things that Sam is, I think I would have resonated most with that character. People have come up to me for the last 20 years telling me that's what has meant the most to them, capturing that quality of that character in that story."
Astin said the author's use of language, word choice, and imagery in the book had an impact on him.
"I feel like it was all designed to make me feel confident about who I already was," Astin seemed shocked at what he had just revealed. "Is that a weird way to put that?" he asked Peebles, who sat on stage beside him.
"That's a brilliant way of putting it," Peebles responded.
"And he doesn't even know he did that for me," Astin said with a small shake of his head and a shrug of his shoulders. "Thank you, Professor Tolkien."
There's plenty more going on during Northern FanCon Saturday night and Sunday.
See the schedule by visiting fancon.ca.
