欧美视频

The 欧美视频 (UCM) campus, Warrensburg and surrounding communities are invited to hear from renowned actor and keynote speaker Sean Astin at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12, in the .

Known for his roles in 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings,鈥� 鈥淪tranger Things,鈥� 鈥淩udy鈥� and 鈥淭he Goonies,鈥� Astin will share experiences from his career, as well as topics close to his heart, such as mental health awareness and civic engagement.

 

The event is free and open to the public. Seating will be open; however, registration is requested to best serve the community. Please visit to register by April 5.

 

Son of Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke and acclaimed actor John Astin, Sean Astin has a film, television and stage career spanning four decades. 

Astin is an American actor, director, voice artist and producer best known for his roles as Samwise Gamgee in the 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings鈥� trilogy, Mikey Walsh in 鈥淭he Goonies,鈥� the title character in 鈥淩udy鈥� and Bob Newby in Netflix鈥檚 hit series, 鈥淪tranger Things.鈥� He is also the author of 鈥淭here and Back Again: An Actor鈥檚 Tale,鈥� a New York Times best-selling memoir of his film career, which he co-wrote with Joe Layden.

Along with the many awards bestowed upon Peter Jackson鈥檚 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings鈥� film trilogy, Astin received nominations for his performance. He took home the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor and awards from the Las Vegas Film Critics Society, the Seattle Film Critics Society, the Utah Film Critics Association and the Phoenix Film Critics Society. 

Since 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings,鈥� Astin has served on the board of several nonprofit organizations,  including the National Center for Family Literacy. He is a vocal advocate for literacy, mental health awareness, bipolar disorder awareness, civic engagement and other issues.

Astin鈥檚 keynote presentation is funded through the Oppenheimer Symposium Series Endowment, which was established in 1983 with a philanthropic gift to the . Its purpose is to promote and support liberal arts education, with an emphasis on innovative programmatic efforts.

Born in 1890 in St. Joseph, Missouri, Julius J. Oppenheimer attended Central Missouri in 1909. He later earned bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Ph.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

In 1919, he served as a high school principal in Windsor, Missouri, before becoming dean of the faculty at Stephens College in 1920. In 1930, he accepted a position as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisville, where he served until 1957.

Oppenheimer also taught during the summers at the universities of Missouri, Minnesota, Idaho and Ohio State. He dedicated his career to the study and advancement of education, serving as specialist in higher education with the High Commissioner鈥檚 Office, U.S. Department of State in Frankfurt, Germany, from 1951 to 1952. He also served on the board of trustees of the Lincoln Foundation of Kentucky and was an honorary Kentucky Colonel. 

Oppenheimer held a special place in his heart for UCM. His generosity has made it possible for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to enjoy outstanding educational experiences for decades, including hearing from a stellar list of international dignitaries, authors and scholars.

Ahead of Astin鈥檚 visit to campus, the Elliott Student Union Cinema will show 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings鈥� movie trilogy: 鈥淭he Fellowship of the Ring鈥� on April 3, 鈥淭he Two Towers鈥� on April 4 and 鈥淭he Return Of The King鈥� on April 5, all starting at 6 p.m.

For more information, please contact events@ucmo.edu or visit .