Happy Birthday Sean Astin, My "Cousin"

Feb. 25, 2011

Dear Sean Astin,

For so many years I would say you were my cousin. And my kids said you were their cousin. How did all this happen? My father, the ever-diligent genealogist discovered a link between our family (McCune-Midgley-Mackenzie) to your family (Astin-Midgley-Mackenzie). How exciting it was to watch Rudy and say, “Great job, cousin!” And then watch you portray the hobbit, Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings films. We’d tell our friends, “Our cousin is a hobbit!”

Even in 2009, just before my son was getting ready to go to “Middle Earth” (aka New Zealand), he was visiting Disneyland with his sisters and brother-in-laws. And who did they run into that day? No, not Mickey Mouse! You! How excited they were to tell you they were your cousins! Of course, you looked at them a little suspiciously but were kind enough to take a picture with them. Oh, it was a wonderful family story! The kind we wanted to hear about at every future family reunion, until the end of time.

But then everything changed. One day a few months ago I was reading about you on the interent and discovered that in 1994 you underwent DNA testing. It was revealed that John Astin was not really your biological father. Rock promoter, Michael Tell, whom your mother was married to briefly, was your biological father. I was happy to hear that you still consider John Astin to be your father, since he raised you. However, I was shocked! What? John Astin, the actor who portrayed Gomez Addams in the 60’s The Addams Family, was not your biological father? That’s who I am related to! Oh, Sean, what a sad, sad day it was to find out we are not really cousins.

Can we be “honorary cousins”? You are a wonderful actor, a fine human being; even one of the rare former child actors who doesn’t drink or do drugs. You’re married now, with three daughters. Dearest Sean, may I still call you “cousin?”

Happy 40^th Birthday

Regards, Your cousin, Mrs Love

PS. I am still your brother’s cousin…Mackenzie Astin. Unless another DNA test shows otherwise!