Fans react to ‘Samwise Gamgee’ actor Sean Astin joining Democratic National Convention roll call

Fans joked that Astin was associated with his "Stranger Things" role over his iconic "Lord of the Rings" character.

It might be Middle America instead of Middle Earth, but Sean Astin, best known as Samwise Gamgee, is stepping up to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.

On August 21, several celebrities, including Astin, participated in the official nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Delegations from all 50 states and several territories voiced their support for Harris and her running mate, with Astin among them.

Astin took to social media on Tuesday to announce his plans to be in Indiana on Wednesday to support Harris' presidential campaign. The "Lord of the Rings" star shared a black-and-white video from downtown Chicago on X (formerly Twitter), expressing his commitment to the cause.

“I just decided that I needed to get out and start campaigning for Kamala Harris for President. I got back from overseas yesterday, and I was gonna head home and be with my beautiful wife and my gorgeous children,”Astin said in the video.

“And then I remembered that I fashion myself some sort of a leader; at least in my own mind. And the only kind of leadership that means anything anymore is leadership by example.”

He concluded his post with the hashtag "#Astin4Harris."

Astin had also participated in the July 29 "White Dudes for Harris" Zoom call, which organizers claim raised over $4 million for Harris' campaign.

Though he didn't specify where in Indiana he would be on Wednesday, the "Goonies" actor has strong ties to the state. He starred in "Rudy," the sports movie set at the University of Notre Dame, and appeared in the Netflix sci-fi horror series "Stranger Things," set in a fictional Indiana town.

Fans on X had a humorous response to the convention, joking about how Astin was recognized for his role in "Stranger Things" over his iconic "Lord of the Rings" character. One fan wrote, “SAMWISE THE BRAVE DID NOT GO WITH FRODO INTO THE VERY FIRES OF MOUNT DOOM TO BE REFERRED TO AS ‘BOB FROM STRANGER THINGS.’”

Other fans expressed excitement at seeing him alongside Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter and Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, with one sharing, “I’ve seen a lot of movies, and I gotta say… when Wonder Woman, Luke Skywalker, & Samwise Gamgeee are on the same side, it’s usually the good side.”