Sean Astin left 'traumatised' by Patty Duke's on-set 'flip out'
Oscar-winning actor Patty Duke died in 2016 aged 69, with Lord of the Rings star Sean remembering some of the harder times growing up as her son during an interview with The Guardian.
Sean Astin was left “traumatised” when his mother “flipped out” at a crew member following a rude comment made about him.
Oscar-winning actor Patty Duke died in 2016 aged 69, with Lord of the Rings star Sean remembering some of the harder times growing up as her son during an interview with The Guardian.
He told the newspaper that Patty accompanied him to one of his sets as a young actor, although declined to name which project it was, and didn’t hold back after hearing one of the crew members “mumbling something about ‘the kid’s got f****** marble in his mouth”.
He said: “My mom flipped out. Her upset was way more traumatic than me not having even heard this mildly disparaging thing that this guy had whispered to himself.
“That is the level of mama-bear protection that she had. She was only 4 feet 11 inches, but she scared the s*** out of people.”
Sean added of Patty’s over-proactive nature: “I think she wanted to rectify the pain and trauma of her childhood by raising a child who could have a similar experience absent that trauma.”
Following Patty’s death in 2016, Sean shared a picture of her with him as a child on his Facebook, writing: “I love you mom.
“This morning, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, matriarch and the exquisite artist, humanitarian, and champion for mental health, Anna PATTY DUKE Pearce, closed her eyes, quieted her pain and ascended to a beautiful place.
“We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life.”
Patty made a name for herself in Hollywood after starting out as a child in soap operas and commercials.
It was her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker that led to her winning an Academy Award - becoming the youngest person in a competitive category to do so at the time.
She went on to host her own series The Patty Duke Show, as well as acting opposite some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Laurence Olivier.
