Sean Astin has stepped into a role once held by his mother, Patty Duke, as he was elected president of SAG-AFTRA on Friday—37 years after she left the same post.

The ‘Lord of the Rings’ star will now lead the 160,000-member performers’ union alongside Michelle Hurd, his running mate, who was chosen as secretary-treasurer. Astin won the presidency with nearly 80 percent of the vote, while rival Chuck Slavin secured just over 20 percent. Hurd captured about 65 percent support against Peter Antico, who finished with more than 35 percent.

Turnout for the national election was notably low, with only 17.34 percent of ballots cast—down from 22.84 percent in 2023 and 26.49 percent in 2021.

Astin struck an optimistic tone in his victory statement:

“Now is a time for optimism and creativity. I am thrilled that the members have allowed me to lead our storied organization out of this challenging moment and into a future defined by confidence, progress and fierce advocacy,” Astin said in a statement. “I’m excited to get to work.”

The pair campaigned on a shared platform that emphasized bringing production back to the U.S., strengthening health and pension access, prioritizing residuals in contract talks, and expanding safeguards against AI. Their approach builds on the direction set by outgoing president Fran Drescher, who chose not to seek another term. Both Astin and Hurd previously served on the 2023 negotiating committee and the national board under Drescher’s leadership.

Drescher, who helped unite two historically opposed factions in the 2023 election during the union’s strike, set a precedent that Astin’s “Coalition 2025” slate followed. Astin had once belonged to Membership First, while Hurd came from Unite for Strength—longtime rivals who are now allied under his leadership.

By contrast, their challengers Slavin and Antico campaigned on sweeping changes, criticizing vaccine mandates on union productions and questioning Astin’s past non-union work on ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ Slavin also advocated for an overhaul of AI protections and broader health plan access.

Local leadership contests wrapped up as well: Joely Fisher, the current secretary-treasurer, was elected president of SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles chapter, while Ezra Knight secured the same role in New York.

Astin and Hurd will soon have to pivot from election celebrations to preparing for the 2026 film and television contract talks. Those negotiations—the first since the 2023 strike—are expected to begin next year ahead of the union’s current contract expiring on June 30, 2026.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which negotiates on behalf of studios and streaming companies, quickly released a statement welcoming the new leadership:

“We look forward to working with President Astin to address the issues most important to SAG-AFTRA performers while promoting stability and opportunity across our industry.”

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