While his parents (actor-director John Astin and award-winning actress Patty Duke) pointed out the pitfalls of a show business career, handsome Mackenzie Astin nevertheless chose to act while still a youngster. Like his mother, he was able to make the transition from child player to adult performer after taking a short break to briefly attend college. Astin made his performing debut at age eight in the CBS TV-movie "Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal" in 1982. Three years later, he made a guest appearance on his mother's short-lived ABC sitcom "Hail to the Chief" before joining the cast of the NBC sitcom "The Facts of Life" as wayward youth Andy Moffett. While a popular figure among the Tiger Beat set, the actor segued to the big screen in the crude comedy "The Garbage Pail Kids Movie" (1987). After three seasons and a handful of other TV appearances, Astin took a break to complete high school and enroll at his father's alma mater Johns Hopkins University.The allure of acting proved too strong, however, and Astin dropped out of college to resume his career, appearing as Beverly D'Angelo's son in the based-on-fact drama "A Child Lost Forever" (NBC, 1992). He returned to features in the leading role of "Iron Will" (1994), a plucky early 20th Century teenager who enters a dogsled race to rescue his family from financial ruin. He later was featured as the aimless, teenaged father grandson of the overbearing Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) in the uneven "The Evening Star" (1996), a sequel of sorts to James L Brooks' superior "Terms of Endearment" (1984). Astin received some praise for his portrayal of Henry S. Villard, friend and romantic rival to Ernest Hemingway, in Richard Attenborough's overblown and empty romantic drama "In Love and War" (also 1996). In another based-on-fact tale, he played the victim of a violent shooting on a commuter train in the well-received 1998 NBC TV-movie "The Long Island Incident". Astin also contributed strongly to the ensemble of Whit Stillman's feature examination of early 80s night life "The Last Days of Disco" (1998).
Profession(s):
Actor
Sometimes Credited As:
Mackenzie Alexander Astin
Family
father:John Astin (born in 1930; starred in 1960s TV series "The Addams Family"; married to Patty Duke from 1972 to 1985)
half-brother:Kevin Michael Pearce (younger; parents, Patty Duke and Michael Pearce)
half-brother:Allen J Astin (born on March 23, 1961)
half-brother:David Astin (older)
half-brother:Sean Astin (born on February 25, 1971; mother, Patty Duke; father, Michael Tell; raised by John Astin)
half-brother:Thomas E Astin (born on March 19. 1965)
mother:Patty Duke (born in 1946; starred in 1960s TV series "The Patty Duke Show"; married to John Astin from 1972 to 1985)
2001 Played regular role in the NBC drama series "First Years"
1999 Had male lead in the "mockumentary" called "The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human"
1998 Co-starred in the NBC documdrama "The Long Island Incident"
1998 Appeared in the ensemble of Whit Stillman's "The Last Days of Disco"
1996 Co-starred as Shirley MacLaine's grandson in "The Evening Star"
1996 Portrayed Henry S Villard, friend of Ernest Hemingway, in Richard Attenborough's "In Love and War"
1994 First leading role in features, "Iron Will"
1992 Returned to acting in the TV-movie "A Child Lost Forever" (NBC)
1990 Left acting to attend Johns Hopkins University
1985 First worked with mother, Patty Duke, in an episode of the ABC sitcom "Hail to the Chief"
1985 - 1988 Appeared on the long-running NBC sitcom "The Facts of Life" as Andy Moffett
1982 Acting debut in the CBS TV-movie "Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal"
