Last night, The Orville changed everything up and planted the seeds for a peace treaty no one expected. However, an old friend of Lt. Gordon’s (Scott Grimes) showed up and threatened all efforts at peace.
But, who plays Orin on The Orville? The answer is a member of a legendary acting family — Mackenzie Astin.
Who plays Orin on The Orville?
Mackenzie Astin took on the role of Orin on the latest episode of The Orville. If the name sounds familiar, it should.
He is the brother of Sean Astin, who fans best know as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also happened to portray the most inspirational American sports movie character in history in the movie Rudy.
The Astin brothers also have some legendary parents. Their mother is none other than iconic actress Patty Duke, who was both a major movie star (Valley of the Dolls) and an even bigger TV star (The Patty Duke Show).
Their dad is John Astin, who is best known as Gomez Addams on The Addams Family TV show. He also had roles in popular films like West Side Story and National Lampoon’s European Vacation.
Before we post a new @RealGilbertACP episode tomorrow, a final "thank you." Based on the response to the JOHN ASTIN interview, you loved hearing it as much as we loved doing it. Special thanks to John and to @MackenzieAstin and @SeanAstin for making it a reality! @realgilbert pic.twitter.com/wW3uPE0KdP
— Frank Santopadre (@Franksantopadre) February 24, 2019
As for Mackenzie Astin, he may not have the fame of his brother, but he has been a huge success in Hollywood anyway. While his movie roles are limited, he has been in a ton of television shows.
His biggest success came recently. He starred as Noah Baker in Scandal, Richard in The Magicians and Bill Dunn in Homeland. Add in guest spots in shows like NCIS, Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, Psych, Without a Trace, and more, and he is a face most people might recognize.
Who was Orin on The Orville?
Orin was a sad story on The Orville. He was an old friend of Gordon that everyone thought was dead. His wife died in an attack by the Krill and he had been held a prisoner for years.
He finally escaped and used the blood of an alien, one that he claimed was his daughter, to destroy some Krill ships, killing countless members of their race.
He wanted revenge and not peace and that put him in the way of The Orville and their attempts at a peace treaty.
Orin won’t be back, as he died at the end of the episode when Gordon stopped him from escalating the war by killing more Krill.
The Orville airs on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. EST on Fox.