By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Wednesday, September 03, 2025

When deciding whether to accept a role in a film or TV series, Hollywood veteran Mackenzie Astin asks himself a simple question: Does this story matter?

“I’ve been lucky through my ups and downs to continue to be rewarded by the gift of being born to parents who were already successful in show business,” the 52-year-old California native told The Christian Post. “But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized you have to ask yourself, 'What projects really matter, what stories are worth telling.'”

That philosophy has guided Astin, who began acting at 9 years old, through decades of work across television and film, from his early years on “The Facts of Life” to later appearances in “The Magicians” and the Emmy-nominated HBO series “The Pitt.”

It’s also what drew him to "The Short Game," an independent family drama about sacrifice, brotherhood and resilience.

Directed by first-time filmmaker Frank Sanza, the movie follows Jeremy Avery (Ben Krieger), a teenage golf prodigy chasing a college scholarship. His ambitions are tested when he must care for his autistic brother, Ethan (played by Owen Himfar), and support a mother recovering from cancer. Along the way, Jeremy learns that victory on the golf course pales next to the victories that come from loyalty and love.

Astin, who joked it’s “golf-dad summer” given the influx of golf-related shows and series released this year, told CP he saw in the script something that went beyond sports drama.

“Once I read the script and recognized a lot of stuff that I think is valuable to share, I was excited to jump on board,” he said. “Frank is a good guy speaking from his heart and telling a story that’s dear to him. Any opportunity to work on an independent film that comes from such a pure and good place is an opportunity well met.”

The actor said he was particularly moved by the film’s decision to cast Himfar, a young actor on the autism spectrum, as Ethan.

“That was one of the very appealing things about the project for me,” he said. “They intended from the get-go to hire a performer who himself was on the spectrum. Owen’s performance is fantastic. He brought a lot of light to the project, and I think the cast and crew alike left the film better people for having worked with him.”

Astin underscored the importance of such representation. “In the past, the cynical point of view might have been, ‘Oh, it’s going to be too much trouble,’” he said. “But that wasn’t the case. Owen did a heck of a good job with a lot of responsibility for a young man. We were all better off for the decision to hire him.”

Though “The Short Game” is set against the backdrop of golf, Astin sees the story less as an athletic drama and more as a meditation on character.

“There’s a line where Ethan taps his head and says, ‘This is your only competition,’” Astin noted. “Golf is singular in that sense. It’s not necessarily a team effort, though you can argue the golfer and caddy relationship is a team. Sports can wonderfully represent the challenge we all face in terms of having faith in our own abilities and trusting they’ll be rewarded in the long run.”

The production itself required its own kind of endurance; shot in Texas heat, much of it on golf courses, the conditions tested cast and crew alike, according to Astin. “Mad props to the crew for enduring the conditions and putting together what is, I think, a pretty good little film,” he said.

At the heart of the film is the line: “You’ve been given a gift, and it’s up to you how you’re going to use it.” Astin said he connected deeply with that idea.

“The gift I got was being born into a family already established in show business,” he said, referencing his parents, Patty Duke and John Astin, and his brother, “Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin. “It was through my family’s successes that I was able to start working as a young child. That connection has continued to be helpful. I’ve been lucky to still be working as an adult. There’s a lot of white in this mustache, and I’m grateful to still be around.”

“One of the most beautiful documents, in my opinion, is the call sheet,” he added. “No matter your position, you’re working with one another to accomplish the same goal. To exist within confines that elegant, to me, is a gift.”

Though “The Short Game” is family-friendly, Astin reflected on how not every role he's accepted has carried the same uplifting themes. At points in his career, he said, he had to take on parts that clashed with his values.

“I had a conversation with my dad once,” he said. “I was concerned about the kind of work I was going to get. My dad said, clear as day, ‘You have to ask yourself if you’re willing to dance with the devil for a little bit in order to pay the rent.’”

That meant playing darker roles on shows like “Criminal Minds,” and at first, Astin bristled. “I didn’t want to portray the guy who’s a rapist or a killer,” he said. “But then someone told me that watching one of those episodes helped them process their own trauma. It helped them become strong at the broken places. Though unpalatable, if portraying something awful can be turned into value, then that actually is a good thing.”

It was a lesson in humility, he said. “My ego was in the way. I worried what people would think about me. I failed to give the audience enough credit. There can be something good that comes from depictions of horrific events.”

By contrast, “The Short Game” gave Astin a chance to return to themes of grace, sacrifice and hope. 

“There are fundamental, universal themes in the film that are beautiful to me, the success of the human spirit, faith in yourself, faith in something outside of yourself,” he said. “Not everything in life is hunky-dory. You are going to be challenged. But faith helps you carry across the line, or, in golf terms, finish under par.”

That’s part of why Astin believes audiences will connect with it, especially families. “People will identify with it,” he said. “They’ll find encouragement in the fact that, yes, life is hard, but faith in yourself and others can carry you through.”

“Independent films like this come from a pure place,” Astin added. “They ask us to see one another with compassion. That’s something worth making, and something worth watching.”

"The Short Game" is now playing in select theaters.