New Delhi, Sept. 13 -- Actor Sean Astin, best known for his roles in 'Rudy', 'The Goonies', and 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, has been elected president of SAG-AFTRA, the major American actors' union. He succeeds Fran Drescher, who did not seek re-election.

Astin won a landslide victory, earning 79% of the vote, defeating Chuck Slavin, who ran an independent campaign focused on challenging the union's leadership. Slavin, a member of the union's New England local board, secured just 21% of the vote.

Astin ran as part of a coalition called "The Coalition", which brought together members from traditionally opposing groups within the union, as well as those not affiliated with any specific faction. The effort appeared to pay off, with As...