Actor Sean Astin’s most famous movie roles have been underdogs — he played a diminutive hobbit who helped save the world from evil in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and an improbably small Notre Dame footballer in “Rudy.”

He’s no less of a dark horse in his new role: campaign manager for Democrat Daniel Adler, an entertainment executive running in a special election in California to replace Rep. Jane Harman (D).

The AP reports that Astin’s pal and boss, Adler, is among 16 candidates, including several frontrunners.