Patty Duke continues to twin with her look-alike grandaughter

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Duke became a champion for mental health and challenged internal shame by openly sharing her story. She had to endure the wolves of Hollywood at a young age – but decided to speak up and help others.

Patty Duke was strong woman who overcame life with willpower and a fury of determination – and her legacy lives on today.

Duke reprising her role as Cathy Lane in a series of U.S. government Social Security promotions for filing for Social Security online, 2011

Son and granddaughter

Her son, actor Sean Astin, joined her in bringing awareness to mental health and later founded The Patty Duke Mental Health Initiative in her honor.

Astin is known for his roles in Hollywood Hits like The Goonies, Rudy, and in Stranger Things.

He also played Samwise Gamgee, a fictional hobbit in the epic The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, his real-life daughter Ali Astin, played his on-screen daughter, Eleanor Gamgee.

Decades later, Ali, who recently graduated Harvard, has also become an actor who’s causing quite a stir amongst fans.

Patty Duke, meanwhile, who died in 2016, has been immortalized by her popularity; fans still see images of her graceful, ageless beauty.

Interestingly, Ali looks just like her grandmother, or her “nana,” as she lovingly calls her.

In December 2017, on what would have been Duke’s 71st birthday, Ali posted a side-by-side photo of her and her nana, with a birthday tribute that read:

“This is the last text my nana ever sent me, I had just gotten my first big review: ‘Ali dear, Pops and I are so proud of you. Congrats on your rave review. Wish we could have seen you. We’re not surprised that you did so well. We think of you all the time. We love and miss you a ton.’”

Fans chimed in with thoughtful comments. One said “You look so much like her. Beautiful,” while one posted “You look so much like her. Loved Patty.” Another simply wrote, “Twins.”

Ali, an aspiring actor, played roles in the films Bad Kids of Crestview Academy (2016) and Apocalypse Society (2017). Being on screen comes naturally to her and her family. In addition to her grandmother and father, her mother is Christine Astin, an Oscar nominee for the short film, Kangaroo Court, directed by Sean Astin. Her grandfather, John Astin, played Gomez in the 1964 TV series The Addams Family, and her uncles Mackenzie Astin and Ray Duke also had roles in TV and in film.

“Now, the snarfblatt dates back to prehysterical times, when humans used to sit around and stare at each other all day.”-Scuttle (The Little Mermaid)

Recently, Ali posted photos again appealing to fans of her Nanna.

One fan said, “Lil Miss Patty Duke!! Your grandma would be proud”

And to another photo, a fan commented: “You remind me of your Grandmother in that photo.”

As a little girl in ‘60s, I loved Patty Duke! She was inspiring to me and others, both for her talent and outspokeness!

It’s really cool to see how her spirit lives on in her children and grandchildren – share this article on Facebook if you agree.