A hobbit is about to infiltrate the cast of Fox’s “24.”

Sean Astin, best known as the hobbit Sam from The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, will join the cast of the TV drama in time for season five.

Reuters reports Astin, 34, will play a new addition to the Counter Terrorist Unit in the real-time TV drama series.

The fifth season will premiere with two episodes on January 8, 2006 and two more on January 9. The episodes will run from 8-10 p.m.

On January 16, the fifth “hour” of “24″ will air in the show’s regular 9 p.m. Monday slot.

The series picks up 18 months after the final episode of season four, leaving Keifer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer presumed dead, but actually living a new life with a new love interest and her son.

Astin has been working non-stop since The Lord of the Rings wrapped in 2003 – he currently has six films in production, most notably Click, with Christopher Walken and Adam Sandler, and the animated movie Cat Tale.






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