The Shift: Sean Astin, Kristoffer Poaha Have Surprising Answers About What They’d Be Doing in Another Life

The Shift was released this weekend, and the faith-based sci-fi/thriller is a loose retelling of Job that follows Kristoffer Polaha (Wonder Woman 1984) as Kevin Garner, a man who travels dimensions to reunite with his true love, Molly, played by Elizabeth Tabish (The Chosen). The film also features Neal McDonough (Arrow) as the villainous “Benefactor” while Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) plays Gabriel, a friend Kevin makes in an apocalyptic landscape. ComicBook.com recently had the chance to chat with Astin and Polaha, and they talked about what they might be doing in an alternate universe.

“Oh man,” Polaha replied with a laugh. “I always assume it’s the worst thing,” Astin replied. “Good question. It’s like, yeah, I’d be in prison for all the things,” Polaha joked. “There was a part of me that wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon,” Polaha revealed. “This idea of staying home – I grew up in Reno, Nevada – and I left early. I left at 14. I went to a boarding school and I realized I wanted to be an actor around 14.”

“‘Actor,’ ‘orthopedic surgeon,’ I get it,” Astin joked, pretending to weigh the options.

“I literally left the medical dream behind and pursued this crazy passion that literally took me around the world, and it’s been nonstop. The energy block has been the same since I was 14 years old and I’m 46,” Polaha continued. “And it’s been a continuum of energy, of like pursuing this thing that I love. It would be interesting to ‘shift’ in and see little Kristoffer who still skis every winter at Mount Rose, in Reno, married the girl I went to elementary school with that I had a crush on. You know, that would be interesting. I’d be curious. Mom and Dad would be happy. All my brothers would be stoked.”

“It makes me claustrophobic to think of it,” Astin admitted. “Because you think, you know, you want to get back. It’s your thing and you want to get back. You want to get back to the one that it’s supposed to be. So I remember a moment … I had just been at the White House and I was being impaneled in this volunteerism council, basically.”

Astin went on to recall taking an oath and being sworn in for this council before getting an intriguing proposition. 

“I just remember we went, and being in one of these swanky-doos in Georgetown. It was like there were yachts out in front and there was cru d’etat, and people there, and I was just like, ‘What am I doing here?’ And these guys from the AARP came up to me and they said, ‘If you’re serious about this issue, we can get you in front of bigger audiences.’ And to me, they were basically saying, ‘We’re gonna put you on the presidential track.’ And I was like, ‘I’m not ready for this.’”

Astin added, “I wonder what would have happened if I would have been more ready … I could have been out there running for office.” 

Brock Heasley wrote and directed The Shift, which is now playing in theaters. The film stars Kristoffer Polaha, Neal McDonough, Elizabeth Tabish, Rose Reid, John Billingsley, Paras Patel, Jordan Alexandra, and Sean Astin.