In March 2012, Astin played a cosmetic surgeon named Takin Mastuhmik in a fake movie trailer entitled "Boobathon" which appeared on Funny or Die. In March 2014, Astin played a soldier in "Boys of Abu Ghraib", a military thriller inspired by the events that made worldwide news in 2004. In June of that year, he began playing the role of Jim Kent on the FX drama "The Strain".