Sean Penn won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performances in Mystic River and Milk, and received Academy Award nominations as Best Actor for Dead Man Walking, Sweet and Lowdown, and I Am Sam. He has worked as an actor, writer, producer and director on over one hundred theater and film productions. His journalism has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, The Nation, and The Huffington Post. Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff is his first novel.
He served 32 days in jail in 1987 for hitting an extra.
He and Robin Wright lived together off and on for 7 years and had two children before their marriage in 1996.
They lost their home in the Malibu fire in November 1993.
Appeared with his brother Chris Penn in At Close Range , in which their actress mother, Eileen Ryan , played their grandmother.
Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1984" in John Willis Screen World, Vol. 36.
(October 1997) Ranked #76 in Empire magazines "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
Son of Leo Penn and Eileen Ryan.
Middle brother of musician Michael Penn and Chris Penn.
Moved to Marin County (North of San Francisco) to avoid raising his children in Hollywood.
Became a father for the 1st time at age 30 when his girlfriend [now 2nd ex-wife] Robin Wright gave birth to their daughter Dylan Penn on April 13, 1991.
Became a father for the 2nd time at age 32 when his girlfriend [now 2nd ex-wife] Robin Wright gave birth to their son Hopper Penn on August 6, 1993.
His son is named after two family friends, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson.
Brother-in-law of Aimee Mann.
Quit smoking for a while on his 40th birthday for health reasons. Prior to that, he was known as one of Hollywoods heaviest smokers, smoking at least four packs of cigarettes a day.
On September 11, 2004, he received the John Steinbeck award at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The award is given out by the San Francisco Chronicle and benefits San Jose State University. The evening included film clips and discussion with Peter Coyote. The biggest surprise of the night was that Bruce Springsteen (a longtime friend of Seans and the first recipient of the award) presented it to him.
His paternal grandparents were Ashkenazi immigrants (their families were from Russia and Lithuania). They ran a deli in New York for some time. His mothers heritage is half Italian and half Irish.
In October 2002, he bought a $56,000 ad in the Washington Post to publish an open letter to President George W. Bush asking him to slow down the march of war towards Iraq. He wrote it as a father of two children and as a son of a WW II veteran.
His father, Leo Penn , had been blacklisted in the 1950s for his political beliefs.
He and his family moved out of Hollywood to Marin County, north of San Francisco because he was "tired of a lot of aspects of Los Angeles, the main one being raising the kids in a company town".
His car, a limited-edition 1987 Buick Grand National, was stolen in Berkeley months after his return from Iraq. Among the lost contents were 2 guns.
He and director Clint Eastwood discussed the possibility of Sean starring in Blood Work . Though it didnt work out, they got the opportunity to work together later in Mystic River .
Andy Warhol was a guest during his August 16, 1985 marriage to Madonna.
A popular indie-band in The Netherlands is called "Seanpenn".
Briefly engaged to actress-photographer Pamela Springsteen , sister of Bruce Springsteen. The two were both in Fast Times at Ridgemont High .
Credits Malcolm McDowell as the best actor with whom hes worked.
As of 2005, the only actor to ever receive a Best Actor nomination for a Woody Allen film, besides Allen himself.
His performance as "Jeff Spicoli" in Fast Times at Ridgemont High is ranked #9 on Premiere Magazines 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Refuses to talk about his ex-wife Madonna in interviews. On her 1989 "Like A Prayer" album, she wrote a song about their failed marriage called "Till Death Do Us Part".
Was in the same acting class as Michelle Pfeiffer at the end of the 70s or early 80s.
Good friends with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich.
Wife Robin Wright filed papers for divorce after 11 years of marriage on December 21, 2007, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple is seeking joint custody of their two teenage children. In April 2008 they withdrew the petition.
Is an avid surfer.
2008s Jury president of Cannes Film Festival.
He toured Caracas, Venezuela, in August 2007 with President Hugo Chvez ,.
Former brother-in-law of Christopher Ciccone , Martin Ciccone , Paula Ciccone , Anthony Ciccone , Melanie Ciccone, Mario Ciccone, and Jennifer Ciccone.
Former son-in-law of Silvio Ciccone.
Milo Ventimiglia listed him as his favorite actor.
He and ex-wife Madonna s birthdays are a day apart. They married on her 27th birthday and he turned 25 the next day.
He is the 9th person to win 2 Academy Awards for Best Actor.
Is very good friends with Robert De Niro. The two share the same birthday and would often throw a joint birthday party together.
In October 2008, he traveled to Cuba where he met with and interviewed President Ral Castro.
(April 2009) Filed for divorce from Robin Wright , a year after they reconciled after she had filed for divorce in late 2007.
(May 2009) Requested to withdraw the papers he filed for legal separation from Robin Wright.
Lost out to Christopher Atkins for the role of Richard in The Blue Lagoon on the final day of auditions.
His publicist is Mara Buxbaum.
(August 2009) Robin Wright once again filed for divorce. She had previously stated in More magazine that, although they withdrew their divorce papers in early 2009, they are no longer together.
Born at 3:17 PM (PDT).
Flew to Haiti on January 21 2010 to help the relief effort after the earthquake.
Penns At Close Range director James Foley served as best man at Penn and Madonna s wedding.
In June 1987 Penn was sentenced to sixty days for probation violations including reckless driving and assault. The sentence was reduced to thirty-three days "in anticipation of good behavior." Penn served five days, was released to film a movie, and then served out the remainder of his sentence in private jail facilities for which he paid an extra eighty dollars per day.
Was ordered to complete 300 hours of community service and 36 hours of anger management therapy after being charged with misdemeanor vandalism. Penn reportedly kicked a paparazzi in the leg in October 2009 and was initially charged with battery and vandalism.
Is the subject of the song, "Sean Penn Blues", by Lloyd Cole & The Commotions.
(October 2011) Visited Egypt and Libya.
Ranks his good friend Philip Seymour Hoffman as one of the greatest actors of his generation (interview: "Piers Morgan Tonight" {(2011-10-14)} ).
Has openly declared that hed much rather direct movies than act in them (interview: "Piers Morgan Tonight" {(2011-10-14)} ).
The longest he has gone without an Oscar nomination if 5 years, between Mystic River and Milk .
Was engaged to Elizabeth McGovern. They met on the set of Racing with the Moon .
Directed one Oscar nominated performance: Hal Holbrook in Into the Wild .
(June 1988) Attended the Mike Tyson vs Michael Spinks fight at Trump Plaza on June 27th in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
(September 2003) Attended the Venice Film Festival in Italy on Sept. 5th.
(May 2008) Attended the 2008 Cannes Film Festival in France.
(February 2009) Attended the Cesar Film Awards in Paris, France on Feb. 27th.
Release of the book, "Sean Penn: His Life and Times" by Richard T. Kelly.
(May 2004) Attended the 2004 Cannes Film Festival in France.
(October 2007) Attended the BFI London Film Festival (on Oct. 25th) as well as the 2nd Rome Film Festival (on Oct. 24th) to promote his film Into the Wild.
(May 2011) Attended the Cannes Film Festival in France.
(May 2000) Attended the Cannes Film Festival.
(May 2001) Attended the Cannes Film Festival.
(September 2003) Attended the 2003 San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain.
As of 2014, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Thin Red Line , Mystic River , Milk and The Tree of Life .
One of four people to have achieved the rare feat of winning an acting prize in the three major film festivals: Venice Film Festivel, Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival. The others to do so are Julianne Moore , Juliette Binoche and Jack Lemmon. Additionally, all four actors have won acting Oscars.
In three consecutive years won acting prizes in the three major film festivals: Berlin Silver Bear Best Actor (Dead Man Walking [1995]) in 1996, Cannes Best Actor (Shes So Lovely [1997]) in 1997, and Venice Volpi Cup Best Actor (Hurlyburly [1998]) in 1998 becoming the fastest among the four actors to have accomplished the feat of winning in the aforementioned film festivals.
Received an honorary Csar award in France for his body of work in 2015, Marion Cotillard presented the award to him. [20 February, 2015].
Was considered for the role of Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon & the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman.
Is a Practitioner of Jeet Kune Do.
His father Leo Penn, a writer was blacklisted during McCarthy era in Hollywood.
In January 2016, shortly after the recapture of the notorious fugitive drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmn Loera, Rolling Stone magazine published an interview with him that Sean Penn conducted during the time the Sinaloa drug cartel head was still at large ("El Chapo" had escaped from a Mexican maximum-security prison in 2015). Guzmn contacted Penn via a Mexican movie and TV star, Kate del Castillo, who, after playing a drug kingpin in a Mexican TV show, had been contacted by Guzmn in the hope that she would make a movie about his life. After his interview was published, Penn was criticized by the Obama administration and investigated by the Mexican government for failing to aid authorities in recapturing Guzmn earlier than they did.
He was criticized for publicly calling for more gun control in the United States, despite admitting that he owned guns.
He is half-Jewish.
Publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidate in the 2016 US presidential election.
Publicly supported Argentinas claim to the Falkland Islands.
Campaigned for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.
He has worked with 8 directors who have won a Best Director Oscar: John Schlesinger , Oliver Stone , Woody Allen , Kathryn Bigelow , Clint Eastwood , Alejandro G. Irritu , Sydney Pollack , and Barry Levinson.
He was Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. first choice for the role of the Joker for the movie The Dark Knight but he turned down the part because he didnt want to play a role that had already been played by his longtime friend Jack Nicholson. The role ultimately went to Heath Ledger.
Sean Penn, along with Ang Lee, and taught Kai Wong filmmaking, and honored at Dartmouth College. Sean Penn is the first husband of pop star, Madonna.
He was producer Jon Peters choice for the role of Clark Kent/Superman in the nineties when he attempted to make a new Superman film.
Hollywood is much more creatively corrupt than it is economically,[corrupt]. It takes $1 for them to kill their dreams. Their dreams are,worth more than $1.
It sort of reinvigorated my interest in a lot of things. I wonder if,there should be some kind of anarchy.
I can never get ahead of the game because of the movies I do.
I was brought up in a country that relished fear-based religion, corrupt,government and an entire white population living on stolen property,that they murdered for and that is passed on from generation to,generation.
The major studios are by and large banks and they give you what is by,and large a loan to make a movie. Like banks, they want their money,back plus.
Voting for Donald Trump is the equivalent of masturbating your way into,Hell while supporting a guy who looks like a blonde magician.
There is a strength of character in the people who have, by and large, never experienced comfort.
