Sean Justin Penn
(born August 17, 1960) is an American film actor and director, also known for being a political activist. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River
and Milk
, as well as the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for the former and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the latter.
|
SEAN PENN TICKETS
|
Early life
Penn was born in
Los Angeles County,
California,
[1] the son of
Leo Penn, an actor and director, and
Eileen Ryan (
née Annucci), an actress. He has one living brother, musician
Michael Penn. Another brother, actor
Chris Penn, died in 2006. His paternal grandparents were
Jewish immigrants from
Lithuania and
Russia,
[2] [3] while his mother is a
Catholic of
Italian and
Irish descent.
[4] According to Penn's mother, Leo Penn may have had distant
Spanish ancestry, as the family's surname was originally "Piñón".
Penn was raised in a
secular home
and is an
agnostic.
[5]
Acting career
Penn appeared in a 1974 episode of the
Little House on the Prairie
television series as a then blond-haired extra when his father, Leo, directed some of the episodes.
Penn launched his film career with the 1981 film
Taps,
where he played a key role as a military high school cadet opposite protagonist
Timothy Hutton. Tom Cruise also made one of his first film appearances as another cadet in the action-drama. A year later, he appeared in the hit comedy
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
(in the role of surfer-stoner
Jeff Spicoli). Penn's portrayal of Spicoli was immensely popular and the film remained his most commercially successful work for many years. In 1983, Penn turned in one of his best early performances as Mick O'Brien, a troubled youth in the drama
Bad Boys
. It earned Penn favorable reviews and jump started his career as a serious actor.
In 1985, Penn gave a memorable performance in the role of
Andrew Daulton Lee in
The Falcon and the Snowman
, which closely followed an actual criminal case. Lee was a former drug dealer by trade, convicted of
espionage for the
Soviet Union and was originally sentenced to life in prison. Lee was paroled in 1998. In an interview for the
The Guardian
in April, 2005, it was stated that Penn later hired Lee as his personal assistant, partly because he wanted to reward Lee for allowing him to play Lee in the film, and also because he was a firm believer in rehabilitation and thought Andrew Lee should be successfully reintegrated into society since he was a free man again.
[6]
In 1986 he starred in the drama
At Close Range
, opposite
Christopher Walken. The film was also based on a true story and gained positive reviews from critics. The film featured his then wife
Madonna's single "
Live to Tell". The music video for the song, which featured clips from the film, played heavily on
MTV and helped promote the film.
thumb
, 2008
Penn has been nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor five times and won the award twice. The academy first recognized his work playing a racist murderer on death row in
Tim Robbins' 1995 drama
Dead Man Walking
. Penn was noted in 1999 for his comedic performance as an egotistical jazz guitarist in
Woody Allen's
Sweet and Lowdown
. He received his third nomination in 2001 after portraying a mentally-handicapped father in
I am Sam
. In 2003, Penn finally won for his role in
Clint Eastwood's
Boston crime-drama
Mystic River
. In 2004, he played a disturbed man bent on killing the president in
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
. He received his fifth nomination and second win for his role as
Harvey Milk in the 2008 film
Milk
. He was invited to join the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2004.
[7]
Penn's interest in politics is reflected in some of his recent film roles. In 2006 he portrayed populist governor Willie Stark (based on
Huey Long) in an adaptation of the classic American novel
All the King's Men
, though the film was a critical and commercial failure. In November 2008, Penn earned rave reviews for his portrayal of real-life gay rights icon and politician
Harvey Milk in the biopic
Milk
and was nominated for best actor for the 2008
Independent Spirit Awards.
[8]
Director
In 1991, Penn made his directorial debut with
The Indian Runner
, a film based on
Bruce Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman" from the
Nebraska
album. He also directed
music videos, such as
Shania Twain's "
Dance with the One That Brought You" in 1993 and
Peter Gabriel's "The Barry Williams Show" in 2002. He has since directed three more films, all of which were well-received by critics:
The Crossing Guard
in 1995,
The Pledge
in 2001, and
Into the Wild
in 2007.
Personal life
right in 2006.
Penn was supposedly engaged to actress
Elizabeth McGovern, his co-star in 1984's
Racing with the Moon
, after which he dated
Susan Sarandon. Penn's personal life began to attract media attention when he married
pop star Madonna in 1985. The relationship was marred by violent outbursts against the press, including one incident for which he was arrested for assaulting a
photographer on a film set; Penn was sentenced to 60 days in jail in mid-1987, of which he served 33 days.
[9] It is also suggested that when Penn discovered the paparazzo in his hotel room, he hung him by his ankles from the ninth-floor balcony.
[10] Madonna dedicated her third studio album,
True Blue
to Penn, referring to him in the liner notes as "the coolest guy in the universe". Later in the marriage, Penn was charged with
felony domestic assault, a charge for which he pleaded to a
misdemeanor. Penn and Madonna divorced in 1989.
He soon began a relationship with
Robin Wright, and their first child, Dylan Frances, was born in 1991. Their second child, Hopper Jack, was born in 1993. Penn and Wright married in 1996 and lived in
Ross, California. The relationship has gone through on-and-off again periods in recent years. Divorce plans and separation have been announced, beginning in December 2007,
[11] and again in April 2009,
[12] only to be withdrawn,
[13] most recently in May 2009.
[14]
During a separation from Wright in the mid 1990s, Penn dated singer and songwriter
Jewel. He was also the director of the original video for Jewel's hit song "
You Were Meant for Me".
[15]
Penn's younger brother,
Chris, died from an enlarged heart in his
Santa Monica condominium on January 24, 2006.
Along with
Johnny Depp,
Mick Hucknall, and
John Malkovich, Penn was a part-owner of the
Parisian restaurant-bar
Man Ray.
Political and social causes
Penn has been active in supporting several political and social causes. On June 10, 2005, Penn made a visit to
Iran. Acting as a journalist on an assignment for the
San Francisco Chronicle
, he attended a
Friday prayer at
Tehran University.
[16] Later in 2005, Penn appeared at the
ACLU of Northern California's annual Bill of Rights Day Celebration to present
Sister Helen Prejean with the Chief Justice Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award for her work opposing the
death penalty.
On January 7, 2006, Penn was a special guest at a forum hosted by the
Progressive Democrats of America. He was joined by author and media critic
Norman Solomon,
Democratic congressional candidate
Charles Brown, and activist
Cindy Sheehan. The "Out of Iraq Forum", which took place in
Sacramento, California, was organized to promote the anti-war movement calling for an end to the
War in Iraq.
In August 2008, Penn made an appearance at one of
Ralph Nader's "Open the Debates" Super Rallies. He protested the political exclusion of Nader and other third parties.
[17]
In October 2008, Penn traveled to
Cuba, where he met with and interviewed President
Raúl Castro.
[18]
Criticism of President Bush
On October 18, 2002, Penn placed a US$56,000 advertisement in the
Washington Post
asking then
President George W. Bush to end a cycle of violence. It was written as an
open letter and referred to the
planned attack on Iraq and the
War on Terror.
[19] In the letter, Penn also criticized the
Bush administration for its "deconstruction of
civil liberties" and its "simplistic and inflammatory view of good and evil."
[20] Penn visited Iran briefly in December 2002.
This advertisement was cited as a primary reason for the development of his relationship with
Venezuelan president
Hugo Chávez. Chávez used and read aloud an open letter Penn wrote to Bush in one of his televised speeches.
The letter condemned the Iraq War, called for Bush to be
impeached, and also called Bush, Vice President
Dick Cheney and Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice "villainously and criminally obscene people.".
[21] In August 2007, Penn met with Chávez in
Caracas for two hours, after which Chávez praised him for urging Americans to impeach Bush. Penn also visited a new film studio on the outskirts of Caracas, though he did not speak publicly.
On April 19, 2007, Penn appeared on
The Colbert Report
and had a "Meta-Free-Phor-All" versus
Stephen Colbert that was judged by
Robert Pinsky. This stemmed from some of Penn's criticisms of Bush. His exact quote was "We cower as you point your fingers telling us to support our troops. You and the smarmy pundits in your pocket – those who bathe in the moisture of your soiled and blood-soaked underwear – can take that noise and shove it."
[22] [23] He won the contest with 10,000,000 points to Colbert's 1.
[24]
On December 7, 2007, Penn said he supported
Ohio Congressman
Dennis J. Kucinich for U.S. President in 2008, and criticized Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Penn questioned whether Bush's twin daughters supported the war in Iraq.
[25]
Hurricane Katrina
In September 2005, Penn traveled to
New Orleans,
Louisiana, to aid
Hurricane Katrina victims. He was physically involved in rescuing people
[26], although there was criticism that his involvement was a PR stunt as he hired a photographer to come along with his entourage.
[27]
Director
Spike Lee interviewed Penn for his documentary
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
, about Hurricane Katrina.
Filmography and awards
On December 18, 2006, Penn received the
Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award from the
Creative Coalition.
[28]
Actor
| Year
| Film
| Role
| Notes
|
| 1981
| Taps
| Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer
| film debut
|
| 1982
| Fast Times at Ridgemont High
| Jeff Spicoli
|
|
| 1983
| Summerspell
| Buddy
|
|
| Bad Boys
| Michael O'Brien
|
|
| 1984
| Crackers
| Dillard
|
|
| Racing with the Moon
| Henry 'Hopper' Nash/Lou
|
|
| 1985
| The Falcon and the Snowman
| Daulton Lee
|
|
| 1986
| At Close Range
| Brad Whitewood Jr.
|
|
| Shanghai Surprise
| Glendon Wasey
|
|
| 1987
| Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
| Narrator
|
|
| 1988
| Cool Blue
| Phil the Plumber
| uncredited [29]
|
| Colors
| Officer Danny McGavin
|
|
| Judgment in Berlin
| Guenther X
|
|
| 1989
| Casualties of War
| Sgt. Tony Meserve
|
|
| We're No Angels
| Jim
|
|
| 1990
| State of Grace
| Terry Noonan
|
|
| 1991
| Schneeweißrosenrot
| Himself
| documentary
|
| 1992
| Cruise Control
| Jeffrey
| short subject
|
| 1993
| The Last Party
| Himself
| documentary
|
| Carlito's Way
| David Kleinfeld
| Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
|
| 1995
| Dead Man Walking
| Matthew Poncelet
| Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor
Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
Silver Bear for Best Actor
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
|
| 1997
| Loved
| Man on the Hill (Michael)
|
|
| She's So Lovely
| Eddie Quinn
| Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival)
|
| U Turn
| Bobby Cooper
|
|
| The Game
| Conrad Van Orton
|
|
| Hugo Pool
| Strange Hitchhiker
|
|
| 1998
| Hurlyburly
| Eddie
| Volpi Cup
Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
|
| The Thin Red Line
| 1st Sgt. Welsh
|
|
| 1999
| Being John Malkovich
| Himself
| uncredited
|
| Sweet and Lowdown
| Emmett Ray
| Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
|
| 2000
| A Constant Forge
| Himself
| documentary
|
| Up at the Villa
| Rowley Flint
|
|
| Before Night Falls
| Cuco Sánchez
|
|
| The Weight of Water
| Thomas Janes
|
|
| 2001
| Dogtown and Z-Boys
| Narrator
| documentary
|
| The Beaver Trilogy
| Groovin' Larry (segment Beaver Kid 2)
|
|
| Scene Smoking: Cigarettes, Cinema & the Myth of Cool
| Himself
| documentary
|
| See How They Run
| Himself
| documentary
|
| I Am Sam
| Sam Dawson
| Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
|
| 2003
| It's All About Love
| Marciello
|
|
| Mystic River
| Jimmy Markum
| Academy Award for Best Actor
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (also for 21 Grams
)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor (also for 21 Grams
)
London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (also for 21 Grams
)
Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama (also for 21 Grams
)
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
|
| 21 Grams
| Paul Rivers
| Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (also for Mystic River
)
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor (also for Mystic River
)
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (also for Mystic River
)
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama (also for Mystic River
)
Volpi Cup
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
|
| 2004
| The Assassination of Richard Nixon
| Samuel J. Bicke
| Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
|
| 2005
| The Interpreter
| Tobin Keller
|
|
| 2006
| All the King's Men
| Willie Stark
|
|
| 2008
| Milk
| Harvey Milk
| Academy Award for Best Actor
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (tied with Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler)
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Actor
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Southeastern Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Male
Nominated — Irish Film Award People's Choice Award for Best International Actor
Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
|
| Witch Hunt
| Narrator
| documentary
|
| 2009
| The Tree of Life
| Adult Jack
| in post-production
|
| Fair Game
| Joseph Wilson
| in post-production
|
Director
| Year
| Film
| Notes
|
| 1991
| The Indian Runner
| Nominated — Locarno International Film Festival Golden Leopard
|
| 1995
| The Crossing Guard
| Nominated — Golden Lion
|
| 2001
| The Pledge
| Nominated — Golden Bear
Nominated — Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film
Nominated — Palme d'Or
|
| 2002
| 11'9"01 September 11
| anthology short, segment "U.S.A."
UNESCO Award
Nominated — César Award for Best Film from the European Union
|
| 2007
| Into the Wild
| Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Director
Rome Film Fest Premiere Prize
São Paulo International Film Festival Best Foreign Language Film
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Director
Nominated — BFCA Critics' Choice Award for Best Writer
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated — Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director - Motion Picture
Nominated — Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Foreign Film - English Language
Nominated — Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
|
References
- California Births, 1905 - 1995
- ''Jews Flop in Big Oscar Award Wins''. Jewish Journal.com. 5 March 2004.
- ''Sean Penn Genealogy''.
- Sean Penn: His Life and Times
- Sean_Penn
- ''When Sean's having fun, it's hard to imagine having more fun''. Guardian Unlimited. April 8, 2005.
- Academy Invites 127 to Membership
- Spirit Award nominees announced
- Ciccone, Christopher (2008). ''Life with My Sister Madonna'', Simon & Schuster, pp. 144-150. ISBN 1416587624.
- Somaiya, Ravi. ''Mister Congeniality''. The Times. December 27, 2007.
- White, Nicholas. "Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn Divorcing." ''People''. December 27, 2007.
- Sean Penn Files for Legal Separation
- "Sean Penn, wife Robin end divorce proceeding." ''Reuters''. April 9, 2008.
- Sean Penn withdraws separation filing
- Sean Penn Biography
- Penn, Sean. ''Sean Penn in Iran''. San Francisco Chronicle. August 23, 2005.
- Sean Penn, Val Kilmer, Tom Morello, Cindy Sheehan at Nader/Gonzalez Super Rally in Denver - Ralph Nader for President in 2008
- Sean Penn Interviews Raúl Castro
- Bowles, Scott (18 Sept 2006). ''Sean Penn plays politics''. USA Today.
- Sean Penn Letter to Washington Post
- James, Ian. ''Sean Penn Praised by Venezuela's Chavez''. Breitbart.com. August 2, 2007.
- Sean Penn Unloads on Pres. Bush
- Metaphor Alert
- Stephen Colbert vs Sean Penn
- ''An Open Letter to the President...Four and a Half Years Later'' Huffington Post.com. March 24, 2007.
- ''Many celebrities have helped with New Orleans recovery efforts''. International Herald Tribune. December 14, 2007.
- ''Penn's rescue attempt springs a leak''. The Sydney Morning Herald. September 5, 2005.
- '' The Creative Coalition Announces Presenters for 2006 Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award and 2006 Spotlight Awards''. The Creative Coalition. December 2006.
- Sean Penn: His Life and Times