Sean Penn
| Sean Penn | |
|---|---|
 At the premiere for Milk at the Castro Theatre, San Francisco, October 2008 |
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| Born | Sean Justin Penn August 17, 1960 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor/Director |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse | Madonna (1985–1989) Robin Wright Penn (1996–2010) |
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American film actor and director, also known for his political activism. 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.
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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][4] 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 his family's surname was originally "Piñón".[4] Penn was raised in a secular home[2] and is an agnostic.[5] He attended Santa Monica High School.[6]
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). 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 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.[7]
In 1986 he starred in the drama At Close Range, opposite Christopher Walken. 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.
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 the charismatic and vibrant gay politician Harvey Milk in the 2008 film Milk. He was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2004.[8]
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.[9]
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
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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.[10] It is also alleged that when Penn discovered the paparazzo in his hotel room, he hung him by his ankles from the ninth-floor balcony.[11] 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, a daughter named Dylan Frances, was born in 1991. Their second child, a son named Hopper Jack, was born in 1993. Penn and Wright married in 1996 and lived in Ross, California. The relationship went through on-and-off periods in the late 2000s. The couple filed for divorce in December 2007, but reconciled several months later, requesting a court dismissal of their divorce case.[12] In April 2009, Penn filed for legal separation, only to again withdraw the case when the couple reconciled in May.[13][14][15] On August 12, 2009, Wright Penn filed for divorce again,[16] declaring that she had no plans to reconcile this time.[17] The couple's divorce was finalized on July 22, 2010, with the couple reaching a private agreement on child and spousal support, division of assets, and custody over their underaged son.[18]
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".[19]
Recently, Penn has been linked with model Jessica White.[20]
Penn's younger brother, Chris, died from an enlarged heart in his Santa Monica condominium on January 24, 2006.[11]
Along with Johnny Depp, Mick Hucknall, and John Malkovich, Penn was a part-owner of the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray.[19]
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.[21]
On January 7, 2006, Penn was a special guest at 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.[22]
In October 2008, Penn traveled to Cuba, where he met with and interviewed President Raúl Castro.[23]
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.[24] 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."[25] Penn visited Iran briefly in December 2002.[24]
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.[11] 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.".[26] 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.[26]
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."[27][28] He won the contest with 10,000,000 points to Colbert's 1.[29]
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.[30]
Hurricane Katrina
In September 2005, Penn traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. He was physically involved in rescuing people,[31] although there was criticism that his involvement was a PR stunt as he hired a photographer to come along with his entourage.[32]
Director Spike Lee interviewed Penn for his documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, about Hurricane Katrina.
LGBT Civil Rights
On February 22, 2009, Penn received the Best Actor Academy Award for the film Milk. In his acceptance speech, Penn said "...I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone!"[33]
Haitian Earthquake: Manager of Relief Organization and Tent Camp
After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Sean Penn co-founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization and has been running a 55,000 person tent camp.[34]
Filmography and awards
On December 18, 2006, Penn received the Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award from the Creative Coalition.[35]
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[36] |
| 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 - Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor 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 | Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor[37] | |
| 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 | |
| 2007 | Persepolis | Marjane's father | English dub; voice only |
| War Made Easy[38] | Narrator | documentary | |
| 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 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 | |
| 2010 | 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". Familytreelegends.com. 1960-08-17. http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/calbirths?c=search&first=sean&last=penn&spelling=Exact&4_year=1960&4_month=0&4_day=0&5=&7=&SubmitSearch.x=65&SubmitSearch.y=34&SubmitSearch=Submit. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jews Flop in Big Oscar Award Wins. Jewish Journal.com. 5 March 2004.
- ↑ Sean Penn Genealogy.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kelly, Richard T. (2004). Sean Penn: His Life and Times. Canongate Books. pp. 9–10. ISBN 1841956236.
- ↑ "Sean Penn — Celebrity Atheist List". Celebatheists.com. 2006-10-30. http://www.celebatheists.com/?title=Sean_Penn. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ Abramowitz, Rachel (2002-01-06). "Don't Get Him Started". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jan/06/entertainment/ca-abram6. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ↑ When Sean's having fun, it's hard to imagine having more fun. Guardian Unlimited. April 8, 2005.
- ↑ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (June 28, 2004). "Academy Invites 127 to Membership". Press release. http://web.archive.org/web/20040630082206/http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2004/04.06.28.html.
- ↑ Maxwell, Erin (2008-12-03). "Spirit Award nominees announced". work. http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_article/VR1117996677.html?nav=news&categoryid=1983&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ Ciccone, Christopher (2008). Life with My Sister Madonna, Simon & Schuster, pp. 144-150. ISBN 1416587624.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Somaiya, Ravi. Mister Congeniality. The Times. December 27, 2007.
- ↑ White, Nicholas (2007-12-27). "Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn Divorcing". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20168386,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ↑ "Sean Penn Files for Legal Separation". People. 2009-04-29. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20275612,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ↑ Reaney, Patricia (2008-04-09). "Sean Penn, wife Robin end divorce proceeding". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUSN0938785620080409.
- ↑ "Sean Penn withdraws separation filing". San Francisco Chronicle. 209-05-21. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/05/21/state/n174007D40.DTL&type=newsbayarea.
- ↑ Lee, Ken (2009-08-18). "Robin Wright Penn Files for Divorce". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20298679,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ↑ Silverman, Stephen M. (2009-08-17). "Robin Wright Penn Relishes Her New Independence". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20298368,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ↑ Oh, Eunice (2010-08-04). "Sean Penn and Robin Wright Finalize Their Divorce". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20407832,00.html. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Sean Penn Biography". Yuddy.com. http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/sean%20penn/bio. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ "Sean Penn steps out with new girlfriend". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/09/15/sean.penn.girlfriend/index.html. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ 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". Votenader.org. 2008-08-19. http://www.votenader.org/media/2008/08/19/DenverRally3/. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ Lacey, Marc (2008-11-26). "Sean Penn Interviews Raúl Castro". The New York Times. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/sean-penn-interviews-raul-castro/. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Bowles, Scott (18 Sept 2006). Sean Penn plays politics. USA Today.
- ↑ "Sean Penn Letter to Washington Post". Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/penn.asp. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 James, Ian. Sean Penn Praised by Venezuela's Chavez. Breitbart.com. August 2, 2007.
- ↑ "Sean Penn Unloads on Pres. Bush". FOX News. 2007-03-27. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,261587,00.html.
- ↑ "Metaphor Alert". New York Post. 2007-03-27. http://www.nypost.com/seven/03272007/gossip/pagesix/metaphor_alert_pagesix_.htm.
- ↑ "Stephen Colbert vs Sean Penn". Crooks and Liars. 2007-03-27. http://crooksandliars.com/2007/04/21/stephen-colbert-vs-sean-penn/.
- ↑ An Open Letter to the President...Four and a Half Years Later Huffington Post.com. March 24th, 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.
- ↑ http://www.mahalo.com/sean-penn-oscar-speech
- ↑ http://jphro.org/
- ↑ The Creative Coalition Announces Presenters for 2006 Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award and 2006 Spotlight Awards. The Creative Coalition. December 2006.
- ↑ Kelly, Richard T. (2005). Sean Penn: His Life and Times. Canongate U.S.. p. 219. ISBN 1841957399. http://books.google.com/books?id=gBb3v9GZMPQC&pg=PA219&dq=%22sean+penn%22+%22cool+blue.
- ↑ "Festival de Cannes: She's So Lovely". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4809/year/1997.html. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ↑ War Made Easy
External links
- Sean Penn at the Internet Movie Database
- Sean Penn at the Internet Broadway Database
- Sean Penn's visit to Iran at the San Francisco Chronicle
- Guardian Unlimited Interview, April 8, 2005
- Esquire magazine interview/profile
- Into the Wild website
- Smiles for Smirks by Sean Penn, The Huffington Post, April 21, 2009
- Sean Penn on Managing a Tent Camp of 55,000 Displaced Haitians - video report by Democracy Now!
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