Sean Penn
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2007) |
Sean Penn | |
|---|---|
 Sean Penn, 2006 | |
| Born | Sean Justin Penn |
| Spouse(s) | Madonna (1985-1989) Robin Wright Penn (1996-present) (filed for divorce) |
| Awards | Berlin Silver Bear for Best Actor 1996 Dead Man Walking Best Actor Award - Cannes Film Festival 1997 She's So Lovely Venice Volpi Cup for Best Actor 1998 Hurlyburly 2003 21 Grams |
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor and director, known for playing intense, often humorless and unsympathetic characters. He was awarded an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Mystic River. Penn has also been nominated for three other Academy Awards in recognition of his roles in I Am Sam, Sweet and Lowdown and Dead Man Walking. In 2004, Penn was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[1] He is also well-known for his radical political activism.
Biography
Early life
Penn was born in California, 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, descended from Rabbis.[2][3] Penn's mother is a Roman Catholic of Italian and Irish descent.[4] According to Penn's mother, Leo Penn had distant Spanish ancestry, as the family's surname was originally "Piñón".[4] Penn was raised in a secular home[2] and is an Agnostic.[5]
Penn briefly attended Santa Monica College, where he studied Auto Mechanics and Speech,[6] but did not graduate.
Career
Penn appeared in a 1974 episode of Little House on the Prairie as a then blonde-haired extra because his dad, Leo Penn, directed some of the episodes. Penn launched his career with the 1981 film Taps, followed a year later with the comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High in the role of Jeff Spicoli and has since starred in over 40 movies. It is often noted that his character in Ridgemont High was based on himself.
In 1985, Penn gave a memorable performance in the role of Andrew Daulton Lee in The Falcon and the Snowman. 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. According to a April 8, 2005 interview in The Guardian, 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 reintegrated into society now that he is a free man again.[7]
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 also appeared on an episode of Viva La Bam in 2004 with his son Hopper. He has since directed three more films: The Crossing Guard in 1995, and The Pledge in 2001 and the critically acclaimed Into the Wild in 2007.
Penn is currently set to star in Gus Van Sant's bio-pic Milk. Penn will play real life gay rights icon Harvey Milk.[8] The film is scheduled to start filming in January of 2008.
Personal life
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 beating a photographer.[8] 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 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 live in Ross, California. On December 27, 2007, the couple's representative announced that the Penns were divorcing.[9]
During a separation from Wright in the mid 1990s, Penn dated singer/songwriter Jewel Kilcher. He was also the director of the original video for Kilcher's hit song "You Were Meant For Me".[10]
On April 10, 2003, Penn's 1987 Buick Grand National was stolen in Berkeley, California with two firearms in the trunk. Sean also has a 1968 Chevrolet El Camino.
Along with Johnny Depp and Mick Hucknall, Penn is a part-owner of the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray.[10]
His younger brother, Chris, famous for playing Nice Guy Eddie in Reservoir Dogs, died from an enlarged heart in his Santa Monica condominium on January 24, 2006.[8]
Political/social causes
Critique of President Bush
On October 18, 2002, Penn placed a $56,000 advertisement in the Washington Post asking 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.[11] 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."[citation needed] Penn visited Iraq briefly in December 2002.[11]
This advertisement was cited as a primary reason for the development of his friendship with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. Hugo Chávez has also used and read aloud an open letter Sean Penn wrote to President Bush in one of his recent televised speeches.[8] The letter condemned the Iraq War, called for President Bush to be impeached, and also called President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "villainously and criminally obscene people".[12] Chávez also said in the same televised speech "Welcome to Venezuela, Mr. Penn. What drives him is consciousness, the search for new paths," and also "He's one of the greatest opponents of the Iraq invasion".[12]
On August 3, 2007, Penn met with Hugo Chávez in Caracas for two hours. Chávez praised his bravery in urging Americans to impeach President Bush. Penn applauded portions of Chávez's speech, including his characterization of the invasion of Iraq as genocide. Penn's visit led to condemnation from Venezuelan exiles, who describe Chávez as a totalitarian leader trying to control Venezuelan society.[12]
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.[13]
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 Normon Solomon, Democratic congressional candidate Charles Brown, and activist Cindy Sheehan. The "Out of Iraq Forum" was attended by 200 individuals and took place in Sacramento, California. The program was moderated by Bill Dursten, President of the Sacramento Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. The forum was held at a SEIU union hall and was organized to promote the anti-war movement calling for an end to the War in Iraq. Progressive activists, Democratic Party leaders, and other individuals gathered to demonstrate their impatience and frustration with U.S. involvement in Iraq.
Hurricane Katrina
In September 2005, Penn traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. He was physically involved in rescuing people.[14] He was and is supported by best-selling author Douglas Brinkley, a professor of history at Tulane University and archival historian for the city. The two were seen on CNN coverage Friday, September 2, as Penn, filthy, soaked, and exhausted, gave an impromptu interview about what he was seeing and doing, and obviously critical of the response until that time, stating that at that time he felt there was only "about one-fifth" the assistance and resources there that needed to be.[citation needed]
On December 18, 2006, Penn received the Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award from the The Creative Coalition.[15]
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 President 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." He won the contest 10,000,000, to Stephen Colbert's 1.[citation needed]
On December 7, 2007, Penn said he is supporting Ohio Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich for U.S. President in 2008, and criticized President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Penn questioned whether Bush's twin daughters supported the war in Iraq.[16]
Filmography and awards
As actor
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Taps | Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer | |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| 1995 | Dead Man Walking | Matthew Poncelet | Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actor; Nominated - Golden Globe |
| 1997 | Loved | Man on the Hill (Michael) | |
| She's So Lovely | Eddie Quinn | ||
| U Turn | Bobby Cooper | ||
| The Game | Conrad Van Orten | ||
| Hugo Pool | Strange Hitchhiker | ||
| 1998 | Hurlyburly | Eddie | |
| 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 - Golden Globe | |
| 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 | |
| 2003 | It's All About Love | Marciello | |
| Mystic River | Jimmy Markum | Academy Award for Best Actor; Golden Globe; Nominated - BAFTA Award | |
| 21 Grams | Paul Rivers | Nominated - BAFTA Award | |
| 2004 | The Assassination of Richard Nixon | Samuel J. Bicke | |
| 2005 | The Interpreter | Tobin Keller | |
| 2006 | All the King's Men | Willie Stark | |
| 2007 | Persepolis | voice | |
| 2008 | Crossing Over | Chris Farrell | |
| Tree of Life | |||
| 2009 | Milk | Harvey Milk |
As director
| Year | Film | Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Indian Runner | |
| 1995 | The Crossing Guard | |
| 2001 | The Pledge | |
| 2002 | 11'9''01 September 11 | anthology short |
| 2007 | Into the Wild |
References
- ^ Academy Invites 127 to Membership. Oscars.org. 28 June 2004.
- ^ a b Jews Flop in Big Oscar Award Wins. Jewish Journal.com. 5 March 2004.
- ^ Sean Penn Genealogy.
- ^ a b Kelly, Richard T. Sean Penn: His Life and Times. Canongate U.S. 2004. ISBN 1841956236.
- ^ Sean Penn. Celeb Atheists.
- ^ Profiles: Sean Penn.
- ^ When Sean's having fun, it's hard to imagine having more fun. Guardian Unlimited. 8 April 2005.
- ^ a b c d Somaiya, Ravi. Mister Congeniality. The Times. 17 December 2007.
- ^ White, Nicholas. Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn Divorcing. People. 27 December 2007.
- ^ a b Sean Penn Bio. Yuddy.com.
- ^ a b Bowles, Scott. Sean Penn plays politics. USA Today. 18 September 2006.
- ^ a b c James, Ian. Sean Penn Praised by Venezuela's Chavez. Breitbart.com. 2 August 2007.
- ^ Penn, Sean. Sean Penn in Iran. San Francisco Chronicle. 23 August 2005.
- ^ Many celebrities have helped with New Orleans recovery efforts. International Herald Tribune. 14 December 2007.
- ^ The Creative Coalition Announces Presenters for 2006 Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award and 2006 Spotlight Awards. The Creative Coalition. December 2006.
- ^ An Open Letter to the President...Four and a Half Years Later Huffington Post.com. 24 March 2007.
External links
- 1960 births
- American agnostics
- American anti-Iraq War activists
- American film actors
- American film directors
- American screenwriters
- Best Actor Academy Award winners
- Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film)
- California actors
- Liberals
- Living people
- Madonna (entertainer)
- People from Burbank, California
- People from Marin County, California
- People from Santa Monica, California