Sean Penn
Sean Penn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Sean Justin Penn August 17, 1960 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, screenwriter, director, producer |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) | Madonna (1985–1989) Robin Wright (1996–2010) |
| Parent(s) | Leo Penn (deceased) Eileen Ryan |
| Relatives | Aimee Mann (sister-in-law) |
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), as well as the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for the former and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the latter.
Penn began his acting career in television with a brief appearance in a 1974 episode of Little House on the Prairie, directed by his father Leo Penn. Following his film debut in 1981's Taps and a diverse range of film roles in the 1980s, Penn emerged as a prominent leading actor with the 1995 drama film Dead Man Walking, for which he earned his first Academy Award nomination and the Best Actor Award at the Berlin Film Festival. Penn subsequently received another two Oscar nominations for Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and I Am Sam (2001), before winning his first Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 for Mystic River and a second one in 2008 for Milk. He has also won a Best Actor Award of the Cannes Film Festival for She's So Lovely (1997), and two Best Actor Awards at the Venice Film Festival for Hurlyburly (1998) and 21 Grams (2003).
Penn made his feature film directorial debut with 1991's The Indian Runner, followed by the drama film The Crossing Guard (1995) and the mystery film The Pledge (2001). In 2002, Penn directed one of the 11 segments of 11'09"01 September 11, a compilation film made in response to the September 11 attacks. In 2007, Penn directed his fourth feature film Into the Wild, which garnered critical acclaim and two Academy Award nominations.
In addition to his film work, Penn is known for his political and social activism, most notably his criticism of the George W. Bush administration, his contact with the Presidents of Venezuela and Cuba, and his humanitarian work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Penn also attracted media attention for his previous marriages to pop icon Madonna and actress Robin Wright.
Early life
Penn was born in Los Angeles County, California,[1] the middle son of actor and director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan (née Annucci). His older brother is musician Michael Penn. His younger brother, actor Chris Penn, died in 2006. His paternal grandparents were Jewish emigrants 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 Sephardic Jewish 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]
Career
Acting
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 appeared 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, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor five times, has 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 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] The film also earned Penn his fifth nomination and second win for the Academy Award for Best Actor. In 2010 he starred as Joseph Wilson in Fair Game, a film adaptation of Valerie Plame's 2007 memoir. Penn co-starred with Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain in the drama The Tree of Life which won the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
Directing
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" and Lyle Lovett's "North Dakota" 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 engaged to actress Elizabeth McGovern, his co-star in 1984's Racing with the Moon, after which he dated Susan Sarandon.[citation needed] Penn's personal life began to attract media attention when he married pop star Madonna in 1985. The two starred in the panned and much derided Shanghai Surprise, directed by Jim Goddard, and Madonna dedicated her third studio album True Blue to Penn, referring to him in the liner notes as "the coolest guy in the universe".[10] 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.[11] 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.[12] Later in the marriage, Penn was charged with felony domestic assault, a charge for which he pleaded to a misdemeanor.[13] 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 whom they 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.[14] In April 2009, Penn filed for legal separation, only to withdraw the case once again when the couple reconciled in May.[15][16][17] On August 12, 2009, Wright Penn filed for divorce again,[18] declaring that she had no plans to reconcile this time.[19] 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 underage son.[20]
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".[21]
Penn's younger brother, Chris, died from an enlarged heart in his Santa Monica condominium on January 24, 2006.[12] Along with Johnny Depp, Mick Hucknall, and John Malkovich, Penn was a part-owner of the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray.[21]
Charles Bukowski became a close friend when Penn was up for the lead in the movie Barfly, based on Bukowski's original screenplay. Penn did not take the role as he wanted Dennis Hopper to direct the movie and Bukowski remained committed to Barbet Schroeder, who had originated the project. Penn appears as the fictional character Tom Pell in Bukowski's Roman à clef novel Hollwyood. Penn dedicated his film The Crossing Guard to Bukowski.
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.[22]
On January 7, 2006, Penn was a special guest at the Progressive Democrats of America, where 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.[23]
In October 2008, Penn traveled to Cuba, where he met with and interviewed President Raúl Castro.[24]
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.[25] 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."[26] Penn visited Iraq briefly in December 2002.[25]
This advertisement was cited as a primary reason for the development of his relationship with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. In one of his televised speeches, Chávez used and read aloud an open letter Penn wrote to Bush.[12] 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.".[27] 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.[27]
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."[28][29] He won the contest with 10,000,000 points to Colbert's 1.[30]
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.[31]
Hurricane Katrina
In September 2005, Penn traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. He was physically involved in rescuing people,[32] although there was criticism that his involvement was a PR stunt as he hired a photographer to come along with his entourage.[33] Penn denied such accusation in an article he wrote for The Huffington Post.[34]
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!"[35]
2010 Haiti 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.[36]
Trey Parker and Matt Stone - Open Letter
Following the release of Team America: World Police, a satire which criticised both anti-Bush and pro-Bush sentiment, Penn wrote an open letter to Trey Parker and Matt stone, the movie's creators, directors and voice actors.
Copy of Open Letter
To Trey Parker and Matt Stone,
I remember a cordial hello when you guys were beginning to be famous guys around Hollywood at some party. I remember several times getting a few giggles out of your humor. I remember not being bothered as you traded on my name among others to appear witty, above it all, and likeable to your crowd. I never mind being of service, in satire and silliness.
I do mind when anybody who doesn't have a child, doesn't have a child at war, or isn't or won't be in harm's way themselves, is encouraging that there's "no shame in not voting" "if you don't know what you're talking about" (Mr. Stone) without mentioning the shame of not knowing what your talking about, and encouraging people to know. You guys are talented young guys but alas, primarily young guys. It's all well to joke about me or whomever you choose. Not so well, to encourage irresponsibility that will ultimately lead to the disembowelment, mutilation, exploitation, and death of innocent people throughout the world. The vote matters to them. No one's ignorance, indcluding a couple of hip cross-dressers, is an excuse.
All best, and a sincere fuck you,
Sean Penn
P.S. Take this as a personal invitation from me to you (you can ask Dennis Miller along for the ride as well) to escort you on a trip, which I took last Christmas. We'll fly to Amman, Jordan and I'll ride with you in a (?) 12 hours through the Sunni Triangle into Fallujah and Baghdad and I'll show you around. When we return, make all the fun you want.
(Sent to Parker/Stone in October of 2004.)[37]
Response from Stone and Parker
The timing of the letter was considered opportune by Trey Stone and Matt Parker as it afforded Team America: World Police greater (free) publicity and according to the pair may have even boosted initial viewing numbers. [38]
In addition Parker branded Penn "humourless" Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
Actor
Director
References
- ^ "California Births, 1905–1995". Familytreelegends.com. August 17, 1960. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ a b Jews Flop in Big Oscar Award Wins. Jewish Journal.com. March 5, 2004.
- ^ Sean Penn Genealogy.
- ^ a b c Kelly, Richard T. (2004). Sean Penn: His Life and Times. Canongate Books. pp. 9–10. ISBN 1841956236.
- ^ "Sean Penn — Celebrity Atheist List". Celebatheists.com. October 30, 2006. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ Abramowitz, Rachel (January 6, 2002). "Don't Get Him Started". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ When Sean's having fun, it's hard to imagine having more fun. Guardian Unlimited. April 8, 2005.
- ^ "Academy Invites 127 to Membership" (Press release). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. June 28, 2004. Archived from the original on June 30, 2004.
- ^ Maxwell, Erin (December 3, 2008). "Spirit Award nominees announced". work. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ "Madonna's love history". The Daily Telegraph. UK. October 15, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ Ciccone, Christopher (2008). Life with My Sister Madonna, Simon & Schuster, pp. 144–150. ISBN 1-4165-8762-4.
- ^ a b c Somaiya, Ravi. Mister Congeniality. The Times. December 27, 2007.
- ^ "Sean Penn to be charged with battery, vandalism; could land actor in jail for year and a half". New York Daily News. February 19, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ White, Nicholas (December 27, 2007). "Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn Divorcing". People. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ "Sean Penn Files for Legal Separation". People. April 29, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ Reaney, Patricia (April 9, 2008). "Sean Penn, wife Robin end divorce proceeding". Reuters.
- ^ "Sean Penn withdraws separation filing". San Francisco Chronicle. 209-05-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Lee, Ken (August 18, 2009). "Robin Wright Penn Files for Divorce". People. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (August 17, 2009). "Robin Wright Penn Relishes Her New Independence". People. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ Oh, Eunice (August 4, 2010). "Sean Penn and Robin Wright Finalize Their Divorce". People. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ a b "Sean Penn Biography". Yuddy.com. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ 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. August 19, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ Lacey, Marc (November 26, 2008). "Sean Penn Interviews Raúl Castro". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ a b Bowles, Scott (September 18, 2006). Sean Penn plays politics. USA Today.
- ^ "Sean Penn Letter to Washington Post". Snopes. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- ^ a b James, Ian. Sean Penn Praised by Venezuela's Chavez. Breitbart.com. August 2, 2007.
- ^ "Sean Penn Unloads on Pres. Bush". FOX News. March 27, 2007.
- ^ "Metaphor Alert". New York Post. March 27, 2007.
- ^ "Stephen Colbert vs Sean Penn". Crooks and Liars. March 27, 2007.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Penn, Sean (November 30, 2008). "Mountain of Snakes". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- ^ Post Reply (February 22, 2009). "Sean Penn Oscar Speech". Mahalo.com. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ "Haitian Relief Organization". Jphro.org. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ [1] Sourced from Cinema Confidential News
- ^ [2] " But in an interview with DarkHorizons.com, Parker maintained that "There isn't anything he could have done to help us more."
- ^ Kelly, Richard T. (2005). Sean Penn: His Life and Times. Canongate U.S. p. 219. ISBN 1841957399.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: She's So Lovely". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
- ^ War Made Easy
External links
- Sean Penn at IMDb
- Sean Penn at the Internet Broadway Database
- Guardian Interview, April 8, 2005
- Esquire magazine interview/profile
- Sean Penn's visit to Iran at the San Francisco Chronicle
- 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!
- 1960 births
- Actors from California
- American people of Russian descent
- American agnostics
- American anti-Iraq War activists
- American film actors
- American film directors
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of Italian descent
- American people of Jewish descent
- American people convicted of assault
- American screenwriters
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- Best Actor Academy Award winners
- Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- Independent Spirit Award winners
- Living people
- People from Burbank, California
- People from Marin County, California
- People from Santa Monica, California
- People associated with Charles Bukowski