Sean Penn

Biography of Sean Penn

Sean Justin Penn is a famous actor, Oscar winner for his roles in such films as Mystic River and Milk, a successful film director, and Madonna's ex-husband.

An American Actor and Film Director, Sean Penn

A Hoodlum and Rebel

Sean was born into a family of a Lithuanian and Russian Jew and a Catholic woman who had Italian and Irish blood in her veins. This fact alone assumes the birth of expressive children, and it did happen. There are many legends about Sean Penn's rebellious temper. The actor spent his childhood with brothers in Santa Monica where he was friends with boys who also have become famous. Those boys were Charlie Sheen, Rob Lowe, and Emilio Estevez.

Young Sean Penn

It took Sean a while to be captivated by acting. When he was a kid, he even didn't dream of it. Living in the city by the ocean, he loved surfing, broke the peace, and even wanted to become a policeman. But when Sean was in school, he joined a Los Angeles theatrical company and became enthusiastic about acting.

Tom Cruise, Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton on the Set of Taps

However, the theater wasn't kind to him. The beginning actor was entrusted with technical tasks more often than with roles. He remained faithful to the theater, even though he got into the TV show Little House on the Prairie. And, what is more, he shot a few short films together with his school friends. And after high school, he went on a 2-year tour with the theater company, instead of entering a college.

Chasing a Dream

It took Sean Penn a while to gain acceptance in cinematography which bothered him a lot but didn't make him give up. The future star continued to pursue its dream and the path leading to Broadway. That's why in 1980, Sean and his friends traveled to New York to get leading roles. But instead of getting roles in theater, he got into cinematography. At one of the auditions, one film producer noticed Penn and a year later he got a small role in the drama Taps where Tom Cruise and Timothy Hutton also played. That small role became the beginning of the long journey.

Later, the beginning but talented actor was invited to portray a forever drunk surfer in the comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Sean did a brilliant job which made him famous right away and provided him with roles in the future.

A Frame from the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High

After the release of the crime drama Bad Boys by Rick Rosenthal, no one questioned the talent of the young actor. Sean Penn portrayed an asocial and brutal character, and his acting saved the whole film. After that role, critics compared Sean to Robert De Niro. After such success, the actor allowed himself to relax and played in the crime drama Crackers by Louis Malle and melodrama Racing with the Moon.

One of the Most Famous Works of the Young Sean Penn (Racing with the Moon)

The political thriller The Falcon and the Snowman he worked on with Timothy Hutton in 1985 made Sean Penn perhaps the most promising actor. Right after this work, the actor immersed himself in the role of a criminal's son in the drama At Close Range. It was a significant time for Sean, for the first met Madonna whose song became the film soundtrack.

At Close Range: Sean Penn Portraying Brad

Sean's romance with pop-diva rekindled in 1986. Later, they played in one pretty unsuccessful picture called Shanghai Surprise. Critics weren't feeling inspired after watching the film. They claimed that enamored actors didn't have time for real acting.

In the Picture: Sean Penn and Madonna

Two years later, the actor returned to the path of brilliant acting by playing in the crime drama Colors directed by Dennis Hopper. It became clear that Sean prefers to work on the films revealing deep political and social problems. And in 1989, Penn, together with Robert De Niro, successfully played in the crime comedy about two runaway convicts We're No Angels directed by Neil Jordan.

Brian De Palma

Sean Penn met twice with a famous Brian De Palma on the set. They met for the first time in 1989 during the work on the war film Casualties of War. In that film, the actor played one of his most passionate roles. Four years later, when the work on the gangster drama Carlito's Way was humming, they met for the second time. Sean portrayed a lawyer of the main character portrayed by Al Pacino. Penn even was nominated for the Golden Globe.

Sean Penn in the Thriller Carlito's Way

Sean Penn portrayed many great characters in the 90-s. First, he played in the thriller State of Grace directed by Phil Joanou. It's a story about a guy who returned home after a long absence and found out that his friend had become a mafioso and his girl-friend - a real lady. Robin Wright who became the actor's wife in real life portrayed his girl-friend. Later, he worked on such pictures as U-Turn, melodrama She's So Lovely and the thriller The Game. In 1998, there were another two pictures. At that time, the actor played in the conversational drama Hurlyburly and The Thin Red Line which gathered together the inflorescence of celebrities and received a number of awards.

Sean Penn and Robin Wright Played in the State of Grace

Victories and Defeats

Sean Penn got his first Oscar nomination for his role in the crime drama Dead Man Walking in 1995. The actor portrayed a criminal who was sentenced to death and waited for the execution of the sentence. His 3-months imprisonment helped him to play that role. It happened after a fight with journalists.

Dead Man Walking - Trailer

He got his second Oscar in 1999 for portraying a jazz guitar player of the 30-s in the picture Sweet and Lowdown. And two years later, he got his third nomination for the film I Am Sam on which he worked with a little Dakota Fanning. To prepare for the last one, Sean, by the way, attended a center for mentally handicapped. However, it was just nominations; the actor didn't win awards for those projects.

In I Am Sam, Sean Penn Portrayed a Mentally Retarded Father

But Sean's acting in the drama Mystic River of 2003 directed by Clint Eastwood was recognized and won the Oscar. Altogether, the picture received six nominations for the prestigious award, two of which it won. Penn won his second Oscar five years later. He portrayed a gay in the drama Milk directed by Gus Van Sant.

In the Temple of Fame

In 2000, the actor appeared in a few pictures - the thriller The Weight of Water and the drama Up at the Villa. But those three films almost disappeared beneath the waves of popularity of I Am Sam. Two years later, there were another heart-touching drama 21 Grams directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Sean Penn's acting was so brilliant that a spectator has this sense of frustration during the whole film. The actor won the Venice Film Festival award for this project.

A Frame from the Film 21 Grams

In this new century, Sean appears in studio pictures more often. For example, he played in the film The Assassination of Richard Nixon directed by Niels Mueller. It's a story about the assassination attempt of the 37th President of the United States. In 2005, the actor played in the comedy thriller The Interpreter directed by Sydney Pollack which had a great box office success.

But his next role wasn't successful. Sean Penn played the lead in the picture All the King's Men. It's a failed remake of the drama of 1949 about corruption in government. But his acting in such films as The Tree of Life, Crossing Over and In Search of Captain Zero has proved once again that Sean Penn is one of the most interesting actors of our time. For this role, he won the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival.

Sean Penn's Monologue (All the King's Men)

Moreover, Sean Penn directed five pictures, including the film that won a number of awards The Pledge and the scandalous film 11'0901 September 11.

Private Life of Sean Penn

An actress Elizabeth McGovern with whom Sean Penn played in the melodrama Racing with the Moon became his first Hollywood girlfriend. Their relationship didn't last long, as well as his fling with Susan Sarandon. But later, he had an overwhelming and passionate romance with Madonna, which ended with a wedding in 1985.

Sean Penn with Madonna

Their marriage lasted only four years, and during all that time the couple separated and reconciled repeatedly. Penn got a nickname Mr. Madonna that was driving him crazy. The marriage with a pop star ended with a huge scandal. The drunk Sean broke into her house, tied her to a chair, and beat her for several hours. Eventually, the singer found a way to escape. Later, she hushed up the incident that could put her husband to prison, saying that Sean always had impulse control issues.

In 1996, Penn married Robin Wright he had met on the set of the picture State of Grace six years earlier. They had a quiet and steady marriage; she found a way to bridle the actor's wild temper for a while. Before they got married officially, they had two children - a daughter Dylan and a son Hopper. However, this marriage reminded a roller coaster, and in 2010 they separated.

Sean Penn with his Children

Penn has been dating Charlize Theron for a year and a half (since the beginning of 2014 to June of 2015) but according to the actress, their relationship runs its course quickly.

Penn and Theron's Relationship Run its Course Quickly

In 2016, Sean Penn met aspiring actress Leila George, and they began an affair. For 4 years they tried to keep their relationship secret and not disclose details, however, in August 2020, it became known that the lovers got married. They did not give any comments to the journalists: close friends of the couple told about the wedding.

Sean Penn and Leila George

Sean Penn Now

Lately, the scandalous actor almost disappeared from television. The last big project he participated in was the adventure film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty directed by Ben Stiller. His filmography isn't long, but he portrayed the same photographer whom Stiller's character was chasing all over the world to find a picture for the cover of the last edition of the Life magazine. He also played the lead in the fantastic TV show The First (2018) by Hulu which didn't receive enthusiastic feedback from critics, but Penn received $500, 000 for each episode.

Sean Penn in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Recently, Sean Penn has been involved in film projects less and less. However, in 2019 he did star in the Irish drama thriller The Professor and the Madman. The actor played the role of William Chester Minor. The script is based on the novel by Simon Winchester, The Surgeon of Crowthorne, and Mel Gibson became Sean's co-stars on the set.

The Professor and the Madman: Trailer

Adam Bryan Johnson

I think Sean Penn is good to play the bad guys. His path is action movies and thrillers, definitely.

2021-05-18 18:36:44
Tara Wright

Sean Penn`s children are very beautiful!!! I wish him new achievements and heights in the acting field.

2021-05-12 10:12:35
Zachary Hayden Jackson

«Mystic River» is the case when everything is perfect. And the director, and the script, and the actors, and the idea itself! Sean Penn famously got used to the role of Jimmy Markum.

2021-03-29 11:20:27
Patricia Robbins

Sean Penn is not handsome, but in Hollywood films all kinds of actors are needed, right?

2021-03-28 22:50:26
Harold Edwards

A punchy man, I am inspired by his tenacity. I almost never miss a single film with him. My favorite roles are «I Am Sam», «21 Grams» and «The Secret Life of Walter Mitty».

2021-03-09 19:49:23