Sean Penn

Early life

Sean Justin Penn was born on August 17, 1960, in Santa Monica, California, His older brother is musician Michael Penn. His younger brother, actor Chris Penn, died in 2006. His father was a Jew whose parents were emigrants from Merkinė in Lithuania, and his mother was a Catholic of Irish and Italian descent.

Penn was raised in a secular home in Malibu, California, and attended Malibu Park Junior High School and Santa Monica High School. He began making short films with some of his childhood friends including actors Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen, who lived near his home.

Career

1974–1989: Early work and breakthrough

Penn appeared in a 1974 episode of the Little House on the Prairie television series as an extra when his father, Leo, directed some of the episodes. Penn launched his film career with the action-drama Taps (1981), where he played a military high school cadet. A year later, he appeared in the hit comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), in the role of surfer-stoner Jeff Spicoli; his character helped popularize the word "dude" in popular culture.

Penn played Andrew Daulton Lee in the film The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), which closely followed an actual criminal case. Penn starred in the drama At Close Range (1986) which received critical acclaim. He stopped acting for a few years in the early 1990s, having been dissatisfied with the industry, and focused on making his directing debut.

1990–1999: Leading man roles and stardom

In 1990, Penn portrayed Detective Terry Noonan in the neo-noir State of Grace opposite Ed Harris and Gary Oldman. The following year, Penn made his directorial debut with The Indian Runner (1991), a crime drama film based on Bruce Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman", from the 1982 album Nebraska. He also directed music videos, such as Shania Twain's "Dance with the One That Brought You" (1993), Lyle Lovett's "North Dakota" (1993). After a brief hiatus from acting, he returned to star in the Brian De Palma crime drama Carlito's Way (1993) acting opposite Al Pacino. Film critic Leonard Klady of Variety wrote of his performance, "Penn reminds viewers of what they've been missing in his performance as Carlito's ambitious, amoral lawyer. Without stooping to caricature, he effortlessly captures what is most heinous in the profession." Penn was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.

He also directed the indie thriller The Crossing Guard (1995) starring Jack Nicholson. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "Penn is a slugger of a film maker, whether pummeling his audience with the obvious or hammering home the heartfelt and true. His second feature...has the same brute force that made his Indian Runner such a gripping oddity, bearing the distinctive stamp of Mr. Penn's raw, searching style". That same year he acting alongside Susan Sarandon starring in the Tim Robbins directed crime drama playing a racist murderer on death row in Dead Man Walking (1995). Critic Roger Ebert wrote "Penn proves again that he is the most powerful actor of his generation". For his performance he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The following year he acted in the Nick Cassavetes-directed romantic drama She's So Lovely (1997) opposite his then-wife Robin Wright Penn. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly compared the film to the works of John Cassavetes and wrote that Penn's performance "is so full of heart and talent". Penn won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. That same year he acted in the Oliver Stone directed neo-noir crime drama U Turn, and David Fincher's mystery thriller The Game.

In 1997, he starred in the independent drama Hurlyburly based on the 1984 play of the same name by David Rabe. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote, "Sean Penn ends up dominating the film, sweating anxiety and rage from every pore. His charisma and screen presence are undeniable". For his performance he won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival. That same year he had a leading role in the Terrence Malick epic about the World War II battle for Guadalcanal in The Thin Red Line (1998) based on the 1962 novel of the same name by James Jones. The following year he portrayed an egotisitcal jazz guitarist in the Woody Allen film Sweet and Lowdown (1999). Roger Ebert described Penn's performances as "master classes in the art of character development". For his performance he was nominated for his second Academy Award for Best Actor.

2000–2011: Established actor and acclaim

In 2000, Penn acted in Julian Schnabel's drama Before Night Falls opposite Javier Bardem and Kathryn Bigelow's thriller The Weight of Water with Elizabeth Hurley. The following year he guest starred on the NBC sitcom Friends portraying Eric, a man who was engaged to Phoebe Buffay's sister Ursula, both of whom are played by Lisa Kudrow. He appeared in two episodes in the eighth season. That same year he portrayed a mentally handicapped father in the family drama I am Sam (2001). His performance led him to his third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

In 2003, he starred in the Clint Eastwood directed Boston crime drama Mystic River portraying a grieving father looking for his daughter. Penn acted alongside Tim Robbins, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, and Kevin Bacon. Film critic Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, "[The] Casting is immaculate. Penn is in top form as the reformed hood whose basic instincts overtake him." Penn received widespread acclaim for his performance earning numerous accolades including the Academy Award, Critics' Choice Movie Award, and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor as well as nominations for the BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild Award. That same year he acted in Alejandro González Iñárritu's psychological thriller 21 Grams opposite Naomi Watts and Benicio del Toro. For his performance he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor at the 57th British Academy Film Awards.

In 2004, Penn played Samuel Bicke, a character based on Samuel Byck, who in 1974 attempted and failed to assassinate President Richard Nixon, in The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004). The same year, he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Next, Penn portrayed governor Willie Stark (based on Huey Long) in an adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's classic 1946 American novel All the King's Men (2006). The film was a critical and commercial failure, named by a 2010 Forbes article as the biggest flop in the last five years. During this time he directed the mystery film The Pledge (2001) and Peter Gabriel's "The Barry Williams Show" (2002). Penn gained acclaim for directing the biographical drama survival film Into the Wild (2007). Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly praised wrote, "Penn has written and directed with magnificent precision and imaginative grace". For his direction he was nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film.

In November 2008, Penn earned positive reviews for his portrayal of real-life politician and gay rights activist and icon Harvey Milk in the Gus Van Sant directed biographical drama film Milk (2008). Kirk Honeycutt for The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Penn is one of those actors in complete control of his entire instrument. He uses voice, body movements, line readings and something indefinable within his own psyche to transmigrate into another person's body and mind". For his performance he was nominated for Best Actor by the British Academy Film Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, and the Independent Spirit Awards. Penn won his second Academy Award for Best Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.

In Fair Game (2010), Penn starred as Joseph C. Wilson, whose wife, Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts), was outed as a CIA agent by Bush advisor Scooter Libby in retaliation for an article Wilson wrote debunking Bush's claim that Iraq was building a nuclear bomb as a rationale for invading the country. The film is based upon Plame's 2007 memoir Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House. Penn reunited with Terrence Malick drama The Tree of Life (2011), which won the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. That same year he starred in the Paolo Sorrentino directed comedy-drama This Must Be the Place (2011) opposite Frances McDormand. In the film Penn plays Cheyenne, a former rock star. The film received positive reviews with Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Penn dominates the film, of course, although it's a performance that slithers between the genuine and the stunt-like".

2012–present: Focus on directing and television roles

In 2015, Penn starred in The Gunman, a French-American action thriller based on the novel The Prone Gunman, by Jean-Patrick Manchette. Jasmine Trinca, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance, and fellow Oscar-winner Javier Bardem appear in supporting roles. In The Gunman, Penn played Jim Terrier, a sniper on a mercenary assassination team who kills the minister of mines of the Congo. During this time Penn directed the drama film The Last Face (2016) starring Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem and the crime/drama film Flag Day (2021) with Dylan Penn and Josh Brolin.Sean Penn film directorial venture reviews:

• The Crossing Guard Nytimes
• Film: Bad Boy
• The Pledge Nytimes.com
• Into the Wild Sydney Morning Herald In March 2018, Atria Books published Penn's novel Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. After the book's release, Penn went on a highly publicized press tour. He claimed that he no longer had "a generic interest in making films", and being a writer will "dominate my creative energies for the foreseeable future".

In 2018 Penn starred in his first leading role in a television series portraying Tom Hagerty, an astronaut chosen to be one of the first people to visit Mars in the Hulu science fiction drama series The First created by Beau Willimon. Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter wrote of his performance, "You can quickly see why Penn gravitated toward this as his series debut. His physical transformation and high-intensity confrontations...are showy, but the slowly unfolding role also lets him play quiet moments, and even light ones" adding, "It's funny that I'm always surprised by how game Penn is to be a goofball. The guy who starred in Fast Times at Ridgemont High is still in there somewhere." The series received positive reviews but on January 18, 2019, Hulu canceled the series after one season. In 2020 Penn played himself in a cameo role in the Curb Your Enthusiasm season 10 episode "The Spite Store".

In 2021, Penn portrayed Jack Holden, an actor based on William Holden, in the Paul Thomas Anderson directed coming of age comedy-drama Licorice Pizza. Penn returned to television starring in the Starz political thriller limited series Gaslit (2022) portraying John N. Mitchell opposite Julia Roberts as Martha Mitchell. The role required transformational prosthetics. Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote of his performance, "Penn manages to bring life to his makeup-constructed character" adding "Even his manner of speech, spitting curse words while clenching his wooden pipe, befits the boil of a man that John Mitchell becomes". For his performance he was nominated for the Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series.

In 2023 Penn directed his first documentary film, Superpower, profiling the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film follows Penn as he travels to Ukraine to meet with Zelenskyy, the soldiers and observe firsthand how the Russo-Ukrainian war is being waged. Penn starred as a cab driver in Christy Hall's directorial debut Daddio (2023) acting opposite Dakota Johnson. Film critic Todd McCarthy of Deadline Hollywood wrote, "Sean Penn is at his absolute best here in a tremendously engaging performance as a salty working-class guy with an endless supply of opinions and ways of drawing out his passengers".

In 2025, he appeared on the Netflix late-night talk show Everybody's Live with John Mulaney alongside Adam Sandler. Penn and Sandler give Mulaney advice for the physical fight he would later have with three 14-year olds on the show. The same year, he reunited with Paul Thomas Anderson, starring in his film One Battle After Another as the main antagonist and received nominations for a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, Actor Award and Academy Award for his performance. Penn also appeared in the Ukrainian anthology film War Through the Eyes of Animals, portraying a sound producer at the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in the act "The Eagle"; he offered to be in the movie for just $1 since the Screen Actors Guild forbids its members from working for free.

Personal life

Marriages and relationships

Penn was engaged to actress Elizabeth McGovern, his co-star in Racing with the Moon (1984). He also dated Demi Moore and Susan Sarandon.

Penn met singer-songwriter Madonna on set of her "Material Girl" music video in January 1985. On August 16, 1985, they married on Madonna's 27th birthday; Penn turned 25 the next day. The two starred in the panned Shanghai Surprise (1986), directed by Jim Goddard, and Madonna dedicated her third studio album True Blue (1986) to Penn, referring to him in the liner notes as "the coolest guy in the universe". Their marriage was marred by Penn's violent outbursts against the press. Madonna filed for divorce in December 1987, but withdrew the papers two weeks later. In January 1989, Madonna filed for divorce again and reportedly withdrew an assault complaint against Penn following an incident at their Malibu, California, home during the New Year weekend. Penn was alleged to have struck Madonna on multiple occasions during their marriage in the book Madonna Unauthorized. Madonna denied the allegations stating they were "completely outrageous, malicious, reckless, and false" in 2015.

In 1989, Penn began dating actress Robin Wright, and their first child, a daughter named Dylan Frances, was born April 13, 1991. Their second child, son Hopper Jack, was born August 6, 1993. Penn and Wright separated in 1995, during which time he developed a relationship with Jewel, after he spotted her performing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He invited her to compose a song for his film The Crossing Guard (1995) and followed her on tour. Penn reconciled with Wright and they married on April 27, 1996. The couple filed for divorce in December 2007 but reconciled several months later, requesting a court dismissal of their divorce case. In April 2009, Penn filed for legal separation, only to withdraw the case once again when the couple reconciled in May. On August 12, 2009, Wright filed for divorce again. The couple's divorce was finalized on July 22, 2010; the couple reached a private agreement on child and spousal support, division of assets, and custody of Hopper, who was almost 17 at the time.

In December 2013, Penn began dating South African actress Charlize Theron. Their relationship ended in June 2015. Despite reports that they were engaged, Theron stated that they were never engaged. Theron starred in Penn's film The Last Face (2016), which they filmed while still a couple.

In 2016, Penn began a relationship with Australian-American actress Leila George, daughter of actors Vincent D'Onofrio and Greta Scacchi. They married on July 30, 2020. George filed for divorce on October 15, 2021. Their divorce was finalized on April 22, 2022. In June 2023, Penn began a relationship with Ukrainian Olga Korotyayeva. Although typically private about relationships, Penn confirmed he was again single during a June 2024 interview.

Legal issues

In October 1985, Penn pled no contest to charges that he assaulted two journalists when they tried to photograph him and Madonna in Nashville in June 1985. He was fined $50 on each of two misdemeanor charges of assault and battery. In January 1986, Penn was charged for allegedly assaulting Leonel Borralho, Macau correspondent for the Hong Kong Standard newspaper, after he photographed Madonna and Penn as they arrived at their hotel room. In June 1986, Penn was charged with misdemeanor battery for assaulting songwriter David Wolinski at Helena's nightclub in Los Angeles. Wolinski said Penn accused him of trying to kiss Madonna. Penn pled not guilty to the charge.

In April 1987, Penn violated probation and was arrested for punching a film extra, Jeffrey Klein, on set of the movie Colors. Penn was sentenced to 60 days in jail for this assault and reckless driving in June 1987, of which he served 33 days. According to Penn himself, he was incarcerated in the same jail holding Richard Ramirez, a serial killer awaiting trial. Ramirez wrote to Penn, to which Penn wrote back saying he had no kinship for his fellow inmate and hopes Ramirez receives capital punishment via the gas chamber. In May 2010, Penn pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge stemming from an altercation with photographer Frank Mateljan in October 2009. He was sentenced to perform 300 hours of community service and undergo 36 hours of anger management counseling.

In an interview published September 16, 2015, director and showrunner Lee Daniels responded to criticism about Terrence Howard's continued career in light of his domestic violence issues by referencing Penn's rumored history of domestic violence, saying: "[Terrence] ain't done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he's some f—in' demon." In response, Penn launched a $10 million defamation suit against Daniels, alleging that he had never been arrested for or charged with domestic violence. Penn dropped the lawsuit in May 2016 after Daniels retracted his statement and apologized.

Political views and activism

Penn has been outspoken in supporting numerous political and social causes. On December 13–16, 2002, he visited Iraq to protest against the Bush administration's apparent plans for a military strike on Iraq. On June 10, 2005, Penn visited Iran, where, acting as a journalist on an assignment for the San Francisco Chronicle, he attended a Friday prayer at Tehran University.

In response to the 2004 satirical film Team America: World Police, in which a caricatured puppet of Penn claims Baathist Iraq was a utopia with "rainbow skies" and "rivers made of chocolate" before the US military and the Coalition of the Willing invaded and removed Saddam Hussein from power in 2003, Penn sent an angry letter to its creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, inviting them to tour Iraq with him and ending with the statement, "fuck you".

On January 7, 2006, Penn joined author and media critic Norman Solomon and activist Cindy Sheehan as a special guest at their "Out of Iraq Forum" in Sacramento, California for the Progressive Democrats of America, an event organized to support and promote the anti-Iraq War movement. On December 18, 2006, Penn received the Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award from the Creative Coalition for his commitment to free speech.

In August 2008, Penn attended one of Ralph Nader's "Open the Debates" super rallies, protesting against the exclusion of Nader and other third-party candidates. In October 2008, Penn visited Cuba, where he met with and interviewed then Cuban president Raúl Castro.

In 2021, Penn denounced cancel culture, describing it as "ludicrous".

George W. Bush administration

On October 18, 2002, Penn placed a $56,000 advertisement in The Washington Post, publicly asking then President George W. Bush to end military hostilities in Iraq and elsewhere. The advertisement was written as an open letter and referred to the planned attack on Iraq and the war on terror.

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." Penn visited Iraq briefly in December 2002. The criticism drew praise from Penn's ex-wife Madonna, who said, "Sean is one of the few. Good for him. Most celebrities are keeping their heads down. Nobody wants to be unpopular. But then Americans, by and large, are pretty ignorant of what's going on in the world."

The Post 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. The letter condemned the Iraq War, called for Bush to be impeached, and also called then US Vice President Dick Cheney and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "villainously and criminally obscene people."

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 following Penn's criticisms of Bush. In the appearance, Penn said, "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 with 10,000,000 points to Colbert's 1.

On December 7, 2007, Penn said he supported Ohio Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich in the 2008 US presidential election, and again criticized Bush's handling of the Iraq War. Penn questioned whether Bush's daughters, Jenna and Barbara, supported the war in Iraq.

Natural disasters

In September 2005, Penn traveled to New Orleans, to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. He was physically involved in rescuing people, although there was criticism that his involvement was a PR stunt as he hired a photographer to come along with his entourage. Penn denied such accusations in an article he wrote for HuffPost. Director Spike Lee interviewed Penn for Lee's documentary about Hurricane Katrina, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006).

After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Penn founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which operated a 55,000 person tent camp. Prior to founding the organization, Penn acknowledged he had never visited Haiti and did not speak French or Creole. When asked about critics who questioned his experience on Haiti, he said he hopes they "die screaming of rectal cancer".

On January 31, 2012, due largely to his visibility as an on-the-ground advocate for rescue and aid efforts in the aftermath, Penn was designated by then Haitian president Michel Martelly as Ambassador-at-Large for Haiti, the first time a non-Haitian citizen has held the position in the country's history. Also in 2012, at the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Penn was recognized with the Peace Summit Award.

Gender and sexual orientation

On February 22, 2009, Penn received the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film Milk. In his acceptance speech, he 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!" In 2022, Penn expressed his position on masculinity, saying, "I am in the club that believes that men in American culture have become wildly feminised...I don't think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them." He later told The Independent that "I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminised...There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt."

International affairs

Penn gained significant attention in Pakistan media when he visited Karachi and Badin in 2012. On March 23, 2012, accompanied by US Consul General William J. Martin, Penn visited flood-stricken villages in Karim Bux Jamali, Dargah Shah Gurio, and Peero Lashari in the Badin District, where he distributed blankets, quilts, kitchen items, and other goods to flood survivors.

On March 24, 2012, during his visit to Pakistan, Penn visited Bilquis Edhi Female Child Home and met Pakistani humanitarian worker Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife Bilquis Edhi and laid floral wreaths at the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in honor of him.

Penn is also believed to have played a role in securing the release of American entrepreneur Jacob Ostreicher from a Bolivian prison in 2013, and was credited by Ostreicher for having personally nursed him back to health after his release.

Penn is the founder of the nonprofit organization Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), which distributed aid in Haiti following the country's 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew and administered free COVID-19 diagnostic tests in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In October 2021, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint that Penn and CORE violated US federal labor law, contending that Penn "impliedly threatened" his employees with reprisals after they complained about working conditions, which allegedly included 18-hour work days.

Syria

In February 2012, during the Syrian civil war, Penn stood beside Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez as Venezuela supported the government of Syria, led by Bashar al-Assad. In March 2010, Penn called for the imprisonment of journalists who referred to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez as a dictator. Penn's was criticized by conservative and libertarian media sources, including National Review and Reason.

Venezuela

Penn and Chávez maintained a friendship; when Chávez died in 2013, Penn said: "Venezuela and its revolution will endure under the proven leadership of Vice President Nicolás Maduro. Today the United States lost a friend it never knew it had. And poor people around the world lost a champion. I lost a friend I was blessed to have." Penn's friendship with Chávez and his praise for Cuban dictator Raúl Castro have been criticized by human rights activist Thor Halvorssen and media, including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The New Criterion, and The Advocate, each of which alleged that Castro and Chávez's strong anti-LGBT stances clashed with Penn's support for LGBT groups. Actress María Conchita Alonso, who co-starred with Penn in Colors, also issued an "Open Letter to Sean Penn", attacking his views on Chávez. In December 2011, Alonso and Penn began verbally fighting at an airport, during which Penn called her "a pig" and Alonso called Penn a communist.

Mexico

On January 9, 2016, a day after Mexican officials announced the capture of fugitive Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in a militarized raid, Rolling Stone reported that Penn and actress Kate del Castillo had conducted a secret interview with El Chapo prior to his arrest. Del Castillo was contacted by Guzmán's lawyer, who was then under CISEN surveillance, to discuss producing a biographical film about Guzmán, and communication between the two increased following Guzmán's escape from a Mexican prison in July 2015. The deal for the interview was brokered by del Castillo.

According to text messages released between Penn and del Castillo, El Chapo did not know who Sean Penn was. CISEN released photographs of del Castillo at the meetings with Guzmán's lawyers and of Penn and del Castillo arriving in Mexico. The interview was criticized by White House, which called it "maddening". Mexican authorities said they sought to question Penn over the interview, which had not been approved by either the American or Mexican government. Penn and del Castillo's meeting with Guzmán was investigated by the attorney general of Mexico. Del Castillo acknowledged that she never resumed communication with Penn after the release of the Rolling Stone article. In October 2025, Del Castillo harshly criticized Penn, calling him "scum" and accusing him of using her as "bait" during their 2015 meeting with Guzmán. Penn had never told her that he had planned to write the article despite her central role in arranging the meeting.

Armenia

In October 2020, Penn tweeted support for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He also criticized Turkey's involvement in the conflict and close Turkey–United States ties and simultaneously endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election. Penn said, "Armenians are being slaughtered by Trump pal Erdogan with weapons WE provided. THIS is NOT America! Biden for America's new birth!".

Ukraine

In 2022, Penn visited Ukraine to film a documentary about the Russian invasion of that country. Penn attended press briefings in Kyiv, met with officials and spoke to journalists and military personnel about the Russian invasion. On February 25, 2022, Penn said, "If we allow it [Ukraine] to fight alone, our soul as America is lost."

Penn also praised the response from the Ukrainian government and its citizens. As Penn and his team prepared to leave Ukraine, they abandoned their car and walked with their luggage for miles to the Polish border. Russia is sanctioning Penn over his Ukraine support.

In Kyiv in November 2022, Penn lent an Oscar statuette to President Zelenskyy, saying, "This is for you. It's just a symbolic silly thing...When you win, bring it back to Malibu." Zelensky, in turn, awarded Penn the Ukrainian Order of Merit.

Falkland Islands

In February 2012, Penn met with the president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, in Buenos Aires, where he commented on the long-running dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, saying: "I know I came in a very sensitive moment in terms of diplomacy between Argentina and the UK over the Falkland Islands. And I hope that diplomats can establish true dialogue in order to solve the conflict as the world today cannot tolerate ridiculous demonstrations of colonialism. The way of dialogue is the only way to achieve a better solution for both nations."

The comments were taken as support of Argentina's claim to the islands and evoked reactions in British media, including a satirical article in The Daily Telegraph requesting that Penn "return his Malibu estate to the Mexicans".

In February 2012, Penn's comments on the Falklands dispute were criticized by Falklands War veteran and political activist Simon Weston, who said, "Sean Penn does not know what he is talking about and, frankly, he should shut up. His [Penn's] views are irrelevant and it only serves to fuel the fire of the Argentinians and get them more pumped up." British Conservative MP Patrick Mercer called Penn's statement on the Falklands "moronic". Lauren Collins wrote in The New Yorker, "As of today, Sean Penn is the new Karl Lagerfeld—the man upon whom, having disrespected something dear to the United Kingdom, the British papers most gleefully pile contempt".

Penn later claimed his comments were misrepresented in British press and that his criticism of "colonialism" was a reference to the deployment of Prince William as an air-sea rescue pilot, describing it as a "message of pre-emptive intimidation". He claimed that the Prince's posting meant "the automatic deployment of warships", and stated: "My oh my, aren't people sensitive to the word 'colonialism', particularly those who implement colonialism."

In an op-ed written in The Guardian, Penn wrote that "the legalisation of Argentinian immigration to the Malvinas/Falkland Islands is one that it seems might have been addressed, but for the speculative discovery of booming offshore oil in the surrounding seas this past year" and that it was "irresponsible journalism" to suggest "that I had taken a specific position against those currently residing in the Malvinas/Falkland Islands, that they should either be deported or absorbed into Argentine rule. I neither said, nor insinuated that".

Acting credits and accolades

Penn has appeared in over 50 films and won several awards during his career as an actor and director, including two Academy Awards for Best Actor for Mystic River in 2003 and Milk in 2008, and was nominated three more times in the same category for Dead Man Walking (1995), Sweet and Lowdown (1999), and I Am Sam (2001). He also received a Directors Guild of America nomination for directing Into the Wild (2007). In 2015, Penn received the Honorary César for lifetime achievement.

Published works

• Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff (Atria Books, 2018)
• Bob Honey Sings Jimmy Crack Corn (Rare Bird Books, 2019)

References

References

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43. "Mystic River (2003) – Awards".
44. (February 7, 2024). "Oscars rewind — 2004: Sean Penn steps up for his work with Clint Eastwood".
45. (February 15, 2004). "Bafta awards 2004: The winners".
46. (June 28, 2004). "Academy Invites 127 to Membership". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
47. Pomerantz, Dorothy. [https://www.forbes.com/2010/01/22/sean-penn-eddie-murphy-business-entertainment-star-flops.html Hollywood's Biggest Flops: Big-name stars weren't enough to save these box-office bombs], ''[[Forbes]]'', January 22, 2010.
48. "Into the Wild".
49. (January 23, 2008). "DGA Award Nominees".
50. (November 2, 2008). "Milk Review: 2008 Movie".
51. Maxwell, Erin. (December 3, 2008). "Spirit Award nominees announced". work.
52. "Sean Penn – Awards".
53. (February 23, 2009). "Sean Penn wins best actor Oscar for "Milk"".
54. "The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards".
55. (March 13, 2011). "Fair Game – review". [[The Observer]].
56. (May 22, 2011). "'Tree of Life' wins Palme d'Or".
57. "This Must Be the Place".
58. (November 2012). "'This Must Be the Place': What the Critics Are Saying".
59. Giles, Jeff. (March 27, 2018). "Sean Penn, Satirist, Swings at America in a Wild Debut Novel". The New York Times.
60. (April 4, 2018). "Sean Penn: Why I Had to Write 'Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff'".
61. (April 7, 2018). "Sean Penn pivots from actor to novelist at La Jolla reading". [[The San Diego Union-Tribune]].
62. (April 3, 2018). "Sean Penn and Jane Smiley weren't drinking the 'Bob Honey' haterade on stage in L.A.". [[Los Angeles Times]].
63. (April 6, 2018). "Sean Penn on Quitting the Movie Business, His New First Novel, and #MeToo".
64. (August 28, 2018). "Hulu's The First: Watch the Exclusive Trailer for Sean Penn's Space Drama".
65. (September 12, 2018). "The First Review".
66. "The First".
67. (January 19, 2019). "'The First' Canceled at Hulu After One Season".
68. (August 13, 2020). "'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Boss on Larry David's MAGA Hat … and a Deleted Sean Penn Scene".
69. (September 29, 2022). "Is 'Licorice Pizza' Based on a True Story? The History Behind Paul Thomas Anderson's New Film".
70. (May 26, 2022). "How Sean Penn's 'Gaslit' Transformation Came Down to an Unexpected Prosthetic".
71. (April 18, 2022). "'Gaslit' Review: Julia Roberts' Fiery Watergate Drama Sorts a Hard Truth from Many Lies".
72. Petski, Denise. (July 7, 2022). "''This Is Us'', ''Succession'', ''Severance'', ''Ted Lasso'' Lead 2022 HCA TV Nominations".
73. (September 18, 2023). "'Superpower' Review: Sean Penn Chronicles the War in Ukraine". The New York Times.
74. (February 18, 2023). "Sean Penn's Ukraine documentary 'Superpower' premieres at Berlin International Film Festival".
75. (February 17, 2023). "Sean Penn's Ukraine War Doc 'Superpower' Receives Warm Reception at Berlin World Premiere".
76. (September 4, 2023). "'Daddio' Review: Sean Penn And Dakota Johnson Drive Breakthrough First Film From Christy Hall – Telluride Film Festival".
77. (May 28, 2025). "Sean Penn Reveals That He Once Torched A Van With A Molotov Cocktail on 'Everybody's Live with John Mulaney'".
78. Anderson, Paul Thomas. (2025-09-26). "One Battle After Another". Ghoulardi Film Company, Warner Bros..
79. (November 18, 2025). ""На вході — Шон Пенн, на виході — українські таланти". Олег Кохан та Андрій Лідаговський про "Війну очима тварин"". [[Suspilne]].
80. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4LsbAAAAIBAJ&pg=1301%2C7121514 "Attracted by dynamism"]. ''Times-News''. June 9, 1984.
81. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ArowAAAAIBAJ&pg=6802%2C4738186 "Sean Penn down in the dumps after being dumped by love"]. ''The Ledger''. July 15, 1984.
82. Stern, Marlow. (December 19, 2015). "Madonna Comes Forward About Sean Penn's Alleged Abuse: 'Sean Has Never Struck Me'". The Daily Beast.
83. Cannon, Bob. (August 14, 1992). "Madonna and Sean Penn: Justifying their love".
84. (October 15, 2008). "Madonna's love history". The Daily Telegraph.
85. (August 30, 1986). "Sean Penn got into another fight with a photographer...". United Press International.
86. (December 14, 1987). "Everyone Said It Wouldn't Last...".
87. Wilson, Jeff. (January 11, 1989). "Madonna Withdraws Assault Complaint Against Sean Penn".
88. (September 22, 2015). "The Incident Behind Those Sean Penn Domestic Abuse Allegations". Yahoo.
89. Andersen, Christopher. (November 6, 1991). "A Marriage Filled With Abuse". The Seattle Times.
90. Patten, Dominic. (December 17, 2015). "Madonna Says Sean Penn 'Never Struck Me', Backs Ex In $10M Lee Daniels Defamation Suit". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
91. (April 17, 1991). "Cradle Watch". [[Los Angeles Times]].
92. Speidel, Maria. (August 23, 1993). "Passages". [[People (magazine).
93. (September 23, 2015). "Jewel Reveals Pre-Fame Relationship With Sean Penn: 'I Liked His Mind'".
94. White, Nicholas. (December 27, 2007). "Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn Divorcing". [[People (magazine).
95. (April 29, 2009). "Sean Penn Files for Legal Separation". People.
96. Reaney, Patricia. (April 9, 2008). "Sean Penn, wife Robin end divorce proceeding". Reuters.
97. (May 21, 2009). "Sean Penn withdraws separation filing". [[USA Today]].
98. Lee, Ken. (August 18, 2009). "Robin Wright Penn Files for Divorce". [[People (magazine).
99. Silverman, Stephen M.. (August 17, 2009). "Robin Wright Penn Relishes Her New Independence". [[People (magazine).
100. Oh, Eunice. (August 4, 2010). "Sean Penn and Robin Wright Finalize Their Divorce". [[People (magazine).
101. Metz, Brooke. (July 27, 2017). "'The Last Face' and the tale of Charlize Theron and Sean Penn".
102. Miller, Julie. (June 17, 2015). "Charlize Theron and Sean Penn Have Reportedly Ended Their Engagement".
103. Fernández, Alexia. (June 22, 2020). "Charlize Theron Denies She Was Engaged to Sean Penn: 'I Was Never Going to Marry Him'".
104. (March 9, 2020). "Sean Penn Sweetly Supports Girlfriend Leila George at Her Australian Wildfire Relief Zoo Event".
105. (August 4, 2020). "Sean Penn, 59, Leila George, 28, get married in secret 'COVID wedding'". [[Fox News]].
106. (October 15, 2021). "Sean Penn's Wife Actress Leila George Files for Divorce After 1 Year of Marriage".
107. Brisco, Elise. "Sean Penn and Leila George finalize divorce after having a 'COVID wedding' in 2020".
108. "Sean Penn and Girlfriend Olga Korotyayeva Hold Hands on Dog Walk in Malibu".
109. (2024-06-22). "Opinion {{!}} Sean Penn, Rebel With Many Causes (Published 2024)".
110. Gillem, Tom. (October 17, 1985). "Actor Pleads No Contest, Fined On Assault Charges".
111. (January 17, 1986). "Actor Sean Penn accused of assaulting journalist". United Press International.
112. Harris, Michael. (July 18, 1986). "Actor Sean Penn was charged with battery Friday for...". United Press International.
113. (October 29, 1986). "Penn Pleads Not Guilty to Battery Charge". [[Los Angeles Times]].
114. (April 25, 1987). "Arrest Warrant Issued For Sean Penn".
115. Timnick, Lois. (June 24, 1987). "Actor Sean Penn Gets 60 Days in Jail". Los Angeles Times.
116. Ciccone, Christopher (2008). ''Life with My Sister Madonna'', Simon & Schuster, pp. 144–50; {{ISBN. 1-4165-8762-4.
117. Grad, Shelby. (March 10, 2015). "Sean Penn's unlikely pen pal: 'Night Stalker' Richard Ramirez". [[Los Angeles Times]].
118. Duke, Alan. (May 12, 2010). "Sean Penn pleads to paparazzo kick". CNN.
119. (May 12, 2010). "Sean Penn sent to anger management after paparazzi clash". Reuters.
120. (September 16, 2015). "'Empire's' 'Batshit Crazy' Behind-the-Scenes Drama: On the Set of TV's Hottest Show". The Hollywood Reporter.
121. (September 22, 2015). "Sean Penn Files $10 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against 'Empire' Co-Creator Lee Daniels". The Hollywood Reporter.
122. (May 4, 2016). "Sean Penn Wins Apology from Lee Daniels in Defamation Settlement". The Hollywood Reporter.
123. (January 10, 2016). "Sean Penn: Hollywood hellraiser turned activist". [[BBC]].
124. Penn, Sean. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/23/DDGVUEAQRL1.DTL ''Sean Penn in Iran'']. San Francisco Chronicle. August 23, 2005.
125. Penn, Sean. (October 8, 2004). "Letter by Sean Penn". DrudgeReport Archives.
126. (August 14, 2016). "Challenger lashes out at Doolittle, calls him 'coward'". [[East Bay Times]].
127. [http://www.thecreativecoalition.org/press/2006Reeve1.htm '' The Creative Coalition Announces Presenters for 2006 Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award and 2006 Spotlight Awards''] {{webarchive. link. (April 22, 2007. The Creative Coalition. December 2006.)
128. (August 19, 2008). "Sean Penn, Val Kilmer, Tom Morello, Cindy Sheehan at Nader/Gonzalez Super Rally in Denver — Ralph Nader for President in 2008". Votenader.org.
129. Lacey, Marc. (November 26, 2008). "Sean Penn Interviews Raúl Castro". The New York Times.
130. McCarthy, Tyler. (July 7, 2021). "Conan O'Brien, Sean Penn discuss cancel culture calling it 'very Soviet' and 'ludicrous'". Fox News.
131. Bowles, Scott. (September 18, 2006). "Sean Penn plays politics". [[USA Today]].
132. (November 24, 2002). "Sean Penn Letter to Washington Post".
133. Rees, Paul: 'Listen very carefully, I will say this only once', ''[[Q (magazine). Q]]'', May 2003, pp84-92
134. Somaiya, Ravi. (October 14, 2007). "Sean Penn: Mr Congeniality". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
135. James, Ian. (August 2, 2007). "Sean Penn Praised by Venezuela's Chavez". [[The Washington Post]].
136. (March 27, 2007). "Sean Penn Unloads on Pres. Bush". [[Fox News]].
137. (March 27, 2007). "Stephen Colbert vs Sean Penn".
138. Penn, Sean. (March 24, 2007). "An Open Letter to the President...Four and a Half Years Later".
139. [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/14/america/NA-FEA-US-Katrina-Celebrities.php ''Many celebrities have helped with New Orleans recovery efforts'']. International Herald Tribune. December 14, 2007.
140. (September 5, 2005). "Penn's rescue attempt springs a leak". The Sydney Morning Herald.
141. Penn, Sean. (November 30, 2008). "Mountain of Snakes". [[HuffPost]].
142. (May 3, 2013). "Sean Penn: It's time to seize opportunities in Haiti". The World Bank.
143. "Haitian Relief Organization". Jphro.org.
144. Heller, Zoe. (March 25, 2011). "The Accidental Activist". [[The New York Times]].
145. (January 31, 2012). "Haiti names Sean Penn 'ambassador at large'". [[CBS News]].
146. Schreffler, Laura. (November 3, 2016). "Sean Penn Talks Haiti, Humanitarianism and Hollywood". [[Haute Living]].
147. (February 22, 2009). "Sean Penn Oscar Speech". Mahalo.com.
148. Mottram, James. (January 28, 2022). "Sean and Dylan Penn on Flag Day: 'It did feel like going through therapy'". [[The Independent]].
149. (March 24, 2012). "Hollywood visitor: Sean Penn comes to Badin". [[The Express Tribune]].
150. (March 24, 2012). "Sean Penn comes to Pakistan". [[JewishJournal.com]].
151. (March 25, 2012). "A touch of inspiration runs both ways as Sean Penn visits shrine and Edhi home". [[The Express Tribune]].
152. APP. (March 25, 2012). "Actor Sean Penn visits Edhi Centre, Karachi". Dawn.
153. (May 21, 2014). "Orthodox Jewish Captive Jacob Ostreicher Reveals How Sean Penn Nursed Him Back to Health in His Own Home". The Algemeiner.
154. Isaza, Marcela. (April 11, 2020). "Sean Penn wants to 'save lives' with free COVID-19 testing". [[Associated Press]].
155. Moynihan, Colin. (October 28, 2021). "Sean Penn the Focus of N.L.R.B. Amid Comments on Hours and Food at Vaccine Site".
156. (February 16, 2012). "Exclusive: Venezuela ships fuel to war-torn Syria". [[Reuters]].
157. Carroll, Rory. (March 11, 2010). "Sean Penn: Journalists who call Hugo Chávez a dictator should be jailed". The Guardian.
158. (April 11, 2016). "Sean Penn Wants Reporters Jailed for Calling Chavez 'Dictator'". Fox News.
159. Moynihan, Michael. (March 9, 2010). "Sean Penn Wants Me Thrown In Jail". Reason.
160. Williamson, Kevin D.. (March 9, 2010). "Liberal Fascism Alert: Sean Penn Edition". National Review.
161. (March 6, 2013). "Hugo Chávez's death draws sympathy, anger". CNN.
162. Cohen, Roger. (January 4, 2009). "Dangers of the Penn". The New York Times.
163. Goldstein, Patrick. (December 11, 2008). "'Milk' star Sean Penn: Pal of anti-gay dictators?". [[Los Angeles Times]].
164. Kirchick, James. (December 9, 2008). "A Friend to Gays and Antigay Dictators Alike". The Advocate.
165. Weiss, Michael. (December 3, 2007). "Sean Penn, journalist". [[The New Criterion]].
166. Bershad, Jon. (March 29, 2010). "Open Letter to Sean Penn: Actress Confronts Actor On Hugo Chavez". Mediaite.com.
167. "Where Washington Comes To Talk Now on 105.9FM!". WMAL.
168. Somaiya, Ravi. (January 9, 2016). "Sean Penn Met With 'El Chapo' for Interview in His Hide-Out". [[The New York Times]].
169. (January 10, 2016). "'El Chapo' Guzmán secretly met Sean Penn in Mexico". CNN.
170. ""Ola ermoza"…". [[Milenio]].
171. (January 11, 2016). "El Chapo: Who is Kate del Castillo?". BBC News.
172. (January 13, 2016). "Texts Purportedly Reveal El Chapo's Eagerness to Meet Actress Kate del Castillo". NBC News.
173. "'El Chapo' Guzman: Sean Penn interview provokes US scorn". BBC News.
174. (January 10, 2016). "Penn won't face US charges over El Chapo interview". [[ABC News (United States).
175. (December 1, 2016). "'Hermosa', el nombre clave de Kate". [[El Universal (Mexico City).
176. (19 March 2016). "Kate del Castillo Describes Her and Sean Penn's Meeting With 'El Chapo'". ABC News.
177. (2 October 2025). "Kate del Castillo califica de "escoria" a Sean Penn y asegura que la usó de "carnada" en su encuentro con 'El Chapo'". El Heraldo de México.
178. (October 24, 2020). "Armenians are being slaughtered by Trump pal Erdogan – Sean Penn". Public Radio of Armenia.
179. Sicard, Sarah. (February 24, 2022). "Sean Penn filming documentary on the ground in Ukraine". [[Marine Corps Times]].
180. Burton, Jamie. (February 24, 2022). "Sean Penn In Ukraine: Putin Has Made a 'Horrible Mistake', Urges U.S. to Fight". [[Newsweek]].
181. Respers France, Lisa. (March 4, 2022). "Sean Penn walked to Polish border to leave Ukraine". CNN.
182. (September 6, 2022). "Russia sanctions Ben Stiller and Sean Penn over Ukraine support".
183. Pulver, Andrew. (November 9, 2022). "Sean Penn loans his Oscar to Ukraine's president Zelenskiy".
184. (February 14, 2012). "Falklands dispute: Argentine union to boycott UK ships". BBC.
185. (February 14, 2012). "Sean Penn backs Argentina over Falkland Islands". [[The Guardian]].
186. (February 15, 2012). "'The world can't tolerate anymore ridiculous colonialism', Sean Penn says after meeting CFK". [[Buenos Aires Herald]].
187. Stanley, Tim. (February 15, 2012). "Sean Penn should return his Malibu estate to the Mexicans". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
188. (February 16, 2012). "Sean Penn's Argentina Falklands support angers Simon Weston". [[BBC News]].
189. (February 16, 2012). "Sean Penn: Prince William is provoking Argentina". [[The Seattle Times]].
190. Collins, Lauren. (February 15, 2012). "SEAN PENN'S FALKLANDS WAR".
191. Topping, Alexandra, Alexandra. (February 15, 2012). "Sean Penn hits out at Prince William's Falklands posting". [[The Guardian]].
192. Penn, Sean. (February 23, 2012). "Sean Penn: The Malvinas/Falklands – diplomacy interrupted". [[The Guardian]].
193. Watt, Nicholas. (February 23, 2012). "Sean Penn calls for Britain to negotiate with Argentina over Falklands". [[The Guardian]].
194. (February 15, 2012). "In pictures: Sean Penn – Oscar winning actor, ex-husband of Madonna and campaigner". [[Daily Telegraph.
195. (January 23, 2009). "Oscar lead actor nominees". Los Angeles Times.
196. (January 8, 2008). "Directors Guild names favorite directors of '07". Reuters.
197. (February 20, 2015). "Cesar Awards: Sean Penn Calls French Film a "Refuge" From Hollywood".
198. Penn, Sean. (2018). "Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff: A Novel". Atria Books.
199. Penn, Sean. (2019). "Bob Honey Sings Jimmy Crack Corn: A Novel". Rare Bird Books.