Sean Penn

Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor, screenwriter, film director, activist, and politician. He is known for his left-wing political and social activism, including humanitarian work. 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 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. His fourth feature film, Into the Wild (2007), 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 singer Madonna and actress Robin Wright.

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1981	Taps	Cadet Cpt. Alex Dwyer
1982	Fast Times at Ridgemont High	Jeff Spicoli
1983	Summerspell	Buddy
1983	Bad Boys	Michael O’Brien
1984	Crackers	Dillard
1984	Racing with the Moon	Henry “Hopper” Nash
1985	Falcon and the Snowman, TheThe Falcon and the Snowman	Daulton Lee
1986	At Close Range	Brad Whitewood Jr.
1986	Shanghai Surprise	Glendon Wasey	Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor
1987	Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam	Narrator
1988	Cool Blue	Phil the Plumber	Uncredited[60]
1988	Colors	Officer Danny McGavin
1988	Judgment in Berlin	Guenther X
1989	Casualties of War	Sgt. Tony Meserve
1989	We’re No Angels	Jim
1990	State of Grace	Terry Noonan
1991	Schneeweißrosenrot	Himself	Documentary
1991	Indian Runner, TheThe Indian Runner		Writer, director Nominated – Locarno International Film Festival Golden Leopard
1992	Cruise Control	Jeffrey	Short film
1993	Last Party, TheThe Last Party	Himself	Documentary
1993	Carlito’s Way	David Kleinfeld	Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
1995	Crossing Guard, TheThe Crossing Guard		Writer, director Nominated – Golden Lion
1995	Dead Man Walking	Matthew Poncelet	Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (2nd place) Silver Bear for Best Actor[61] Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
1997	Loved	Michael
1997	She’s So Lovely	Eddie Quinn	Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor[62]
1997	U Turn	Bobby Cooper
1997	Game, TheThe Game	Conrad Van Orton
1997	Hugo Pool	Strange Hitchhiker
1998	Hurlyburly	Eddie	Volpi Cup Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
1998	Thin Red Line, TheThe Thin Red Line	1st Sgt. Welsh
1999	Being John Malkovich	Himself	Uncredited
1999	Sweet and Lowdown	Emmett Ray	Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated – Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2000	Constant Forge, AA Constant Forge	Himself	Documentary
2000	Up at the Villa	Rowley Flint
2000	Before Night Falls	Cuco Sánchez
2000	Weight of Water, TheThe Weight of Water	Thomas Janes
2001	Dogtown and Z-Boys	Narrator	Documentary
2001	Beaver Trilogy, TheThe Beaver Trilogy	Groovin’ Larry	Segment: “Beaver Kid 2″
2001	Scene Smoking: Cigarettes, Cinema & the Myth of Cool	Himself	Documentary
2001	Pledge, TheThe Pledge		Writer, director Nominated – Golden Bear Nominated – Bodil Award for Best Non-European Film Nominated – Palme d’Or
2001	See How They Run	Himself	Documentary
2001	I Am Sam	Sam Dawson	Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
2002	11’9″01 September 11		Director Segment: “U.S.A.” UNESCO Award Nominated – César Award for Best Film from the European Union
2003	It’s All About Love	Marciello
2003	Mystic River	Jimmy Markum	Academy Award for Best Actor Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (2nd place) Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Actor (2nd place) National Board of Review Award for Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (2nd place) Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor (2nd place) Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated – Irish Film & Television Award for Best International Actor Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated – Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
2003	21 Grams	Paul Rivers	Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Actor (2nd place) National Board of Review Award for Best Actor Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Volpi Cup Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
2004	Assassination of Richard Nixon, TheThe Assassination of Richard Nixon	Samuel J. Bicke	Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
2005	Interpreter, TheThe Interpreter	Tobin Keller
2006	All the King’s Men	Willie Stark
2007	Into the Wild		Writer, director Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Director Rome Film Fest Premiere Prize São Paulo International Film Festival Best Foreign Language Film Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Director Nominated – BFCA Critics’ Choice Award for Best Writer Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated – Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director – Motion Picture Nominated – Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Foreign Film – English Language Nominated – Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
2007	Persepolis	Marjane’s Father	Voice English dub
2007	War Made Easy	Narrator[63]	Documentary
2008	Tropic Thunder	Himself	Cameo
2008	Milk	Harvey Milk	Academy Award for Best Actor Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (tied with Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler) Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor (2nd place) Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Actor Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Southeastern Film Critics Award for Best Actor Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated – Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Male Nominated – London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated – Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
2008	Witch Hunt	Narrator	Documentary Executive producer
2010	Fair Game	Joseph Wilson
2011	Tree of Life, TheThe Tree of Life	Adult Jack
2011	This Must Be the Place	Cheyenne
2013	Gangster Squad	Mickey Cohen
2013	The Secret Life of Walter Mitty	Sean O’Connell
2014	The Gunman	Martin Terrier

Recommended viewing

• Gangster squad
• The Interpreter
• The Thin Red Line
• Dead Man Walking
• Carlito’s Way
• Casualties of War