Sean Penn – actor and film director

Sean Penn is an American actor and film director. He is a winner of Oscar for the main roles in the films Mystic River and Milk. Sean is one of the most acclaimed actors of our time, winner of three of the world’s largest film festivals – Cannes, Venice (twice) and Berlin.
Sean Justin Penn was born on August 17, 1960 in Santa Monica (California) to film director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan. The parents of his father were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and Russia who came to the US in 1898 and 1914. At school, Penn studied with Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen and Rob Lowe, who later became actors. His younger brother, Chris Penn, also became an actor. Chris died in early 2006, of a heart attack at the age of 40.
At the age of 19, Penn moved to New York. His film career began with the TV series. In 1981, he appeared in the film Taps together with Tom Cruise and Timothy Hutton. He received fame after the role in the comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). More popularity he gained after the films Bad Boys (1983) and The Falcon and the Snowman (1985).

In 1991, Penn made his debut as a director of the movie The Indian Runner. Then he was a film director of the film The Crossing Guard with Jack Nicholson in the lead role.
In 1995, he played in Tim Robbins’ drama Dead Man Walking with Susan Sarandon and was nominated for Oscar and Silver Bear at the 46th Berlin Film Festival.
In 1997, he played in the film Turn by Oliver Stone and David Fincher’s The Game.
In 1997, Penn won award for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Nick Cassavetes’ She’s So Lovely. He played together with his wife, Robin Wright and John Travolta. In 1999, Penn received the second nomination for Oscar for his role in Woody Allen’s film Sweet And Lowdown.

In 2003, he received Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his role in the movie 21 Grams.
In May 2010 he was sentenced to 3-year probation for beating journalist (the incident took place in October 2009).
On October 18, 2002 Penn paid 56,000 dollars for the publication of an open letter to George W. Bush in The Washington Post. In a letter published as an advertisement Penn criticized the US policy on Iraq. In December 2002, Penn visited Iraq. During the three-day visit to Baghdad, he visited the hospital where were the children – victims of US sanctions against Iraq, met with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and the Minister of Health.
In June 2005, Penn visited Iran as a correspondent of the newspaper San Francisco Chronicle, where he met with Iranian cultural figures in the Museum of Cinema in Tehran.
In September 2005, Penn was personally involved in helping the victims of Katrina hurricane in New Orleans.

Personal life
Penn dated charming Elizabeth McGovern, who played the main female role in the saga Once in America. However they parted in 1984.

In 1985, he married pop singer Madonna. They played together in Shanghai Surprise, which is considered one of his most unsuccessful films. One of the guests at the wedding of the actor and the singer was artist Andy Warhol. In 1989 they divorced.

In 1996, Penn married actress Robin Wright, whom he met on the set of the film State Of Grace (1990). Their daughter Dylan Frances (was named in honor of his beloved musician Bob Dylan) was born in 1991 and son Hopper Jack (named after the Hollywood legend Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson) was born in 1993. They broke up in 2010.

In 2010, Penn had a love affair with Scarlett Johansson.

Since the beginning of 2014 to June 2015 Penn dated actress Charlize Theron.

Interesting facts
– Sean starred with his mother and brother in the gangster drama At Close Range (1989). Madonna recorded the song for this film.
– Sean Penn and Johnny Depp are co-owners of the restaurant Man Ray in Paris.
– Clint Eastwood offered Penn the lead role in his film Blood Work (2002).
– Penn is an avid surfer.
– After the earthquake in Haiti, Penn helped in organizing the camp for 55 thousand people.
– He owned car Buick Grand National (limited edition of 1987), but the car was stolen.
– In October 2008, Penn visited Cuba and met with President Raul Castro.
– After the death of Hugo Chavez the actor said: “I lost a friend.”
– Mickey Rourke is Sean’s friend.

Sean Penn – actor and film director