Sean Penn

Sean Penn

Born 1960-08-17 (age 65) Santa Monica, California, USA
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Biography

Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. His accolades include three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for three British Academy Film Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award. He received the Honorary César in 2015 and the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2022.

Penn made his feature film debut in the drama Taps (1981), before taking roles in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Bad Boys (1983), and At Close Range (1986). He has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice, for playing a grieving father in Mystic River (2003) and the gay rights activist Harvey Milk in Milk (2008). He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing the ruthless military officer Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw in One Battle After Another (2025). He was Oscar-nominated for Dead Man Walking (1995), Sweet and Lowdown (1999), and I Am Sam (2001). He also acted in Casualties of War (1989), State of Grace (1990), Carlito's Way (1993), The Game(1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), Hurlyburly (1998), 21 Grams (2003), Fair Game (2010), The Tree of Life (2011), Licorice Pizza (2021) and Daddio (2023).

Penn made his directorial film debut with the crime drama The Indian Runner (1991), followed by The Crossing Guard (1995), The Pledge (2001), and Into the Wild (2007). On stage, he acted in the Broadway plays Heartland (1981) and Slab Boys (1983). On television, he portrayed an astronaut in the Hulu drama series The First (2018) and John N. Mitchell in the Starz political thriller miniseries Gaslit (2022).

Penn has also engaged in political and social activism, including his criticism of the George W. Bush administration, his contact with the presidents of Cuba and Venezuela, his humanitarian work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and his support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amidst the Russian-Ukrainian war.

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Known For

One Battle After Another
One Battle After Another

2025

as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

2013

as Sean O'Connell

The Angry Birds Movie
The Angry Birds Movie

2016

as Terence (voice)

Mystic River
Mystic River

2003

as Jimmy Markum

The Game
The Game

1997

as Conrad Van Orton

Licorice Pizza
Licorice Pizza

2021

as Jack Holden

The Thin Red Line
The Thin Red Line

1998

as 1st Sgt. Edward Welsh

Carlito's Way
Carlito's Way

1993

as David Kleinfeld

I Am Sam
I Am Sam

2001

as Sam Dawson

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High

1982

as Jeff Spicoli

The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life

2011

as Jack

Colors
Colors

1988

as Danny McGavin

Being John Malkovich
Being John Malkovich

1999

as Sean Penn (uncredited)

Gangster Squad
Gangster Squad

2013

as Mickey Cohen

The Interpreter
The Interpreter

2005

as Tobin Keller

Risky Business
Risky Business

1983

as Passenger in Car (uncredited)

Dead Man Walking
Dead Man Walking

1995

as Matthew Poncelet

Bad Boys
Bad Boys

1983

as Mick O'Brien

Milk
Milk

2008

as Harvey Milk

U Turn
U Turn

1997

as Bobby Cooper