Two-time Academy Award® winner Sean Penn has become an American film icon in a career spanning nearly three decades. Penn has been nominated five times for the Academy Award® as Best Actor for "Dead Man Walking," "Sweet and Lowdown," "I Am Sam" and won his first Oscar® in 2003 for his searing performance in Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River" and his second Oscar® as Best Actor in 2009 for Gus Van Sant's "Milk. The performance as gay rights icon Harvey Milk also garnered Penn "Best Actor" awards from The Screen Actors Guild, New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Penn has appeared in over thirty films including "Taps," "Fast Times At Ridegemont High," "The Falcon and The Snowman," "At Close Range," "Colors," "Racing with the Moon," "Casualties of War," "We're No Angels," "State of Grace," "Carlito's Way," "U-Turn," "The Thin Red Line," "Dead Man Walking" (Winner Best Actor / 1995 Berlin Film Festival), "She's So Lovely" (Winner Best Actor / 1997 Cannes Film Festival), "Hurlyburly" (Winner Best Actor / 1998 Venice Film Festival), "21 Grams" (Winner Best Actor / 2003 Venice Film Festival), "The Interpreter" and "All The Kings Men." Penn will next be seen in Terrence Malick drama "The Tree of Life" opposite Brad Pitt and is currently filming the Doug Liman drama "Fair Game" opposite Naomi Watts.

Penn's feature film directorial debut came with 1991's "The Indian Runner," which he also wrote and produced. In 1995, he directed "The Crossing Guard," which he also wrote and produced. His third film as director/producer was 2001's "The Pledge" starring Jack Nicholson and was named in the Top Ten Films of 2001 by The National Board of Review. Since then, Penn wrote and directed the United States contribution to the compilation film "11'09"01." This important project gathered 11 acclaimed directors from around the world to create short films in response to the horrific events of September 11, 2001. In 2003 the film was nominated for a French Cesar in the best European Union Film category and received a special recognition award from the National Board of Review. As writer, producer and director, "Into the Wild" marked Penn's fourth feature film, which opened to rave reviews in September 2007. The film, based on Jon Krakauer's best-selling non-fiction book, premiered at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals and appeared on many lists of the top ten films of 2007.

Penn has appeared on stage in productions including Alfred Hayes' "Girl on the Viaq Flaminia" and Albert Innaurato's "Earthworms In Los Angeles." On Broadway, Penn performed in Kevin Heelan's "Heartland" and John Byrne's "Slab Boys." He appeared in David Rabe's "Hurlyburly," at the Westwood Playhouse, and "Goose and Tom Tom," at Lincoln Center, both productions directed by the author. Most recently, Penn starred opposite Nick Nolte and Woody Harrelson in "The Late Henry Moss," written and directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Sam Shepard.

In 2002, Sean Penn was presented with the Modern Master Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and in 2003, became the youngest ever recipient of the Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Sebastian Film Festival. In 2004, he received the John Steinbeck Award for outspoken torch-bearers in the creative arts. In 2008, Penn recieved the Desert Palm Achievement Award for Acting, after being presented in 2007 with the Director of the Year Award for "Into the Wild" from the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Penn served as President of the jury for the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival and later that year was named a Knight in the French Legion of Honor.

As a journalist, Penn has written for Time, Interview, and Rolling Stone magazines. In 2004, Penn wrote a two-part feature in The San Francisco Chronicle after a second visit to the war-torn Iraq. In 2005, he wrote a five-part feature in the same paper, reporting from Iran during the election, which led to the Ahmadinejad regime.

Blog Entries by Sean Penn

Smiles for Smirks

161 Comments | Posted April 21, 2009 | 08:38 PM (EST)


Once again the simple-minded media and its pundits are confused about the nature of Americanism and language. When President Obama today inferred consideration of holding former administration officials accountable to law, he was immediately accused of violating his belief that we should "look forward." Had President Ford "looked forward" in...

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Mountain of Snakes

Posted November 30, 2008 | 09:50 PM (EST)


The following is Part I of Sean Penn's piece, Mountain of Snakes (Read Part II here)

The disadvantages of being a writer, who is often written about, are numerous. I begin with an enthusiastic call to my 81-year old mother, hoping to share my enthusiasm from an assignment abroad....

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Mountain of Snakes (Part II)

Posted November 30, 2008 | 12:07 PM (EST)


The following is Part II of Sean Penn's piece, Mountain of Snakes (Read Part I here)

HOLA FERNANDO, COMO ESTA?

I wanted to cut through the crap. I had digested my earlier visits to Venezuela and Cuba and time spent with Chavez and Fidel Castro. I had grown increasingly...

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Tonights Debate Loser: You and Me

Posted September 26, 2008 | 11:54 PM (EST)


Following Senator McCain's "barking poodle" stroll on Washington, I was happy to see him grace the American people with his presence at this first presidential debate. The candidates stood toe to toe for nearly ninety minutes, each taking few opportunities of direct challenge, leaving it to moderator Jim Lehrer...

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Country First (or, How The Media Loves A Lipsticked Rumsfeld)

Posted September 16, 2008 | 08:13 PM (EST)


Banks are falling and businesses busting, middle-class Americans are losing their homes in droves, while greedy poison comes a tricklin' down!!!

But, "the fundamentals are good!" John McCain said they're good. And he should know, 'cause he was imprisoned 40 years ago in Vietnam. What? Wait a minute -...

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Piano Wire Puppeteers: The Constitution, Media & Dennis Kucinich

Posted December 7, 2007 | 01:24 PM (EST)


Sean Penn is presenting this in person today, December 7th, at The Creative Arts Building at San Francisco State University.

It's been an odd week. For me, a particularly odd week. But that's another story. So, wait a minute. Iran DOESN'T have nuclear weapon capability??? So, who are we gonna...

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An Open Letter to the President...Four and a Half Years Later

Posted March 24, 2007 | 06:24 PM (EST)


Four and a half years ago, I addressed the issue of war in an open letter to our President. Today I would like to again speak to him and his, directly. Mr. President, Mr. Cheney, Ms. Rice et al: Indeed America has a rich history of greatness -indeed, America is...

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On Receiving the 2006 Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award

Posted December 18, 2006 | 06:49 PM (EST)


Sean Penn will be receiving The 2006 Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award from The Creative Coalition this evening, December 18, 2006, in New York City, where he will deliver the following speech.

The Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award. For the purposes of tonight and my own personal enjoyment, I'm...

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