Sean Penn is a gifted performer who has made his mark as both an actor and director among the young Hollywood generation. He was born in 1960 into a show business family. His father, Leo Penn, is a TV and film director and his mother, Eileen Ryan, is an actress. Sean Penn skipped college and joined the Group Repertory Theatre of Los Angeles as an apprentice directly after graduation from Santa Monica High School. He initiated his actor and director talents with Pat Hingle, directing the play "Terrible Jim Fitch" by James Leo Herlily and acting in the "Earthworms" by Albert Innaurato, followed by "The Girl on the Via Flaminia."
Penn made his professional debut in 1979 as a guest performer in an episode of the TV series "Barnaby Jones" and his first film appearance in1981 in Taps by Harold Becker opposite Tom Cruise and Timothy Hutton. He was then remarked for his supporting role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He continued to pursue his career in both cinema and theatre. But Penn's reputation as Hollywood's bad boy plagued his career, especially after his marriage to Madonna. The constant press attention surrounding the star marriage led him to fits of temper. In 1987, he served a six-month jail term for assault. By 1989, they were divorced.
A year later, during the shooting of State of Grace, he met Robin Wright who is now his wife. The same year, he wrote and directed his first film, Indian Runner with Dennis Hopper, Charles Bronson, David Morse, Valeria Golino and Patricia Arquette. Then went on to write, direct and produce Crossing Guard with Jack Nicholson, David Morse, Anjelica Huston and Robin Wright Penn.
Award after award have followed his acting career. In 1993, Penn won the Golden Globe for the Best Supporting Actor in Carlito's Way by Brian de Palma opposite Al Pacino. His role as a prisoner condemned to die in Dead Man Walking by Tim Robbins won him the Best Actor award at the Berlin Film Festival. At the 1997 Cannes Festival, he won Best Actor once again for his role in She's So Lovely.
1981 Taps by Harold Becker
1982 Fast Times at Ridgemont High byAmy Heckerling
1983 Bad Boys by R. Rosenthal
1984 Crackers by Louis Malle
Racing with the Moon by Richard Benjamin
1985 The Falcon and the Snowman by John Schlesinger
At Close Range by James Foley
1986 Shangai Surprise by Jim Goddard
1988 Judgement in Berlin by Leo Penn
Colors by Dennis Hopper
Casualties of War by Brian de Palma
We're no Angels by Neil Jordan
1990 State of Grace by Phil Joanou
1993 Carlito's Way by Brian de Palma
1995 Dead Man Walking by Tim Robbins
1997 She's So Lovely by Nick Cassavetes
The Game by David Fincher
U-Turn by Oliver Stone
