Sean Penn
Acting
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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sean Penn, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known for
Acting145
movieOne Battle After Another
2025
Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
tvEverybody's Live with John Mulaney
2025
Self - Actor and Founder of CORE
movieBecoming Madonna
2024
Self (archive footage)
movieBruce Springsteen: The America Whisperer
2024
Self : Actor, Director & Writer (Archive footage)
movieDaddio
2024
Clark
movieBRATS
2024
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieAsphalt City
2023
Gene Rutkovsky
tvGaslit
2022
John Mitchell
movieLicorice Pizza
2021
Jack Holden
movieFlag Day
2021
John Vogel
movieCitizen Penn
2020
Himself
movieThe Professor and the Madman
2019
Dr. William Chester Minor
tvThe First
2018
Tom Haggerty
movieThe Angry Birds Movie
2016
Terence (voice)
movieThe Human Experiment
2015
Narrator
movieThe Gunman
2015
Jim Terrier
movieBeaver Trilogy Part IV
2015
Himself (archive footage)
tvThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
Self - Guest
movieThe Secret Life of Walter Mitty
2013
Sean O'Connell
movieGangster Squad
2013
Mickey Cohen
movieAmericans
2012
Commie
movieThis Must Be the Place
2011
Cheyenne
movieI'm Still Here
2010
Sean Penn (uncredited)
movieFair Game
2010
Joseph Wilson
movieDeflating the Elephant
2009
Narrator
movieMilk
2008
Harvey Milk
movieWhat Just Happened
2008
Sean Penn
movieWitch Hunt
2008
Himself (Narrator)
movieWar Made Easy
2007
Narrator (Voice)
movieBrando
2007
Self
movieAll the King's Men
2006
Willie Stark
movieThe Interpreter
2005
Tobin Keller
Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild
2004
Self(archive footage) (uncredited)
movieThe Assassination of Richard Nixon
2004
Samuel Bicke
movie21 Grams
2003
Paul Rivers
movieMystic River
2003
Jimmy Markum
tvTwo and a Half Men
2003
Sean Penn
moviePauly Shore Is Dead
2003
Sean Penn
tvJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
Self / Self - Guest
movieIt's All About Love
2003
Marciello
movieSearching for Debra Winger
2002
Self (uncredited)
movieDogtown and Z-Boys
2002
Narrator
movieI Am Sam
2001
Sam Dawson
movieThe Weight of Water
2001
Thomas Janes
tvCurb Your Enthusiasm
2000
Sean Penn
movieBefore Night Falls
2000
Cuco Sanchez
movieBeaver Trilogy
2000
"Groovin' Larry" Huff
movieUp at the Villa
2000
Rowley Flint
movieSweet and Lowdown
1999
Emmet Ray
movieBeing John Malkovich
1999
Sean Penn (uncredited)
tvFamily Guy
1999
Sean Penn (voice)
movieHurlyburly
1998
Eddie
movieThe Thin Red Line
1998
1st Sgt. Edward Welsh
movieHugo Pool
1997
Strange Hitchhiker
movieLoved
1997
Man on the Hill (Michael)
movieU Turn
1997
Bobby Cooper
movieThe Game
1997
Conrad Van Orton
movieShe's So Lovely
1997
Eddie Quinn
tvThe View
1997
Self
movieDead Man Walking
1995
Matthew Poncelet
tvFriends
1994
Eric
movieCarlito's Way
1993
David Kleinfeld
tvThe Larry Sanders Show
1992
Sean Penn
movieCool Blue
1990
Phil the Plumber (uncredited)
movieCasualties of War
1989
Sgt. Tony Meserve
movieJudgment in Berlin
1988
Guenther X
movieColors
1988
Danny McGavin
movieShanghai Surprise
1986
Glendon Wasey
movieAt Close Range
1986
Bradford 'Brad' Whitewood Jr.
movieThe Falcon and the Snowman
1985
Daulton Lee
movieRacing with the Moon
1984
Henry 'Hopper' Nash
movieCrackers
1984
Dillard
movieRisky Business
1983
Passenger in Car (uncredited)
movieSummerspell
1983
Buddy
movieBad Boys
1983
Mick O'Brien
movieFast Times at Ridgemont High
1982
Jeff Spicoli
movieTaps
1981
Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer
The Beaver Kid 2
1981
Groovin' Larry
movieThe Killing of Randy Webster
1981
Don Fremont
movieHellinger's Law
1981
Bit Part (uncredited)
tvSaturday Night Live
1975
Self - Host / Self (uncredited)
tvLittle House on the Prairie
1974
Boy (uncredited)
tvThe Oscars
1953
Self
tvGolden Globe Awards
1944
Self - Presenter / Self - Nominee
Production17
movieWords of War
2025
Executive Producer
movieManas
2025
Executive Producer
movieSeptember 5
2024
Producer
tvC*A*U*G*H*T
2023
Executive Producer
movieAsphalt City
2023
Producer
movieFlag Day
2021
Producer
moviekid 90
2021
Executive Producer
movieThe Human Experiment
2015
Executive Producer
movieThe Gunman
2015
Producer
movieInto the Wild
2007
Producer
movieThe Pledge
2001
Producer
movieLoved
1997
Producer
movieShe's So Lovely
1997
Executive Producer
movieThe Crossing Guard
1995
Producer
movieThe Gun on Second Street
Executive Producer
Directing11
movieSuperpower
2023
Director
movieFlag Day
2021
Director
movieThe Last Face
2017
Director
movieInto the Wild
2007
Director
movieSeptember 11
2002
Director
movieThe Pledge
2001
Director
movieThe Crossing Guard
1995
Director
movieThe Indian Runner
1991
Director
Writing7
movieThe Gunman
2015
Screenplay
movieAmericans
2012
Story
movieInto the Wild
2007
Screenplay
movieSeptember 11
2002
Writer
movieThe Indian Runner
1991
Screenplay
Art1
movieCandles
Set Decoration
