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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Chris Owen to Bernadette Peters
Sean Penn Biography (1960-)
Full name, Sean Justin Penn; born August 17, 1960, in Santa Monica (some sources cite Burbank or Los Angeles), CA; son of Leo Penn (an actor and director)and Eileen Ryan (an actress); brother of Christopher Penn (an actor) and Michael Penn (a musician, singer, and songwriter); married Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (a singer and actress; known as Madonna), August 16, 1985 (divorced, 1989); married Robin Wright (an actress), April 27, 1996; children: (second marriage) Dylan Frances, Hopper Jack. Addresses: Agent: Bryan Lourd,Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Manager: Brian Gersh, Blue Train Entertainment, 9100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 340 West, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Publicist: I/D Public Relations, 8409 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Actor, director, producer, writer
- Birth Details
- August 17, 1960
- Santa Monica, California, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Film Appearances
- Alex Dwyer, Taps, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
- Jeff Spicoli, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Universal, 1982
- Buddy, Summerspell, 1983
- Mick O'Brien, Bad Boys, Universal, 1983
- Dillard, Crackers, Universal, 1984
- Henry "Hopper" Nash/Lou, Racing with the Moon, Paramount, 1984
- Daulton Lee, The Falcon and the Snowman, Orion, 1985
- Brad Whitewood, Jr., At Close Range, Orion, 1986
- Glendon Wasey, Shanghai Surprise, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1986
- Guenther X, Judgment in Berlin (also known as Escape to Freedom and Ein Richter fuer Berlin), New Line Cinema, 1988
- Officer Danny McGavin, Colors, Orion, 1988
- (Uncredited) Phil the plumber, Cool Blue, 1988
- Jim, We're No Angels, Paramount, 1989
- Meserve, Casualties of War, Columbia, 1989
- Himself, Schneeweissrosenrot (also known as SnowwhiteRosered), 1991
- Terry Noonan, State of Grace, Orion, 1991
- David Kleinfeld, Carlito's Way, Universal, 1993
- Himself, The Last Party (also known as Youth for Truth), Triton Pictures, 1993
- Matthew Poncelet, Dead Man Walking (also known as After Midnight,
Dead Men,
Death Wish, and Sister Prejean), Gramercy, 1995
- Bobby Cooper, U-Turn (also known as Stray Dogs and U Turn--Ici commence l'enfer), TriStar, 1997
- Conrad Van Orton, The Game, Panorama Entertainment/Ascot Elite Entertainment, 1997
- Eddie, Hurlyburly, Storm Entertainment, 1997
- Eddie Quinn, She's So Lovely (also known as Call It Love and She's De Lovely), Miramax, 1997
- Michael, Loved, MDP Worldwide, 1997
- Mysterious hitchhiker, Hugo Pool (also known as Pool Girl and Quirky Gate), BMG Independents/Nomadic Pictures, 1997
- First sergeant Welsh, The Thin Red Line, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998
- Rowley Flint, Up at the Villa, October Films, 1998
- Emmet Ray, Sweet and Lowdown, Sony Pictures Classics, 1999
- (Uncredited) Himself, Being John Malkovich, USA Films, 1999
- Cuco Sanchez, Before Night Falls (also known as Antes que anochezca), Fine Line, 2000
- Groovin' Larry, "Beaver Kid 2," The Beaver Trilogy, Strand Releasing, 2001
- Narrator, Dogtown and Z-Boys, Sony Pictures Classics, 2001
- Sam Dawson, I Am Sam, New Line Cinema, 2001
- Himself, Scene Smoking: Cigarettes, Cinema, and the Myth of Cool,2001
- Himself, Rosy-Fingered Dawn: A Film on Terrence Malick, CampinellaProductions/Citrullo International/Misami Film, 2002
- Thomas Janes, The Weight of Water (also known as Le poids de l'eau), Lions Gate Films, 2002
- Jimmy Markum, Mystic River, Warner Bros., 2003
- Marciello, It's All about Love, Focus Features, 2003
- Paul Rivers, 21 Grams, Focus Features, 2003
- Himself, Dennis Hopper: Create (or Die), Easy Rider Productions, 2003
- Narrator, Riding Giants, Sony Pictures Classics, 2004
- Samuel "Sam" Byck, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Arn Productions, 2004
- Himself, A Constant Forge (also known as A Constant Forge: TheLife and Art of John Cassavetes), Criterion Collection, 2004
- Himself, You'll Never Wiez in This Town Again (also known as Pauly Shore Is Dead), Regent Releasing, 2004
- Himself and Ray, This So-Called Disaster, IFC Films, 2004
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Film Director
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The Indian Runner, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Pathe, 1991
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The Crossing Guard (also known as Three Days for the Truth), Miramax, 1995
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The Pledge, Warner Bros., 2001
- "USA," 11'09"01--September 11 (also known as September 11,
11 minutes 9 secondes 1 image,
11'09"01: Onze minutes, neuf secondes, un cadre, and Onze minutes, neuf secondes, un cadre), Empire Pictures, 2003
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Film Producer
- (With David S. Hamburger) The Crossing Guard (also known as Three Days for the Truth), Miramax, 1995
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Loved, MDP Worldwide, 1997
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She's So Lovely (also known as Call It Love and She's DeLovely), Miramax, 1997
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The Pledge, Warner Bros., 2001
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Television Appearances
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Movies
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Concrete Cowboys, CBS, 1979
- Don Fremont, The Killing of Randy Webster, CBS, 1981
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Hellinger's Law, 1981
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Specials
- Narrator, Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (also known as Dear America), HBO, 1987
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The MTV Interview, MTV, 1995
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Robbie Robertson: Going Home, The Disney Channel, 1995
- Himself, Sean Penn Talking with David Frost, PBS, 1996
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The Art of Dennis Hopper, 2002
- Narrator, MTV Icon: Metallica, MTV, 2003
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Awards Presentations
- (Uncredited) Himself, The 1993 Billboard Music Awards, 1993
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The American Film Institute Salute to Jack Nicholson, CBS, 1994
- Presenter, 2003 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Robert de Niro, USA Network, 2003
- Presenter, The Ninth Annual Critics Choice Awards, E! Entertainment Television, 2004
- Himself, The 76th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2004
- Himself, The 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TNT, 2004
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Episodic
- (Uncredited) Kid, "The Voice of Tinker Jones," Little House on the Prairie, NBC, 1974
- Sam, "School of Terror," Barnaby Jones, CBS, 1979
- Guest host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night,
Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1987
- Himself, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1991
- Himself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1991
- Himself, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, 1995, 2001
- (Uncredited) Himself, "Emma," Ellen, ABC, 1997
- Himself, "Flip," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1998
- "The Best of Dana Carvey," Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night,
Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1999
- Eric, "The One with the Halloween Party," Friends, NBC, 2001
- Eric, "The One with the Stain," Friends, NBC, 2001
- (In archive footage) Himself, Celebrities Uncensored, E! Entertainment Television, 2003, 2004
- Appeared in Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo; and The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated.
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Stage Appearances
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Earthworms, Los Angeles Group Repertory Theatre, Los Angeles, 1980
- James, Heartland, Century Theatre, New York City, 1981
- George "Spanky" Farrell, Slab Boys, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1983
- Eddie, Hurlyburly, Westwood Playhouse, Los Angeles, 1988
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The Late Henry Moss, Theatre on the Square, San Francisco, CA, 2000
- Also appeared in The Girl on the Via Flaminia, Gene Dynarski Theatre, Hollywood, CA.
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Stage Work
- Executive producer, Remembrance, Helicon Theatre Company, Los Angeles, 1997
- Director of Terrible Jim Fitch (one-act), Los Angeles Group Repertory Theatre, Los Angeles.
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RECORDINGS
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Music Videos
- (In archive footage) "Live to Tell," by Madonna, c. 1986
- "Eardrum Buzz," by Wire, 1989
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Music Videos; Director
- "Dance with the One That Brought You," by Shania Twain, 1993
- "You Were Meant for Me," by Jewel, 1996
- "Highway Patrolman," by Bruce Springsteen, 2000
- "The Barry Williams Show," by Peter Gabriel, 2002
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WRITINGS
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Screenplays
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The Indian Runner, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Pathe, 1991
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The Crossing Guard (also known as Three Days for the Truth), Miramax, 1995
- (Uncredited) The Pledge, Warner Bros., 2001
- "USA," 11'09"01--September 11 (also known as September 11,
11 minutes 9 secondes 1 image,
11'09"01: Onze minutes, neuf secondes, un cadre, and Onze minutes, neuf secondes, un cadre), Empire Pictures, 2003
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Nonfiction
- Author of foreword, Women before Ten A.M., photographs by Veronique Vial, PowerHouse Books, 1998
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Books
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International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, 1996
Periodicals
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American Film, August, 1991, p. 18
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Boston Globe, December 20, 1998
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Cosmopolitan, January, 1996, p. 24
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Details, November, 1995
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Empire, October, 1997, pp. 104, 199
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Entertainment Weekly, August 8, 1997, p. 24; February 22, 2002, p.28; November 28, 2003, pp. 32-40; February 6, 2004, pp. 34-35
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Film Comment, September, 1991
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Interview, September, 1991, p. 94; October, 1991, p. 38; October,1995, p. 116
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Newsweek, December 21, 1998, p. 62
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New York Times, September 15, 1991, p. H13; November 12, 1995
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New York Times Magazine, December 27, 1998, pp. 20-25, 52-55
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People Weekly, February 11, 1985, p. 137; September 24, 1990, p 53; January 25, 1999, p. 107
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Playboy, November, 1991, pp. 61-76
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Premiere, October, 1991, pp. 60-66
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Rolling Stone, April 4, 1996, p. 44
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Time, August 25, 1997, p. 68
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Time Out New York, July 10, 2003, pp. 10-11
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USA Today, January 22, 1999
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Vanity Fair, March, 1986
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Venice, February, 2002, pp. 48-53
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Vogue, May, 1988
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