Sean Justin Penn, born on August 17, 1960, is a 65-year-old American actor and filmmaker known for his intense leading man roles. He began his acting career in the early 1980s, with roles in Taps and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Penn has won two Academy Awards for Best Actor, for Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008). He was also nominated for Dead Man Walking (1995), Sweet and Lowdown (1999), and I Am Sam (2001). In addition to acting, Penn has directed films such as The Indian Runner (1991) and Into the Wild (2007). Penn received the Honorary César in 2015 and the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2022.
Penn's recent work includes acting in Licorice Pizza (2021), Gaslit (2022), and Daddio (2023). He directed the documentary Superpower (2023), which profiles Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Penn is set to appear in One Battle After Another (2025). Beyond his acting and filmmaking career, Penn is known for his political and social activism, including his disaster-relief efforts in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake and his involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war. As of January 2026, Penn is in a relationship with Valeria Nicov.
