One Leo to Another
Whenever Sean Penn comes up in discussion, numerous extemporaneous thoughts come to mind.
Artist. Genius. Iconoclast. Traitor. Ex-husband of Madonna.
Beyond whatever one wants to think of him, another word sums up who he with regards to his expressive personality: American.
Call me biased or what have you, but Sean Penn is one of the finest American actors in the world. He is one of the finest because of the integrity he brings to his work. He is never one to cow to the system and he speaks for those that might not have a voice or are possibly timid to do so.
It's also the greatest honor for me to share the same birthday as this person. What a thrill that is.
One of the earliest films I saw from him that made me realized his breadth as an artist was for his performance as Joey O'Brien in Bad Boys. The tormented and tormenting aspects that Penn brought to O'Brien a vivid, and ultimately, vulnerable, character.
Who does not remember Fast Times At Ridgemont High? Spicoli: the ultimate stoner. The kind of guy that shows up late to class, smokes pot for days on end, and is the kind of person anybody would want to hang around with.
However, later in his career, he metamorphosed to becoming one of the greatest actors of all time. When I first saw him in Carlito's Way, I almost could not recognize him, what with his frizzy hair. He crafted one of the cheesiest and nastiest lawyers ever committed to film.
Mystic River. The movie that won him the Academy Award. As the doting father who will stop at nothing to avenge the death of his daughter, his heartbreaking cry to see his daughter's body is one of the greatest scenes ever captured on film.
Happy Birthday brother. May there be many more birthdays.
Navid Sitarian
August 17, 2016