What happens is things come to you - director, script - and if you respond to it, it's because it's tapping into some part of what's inside you, and different roles tap into different parts.

Controversies


Physical assault against Madonna
Penn's marriage to pop entertainer Madonna was known for its tumultuous and toxic qualities. Later in the marriage Penn was charged with felony domestic assault a charge for which he pleaded to a misdemeanor. He has since directed three more films all of which[citation needed] were well received by critics: The Crossing Guard in 1995 The Pledge in 2001 and Into the Wild in 2007.

Penn began his acting career in television with a brief appearance in a 1974 episode of Little House on the Prairie directed by his father Leo Penn. Penn also attracted media attention for his previous marriages to pop icon Madonna and actress Robin Wright.