NetflixMovies
Sean Penn

Sean Penn

54 movies on Netflix

Biography

Sean Penn is an American actor and filmmaker known for intense leading roles, who began his film career with Taps in 1981 and made his Broadway debut in Heartland that same year. Born in Santa Monica, California, and raised in Malibu, he is the son of the actor and director Leo Penn. He broke through as the surfer-stoner Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and drew favorable reviews for Bad Boys (1983). Three Academy Awards followed: Best Actor for Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), and Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another (2025), with nominations for Dead Man Walking (1995), Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and I Am Sam (2001). He also directed Into the Wild (2007), earning a Directors Guild of America nomination, and appeared in State of Grace (1990), Carlito's Way (1993), The Thin Red Line (1998), 21 Grams (2003), The Tree of Life (2011), Licorice Pizza (2021) and Daddio (2024).

66years old

Turns 67 on August 17in 279 days

  • Born Santa Monica
  • Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
  • Sean Justin Penn (birth name)

Movie Career

Films
54
Career span
44 years1981 to 2025

Genres

First and latest

Photos

  • Sean Penn, photo 1 of 3
  • Sean Penn, photo 2 of 3
  • Sean Penn, photo 3 of 3

Share

Did you know?!

  1. A first

    Penn is one of only four male actors ever to win three Academy Awards for acting, alongside Walter Brennan, Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day-Lewis, after taking Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another.

  2. Behind the camera

    Penn's first film as a director was The Indian Runner, a 1991 crime drama. It drew on Bruce Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman", which came from his 1982 album Nebraska.

  3. Behind the camera

    In 2023, Penn made his documentary directing debut with Superpower, which follows him on a trip to Ukraine to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy and observe the war there. It premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Sean Penn movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top of the page, the section list
  1. Mystic River2003 Crime, Drama, Mysteryas Jimmy Markum

    IMDb rating 7.9532K votes

  2. One Battle After Another2025 Comedy, Crime, Thrilleras Col. Steven J. Lockjaw

    IMDb rating 7.6446K votes

  3. 21 Grams2003as Paul Rivers

    IMDb rating 7.6254K votes

  4. The Game1997as Conrad Van Orton

    IMDb rating 7.7478K votes

  5. Milk2008as Harvey Milk

    IMDb rating 7.5187K votes

  6. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty2013as Sean O'Connell

    IMDb rating 7.3378K votes

  7. I Am Sam2001as Sam Dawson

    IMDb rating 7.6164K votes

  8. Carlito's Way1993as Kleinfeld

    IMDb rating 7.9251K votes

Most often with

Paul Thomas Anderson directed two of these films, Terrence Malick two and Brian De Palma two. Three actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top of the page, the section list
Robert De Niro, 4 films togetherSee the 4 films with Robert De NiroJohn C. Reilly, 4 films togetherSee the 4 films with John C. ReillyRobin Wright, 4 films togetherSee the 4 films with Robin WrightNick Nolte, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Nick NolteEddie Marsan, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Eddie MarsanNaomi Watts, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Naomi WattsPaul Thomas AndersonDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by Paul Thomas AndersonTerrence MalickDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by Terrence MalickBrian De PalmaDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by Brian De Palma

Films together

Box office

What Sean Penn's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

Top of the page, the section list

Combined worldwide box office

$2.1 billion

43 of the 54 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 54 films: 43 worldwide figure; 6 us gross only; 2 never in cinemas; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 2 figure not found.

  • 43Worldwide figure
  • 6US gross only
  • 2Never in cinemas
  • 1Streaming, short cinema run
  • 2Figure not found

Top grosser

The Angry Birds Movie2016as Terence (voice)$350 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 66% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    The Angry Birds Movie2016as Terence (voice)
    $350M16.8% of the total
  2. 2
    One Battle After Another2025as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
    $209M10.0% of the total
  3. 3
    The Secret Life of Walter Mitty2013as Sean O'Connell
    $188M9.0% of the total
  4. 4
    The Interpreter2005as Tobin Keller
    $163M7.8% of the total
  5. 5
    Mystic River2003as Jimmy Markum
    $157M7.5% of the total
  6. 6
    The Game1997as Conrad Van Orton
    $109M5.2% of the total
  7. 7
    Gangster Squad2013as Mickey Cohen
    $105M5.0% of the total
  8. 8
    The Thin Red Line1998as 1st Sgt. Edward Welsh
    $98M4.7% of the total
I Am Sam (2001), $92.5 millionCarlito's Way (1993), $63.8 million21 Grams (2003), $60.4 millionThe Tree of Life (2011), $54.7 millionMilk (2008), $54.6 millionColors (1988), $46.6 millionDead Man Walking (1995), $39.4 millionTaps (1981), $35.9 millionLicorice Pizza (2021), $33.3 millionFast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), $27.1 millionFair Game (2010), $25.8 millionPersepolis (2007), $22.8 millionCasualties of War (1989), $18.7 millionThe Falcon and the Snowman (1985), $17.1 millionThe Gunman (2015), $13.6 millionThis Must Be the Place (2011), $11.8 million

$707 millionfrom the other 35 films with a worldwide figure, 34% of the total

Awards

Eleven awards and honors from 1997 to 2026, nine of them major.

Top of the page, the section list
Sean Penn's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Academy Awards
2026Best Supporting ActorOne Battle After AnotherWon
2009Best ActorMilkWon
2004Best ActorMystic RiverWon
Golden Globes
2004Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaMystic RiverWon
BAFTA
2026Best Actor in a Supporting RoleOne Battle After AnotherWon
SAG Awards
2026Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting RoleOne Battle After AnotherWon
Cannes Film Festival
1997Best ActorShe's So LovelyWon
Venice Film Festival
2003Volpi Cup for Best Actor21 GramsWon
1998Volpi Cup for Best ActorHurlyburlyWon
Other honors
2022Order of Merit (Ukraine), 3rd classWon
2011Producers Guild Stanley Kramer AwardWon

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

Top of the page, the section list