What’s up with Sean Penn? Where’s he been lately? Has his lack of time
in Hollywood had to do with COVID-19 or his Humanitarian work? Keep watching to find out!
One of the things that may have kept Sean Penn from pursuing more film and TV work in the past
few years is likely the time and effort he put into writing and promoting his novel,
"Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff." Published by Simon & Schuster's Atria Books in 2018, "Bob
Honey" tells the story of a supposed international assassin with a penchant for pummeling his elderly
targets with a mallet. The story is told from the point of view of Pappy Pariah,
a character who Penn initially claimed to be the true author of the book.
The following year, Penn put out a sequel — "Bob Honey Sings Jimmy Crack Corn."
During his promotion of the first book, Penn had indicated that he could give up
acting to become a full-time novelist. He told Vogue at the time:
"I have a much better time writing books. That'll probably dominate
my creative energies for the foreseeable future."
Whether or not that's a journey that readers will be willing to join him on remains to be seen,
however. His debut novel was widely panned by critics, with Mark Hill of Cracked calling it:
"The worst novel in human history [...] [and] the literary equivalent of renal failure."
Ouch.
“I’m 57, my pool’s heated, you can say anything you like.”
Long before he penned his debut novel, Penn was incredibly involved in his work outside of acting.
For decades, he has maintained an active role in a number of humanitarian efforts and social
justice projects. Penn was notably involved in aiding victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005
and was likewise on the scene in Haiti following the catastrophic earthquake that
rocked the island nation in 2010. These are but a few of the initiatives he has
spearheaded or been involved with over the years.
“They’re not political. This is the most un-political thing there is.”
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-profit he co-founded in the wake of the Haiti
disaster — CORE — has been working diligently to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus
there as well as in the U.S. The group's efforts have included providing free tests
and working with local governments on getting more people vaccinated.
CORE had been coordinating with the Haitian government on a massive vaccination program
before the murder of President Jovenel Moïse in July. Penn told Washington Post Live:
"An initial 1.5 million vaccines was committed. We were getting ready to rock and roll,
and then that horrible assassination happened."
Penn's CORE partner, Ann Lee, added that the group nonetheless has
25 vaccination locations in operation with plans to expand in the future.
The group is also assisting in the recovery from the latest earthquake.
“In this instance, it was a no-brainer to say, ‘Hey, how can we help?’”
When it comes to questions of "Where has Sean Penn been?" in the era of COVID-19,
well, there's usually one big reason involved. And speaking of the pandemic,
Penn has been outspoken on the importance of doing all we can to prevent the spread
of the disease. He is taking time to care for his own health, that of his Hollywood peers,
and also for the good of humankind. The issue is so important to him, in fact,
that he has sacrificed acting work and ongoing projects in response to the crisis.
As reported by Deadline earlier this summer, Penn has refused to continue his work on "Gaslit"
until every member of the show's cast and crew has been vaccinated.
In an effort to make that happen, Penn has reportedly offered to facilitate
the vaccination effort, free of charge, through CORE. Penn told USA Today recently:
"I think it should be as mandatory as turning on your headlights on a car at night.
I will go back to work on 'Gaslit' when it has been confirmed to me that the entire crew,
top to bottom, will be vaccinated."
He further admonished moviegoers to get vaccinated
before heading to theaters to check out "Flag Day."
“But most of the people who aren’t vaccinated probably aren’t interested in my movies anyway.”
Penn is being pulled in a number of different directions and also has clear concerns about
COVID-19. However, another major factor in his decision to take on fewer acting roles
may be that he just doesn't have the love for the discipline that he once did. He famously
alluded to this during a 2018 interview with Tracy Smith for "CBS Sunday Morning," saying:
"It can be great when you're working with good actors or good directors or good writing as an
exercise. But, do I have a belief that it has a lasting value? Maybe, I could make
the argument intellectually. But I don't have a visceral ... I'm not in love with that anymore."
Despite having made proclamations like this,
Penn has obviously continued to act ... albeit, not often,
as the frequency with which he has shown up in new projects has slowed considerably since his heyday.
Penn has thrilled audiences in a veritable bonanza of roles over his decades on the big
screen. However, his most iconic performance may still be his 1982 turn as Jeff Spicoli
in Amy Heckerling's coming-of-age classic, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." In the film,
Penn established the gold standard of high school stoner characters.
His battle of wits with a cantankerous, old history teacher called Mr. Hand is unforgettable.
While Spicoli may be frozen in time and in the minds of movie fans around the world,
Penn himself is a high schooler no longer. The man behind the myth is now in his 60s. For reference,
Walston was also a sexagenarian when he filmed "Fast Times."
Given his advancing age — as well as the reality that he is technically in his fifth
decade in Hollywood — Penn may just have done and accomplished everything he wanted to as an actor.
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