>>> WELCOME BACK. TWO-TIME OSCAR WINNER, SEAN
PENN, IS BRINGING HIS TALENTS TO
THE SMALL SCREEN FOR THE FIRST
TIME, IN THE HULU SERIES CALLED
"THE FIRST."
"THE FIRST." >> IT CENTERS ON A DANGEROUS
MISSION TO MARS.
AND NATALIE CAUGHT UP WITH SEAN
PENN AND HIS CO-STAR.
>> SEAN PENN RARELY DOES
INTERVIEWS, BUT HE WELCOMED US
TO HIS HOME TO TALK ABOUT THE
NEW SHOW FROM CREATOR OF "HOUSE
OF CARDS."
OF CARDS." IT ENDED UP WITH A FRANK
DISCUSSION ABOUT THE #METOO
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT. >> I’M WATCHING AND WITH YOU IN
SPIRIT.
SPIRIT. >> Reporter: THE FIRST OF SEAN
PENN’S TV DEBUT, AS A
COMPLICATED SPACE COMMANDER
WORKING UNDER AN UNAPOLOGETIC
VISIONARY, PLAYED BY NATASHA
MACALON.
MACALON. >> I HAVE A BRIEFING TO GET TO.
>> IT CAN WAIT.
>> IT CAN’T, ACTUALLY.
>> Reporter: HOW IS TELEVISION
DIFFERENT THAN ACTING IN THE
MOVIES?
MOVIES? >> THEY BOTH SUCK.
>> Reporter: DO YOU STILL FEEL
THAT WAY?
THAT WAY? >> LISTEN, I --
>> THAT’S QUITE HURTFUL.
I LOVE GOING TO WORK WHEN SHE’S
AT WORK.
AT WORK. I LOVE THE MATERIAL.
>> Reporter: PENN AND MACALON
SAID IT WAS THE STRONG WRITING
THAT DREW THEM TO THE PROJECT.
>> PEOPLE THAT WORK AS
ASTRONAUTS ARE ON IN THE
MILITARY, THE INCREDIBLE
COMMITMENT THAT WILL TAKE THEM
AWAY FROM FAMILY, ALL THAT WAS
OF INTEREST TO ME.
>> I THINK THE TENSION BETWEEN
WHETHER IT’S A SACRIFICE OR
WHETHER IT’S A BREAK FOR
FREEDOM, IT’S AN INTERESTING
IDEA, TOO.
IDEA, TOO. >> Reporter: AND A LOT OF STRONG
WOMEN.
WOMEN. I THINK THREE OF THE FIVE
ASTRONAUTS THAT GOT TO GO TO
MARS ARE WOMEN.
ALSO, THE PRESIDENT IN 2030, IS
A WOMAN.
A WOMAN. DO YOU THINK THE #METOO MOVEMENT
HAS INFORMED, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THIS SHOW, WHEN YOUR CHARACTER
IS THE ONE WHO IS THE VISIONARY?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> FOR ME IN LIFE, THAT’S NOT
UNUSUAL.
UNUSUAL. I DON’T SEE THAT AS ABERRANT.
>> IN TV AND IN OUR MEDIA, WOMEN
HAVEN’T BEEN DEPICTED IN THAT
WAY.
WAY. >> Reporter: SEAN, WHAT ABOUT
YOU?
YOU? >> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IT’S NOT
INFLUENCED BY THE MOVEMENT
CALLEDCALL
CALLEDCALL ED #METOO.
ED #METOO. IT’S THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
ACKNOWLEDGING EACH OTHER AND
BEING ACKNOWLEDGED BY MEN.
THIS WAS A MOVEMENT THAT WAS
LARGELY SHOULDERED BY A KIND OF
RECEPTACLE OF THE SALACIOUS.
>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU MEAN
THE RECEPTACLE OF THE SALACIOUS?
>> WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FACTOR
IS.
IS. AS SOON AS YOU CALL SOMETHING.
AN ACCUSATIONS, SOME OF WHICH
ARE UNFOUNDED.
ARE UNFOUNDED. THE SPIRIT OF MUCH OF WHAT HAS
BEEN THE #METOO MOVEMENT HAS
BEEN TO DIVIDE MEN AND WOMEN.
>> Reporter: WOMEN WOULD SAY
IT’S UNITED WOMEN.
>> WOMEN I TALK TO, NOT IN FRONT
OF A CAMERA, THAT I LISTEN TO,
OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE, THAT
THERE’S A COMMON SENSE THAT IS
NOT REPRESENTED AT ALL IN THE
DISCUSSION WHEN IT COMES TO THE
MEDIA DISCUSSION OF IT.
THE DISCUSSION WHERE IF SEAN
PENN SAYS THIS, SO AND SO IS
GOING TO ATTACK HIM FOR SAYING
THIS BECAUSE OF THAT.
I DON’T WANT IT TO BE A TREND.
AND I’M VERY SUSPICIOUS OF A
MOVEMENT THAT GETS GLOMMED ON TO
IN RAGE, WITHOUT NUANCE.
AND WHEN PEOPLE TRY TO DISCUSS
IT IN A NUANCED WAY, THE NUANCE
ITSELF IS ATTACKED.
>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK THE
#METOO MOVEMENT HAS GOTTEN TOO
BIG?
BIG? THAT IT’S GOTTEN -- IN SOME WAYS
THERE’S TOO MANY SHADES OF GRAY.
>> I THINK IT’S TOO BLACK AND
WHITE.
WHITE. IN MOST THINGS THAT ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT, IT’S GOOD TO SLOW
DOWN.
DOWN. >> DID YOU TALK ABOUT THIS ON
SET?
SET? >> WE DID TALK ABOUT IT A GREAT
DEAL.
DEAL. WHAT SEAN WAS LEADING TO WAS
THIS BUBBLE OF ACTORS OR PEOPLE
IN MAGAZINES THAT HAVE GOTTEN
ATTENTION FROM IT.
AND OF COURSE, IT’S TERRIFIC,
THEY PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON IT.
NOW, WE NEED TO GO IN THE PLACES
WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING AND IS
IT EXPOSED.
IT EXPOSED. >> Reporter: PENN AND McELHONE
SEEM TO UNDERSTAND EACH OVER.
>> YOU HAVE TO SEE IF YOU LIKE
IT.
IT. THAT’S THE GOOD THING ABOUT TV,
YOU DON’T GET TO MAKE IT UNLESS
PEOPLE RESPOND.
PEOPLE RESPOND. >> IT’S AN INTERESTING
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. WE WERE THERE TO TALK ABOUT THE
SHOW AND IT EVOLVED INTO THIS
GREATER CONVERSATION.
GREATER CONVERSATION. THE SHOW REALLY IS PRO-WOMEN.
AND "THE FIRST" AIRS ON HULU.
IT’S STREAMING NOW.