Penn: Very Emotionally Invested In "Milk"

Harry Smith Speaks With Best Actor Oscar Winner, And Some Cast Members And Director Of "Slumdog"

(CBS/ AP)  In a night full of first-time Academy Award winners, Sean Penn took home his second best actor Oscar, for his emotional performance as gay rights activist Harvey Milk in "Milk."

Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith caught up with him, as well as cast members and the director of the night's big winner, "Slumdog Millionaire," at the Governors Ball after the show.

"You commie, homo-loving sons of guns," Penn said in accepting the hardware during the broadcast. "I did not expect this and I want it to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me often."

In this highly competitive category, Penn was up against Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler," Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon," Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor."

Milk was the first openly gay man elected to major public office in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. The following year, he was shot to death along with Mayor George Moscone by board colleague Dan White.

But during his life, he inspired gays and lesbians to stand up and come out, helped turn the Castro neighborhood into the gay Mecca it would become and roused crowds with impassioned speeches that often began with the words, "My name is Harvey Milk and I am here to recruit you."

In wrapping up his own speech, Penn mentioned the protesters who lined the streets of Hollywood near the Oscar festivities, holding anti-gay signs: "We've got to have equal rights for everyone," he said.

Backstage, when asked what he would tell those protesters if he could speak to them, Penn responded: "I'd tell them to turn in their hate card and find their better self."

Penn told Smith, "I had incredible support from a lot o people involved in this movie and people who had put their lives at stake ... in the initial campaigns of Harvey Milk, and I knew how much it meant to them, so I shared in that."

Smith admitted he wept openly during several scenes of "Milk," because, Smith said, "It really is a film about a civil rights movement."

"Yes," Penn agreed, "and I'll, say somewhat tangentially, that I felt that about several of my fellow nominees' performances, and it was a big surprise tonight because , as I said earlier, if I were a member of the Academy and were not me, I'm not sure who I would have voted for."

"Entertainment Tonight" co-anchor Mary Hart, who joined Smith for the special Early Show Oscars coverage, said Penn was just as humble at the Vanity Fair party.

"Slumdog Millionaire" grabbed eight Oscars, including best picture, and the cast was still soaking it in when Smith chatted with them.

Anil Kapoor said it was great as one award after another was announced for "Slumdog," but "the ultimate, the defining moment," was best picture and, when Steven Spielberg opened the envelope to announce the winner and said "Slum" -- "Before he could say 'Dog,' Kapoor chuckled recalling the moment for Smith, "we were all there on the stage!"

A grateful Freida Pinto observed to Smith that, "Starting from my first audition to what's happened now, I think everything has been a dream, a beautiful, beautiful dream, and I hope I have more wonderful dreams like that in the future as well!"

"Slumdog" Director Danny Boyle noted the unlikely nature of the film's booming success, saying to Smith, "Every time we've kind of met a big problem, we've embraced it and it's something you learn in India. They are into that. You don't fight your problems, you embrace them. You absorb them and open yourself to them, and you find that you benefit from them in the long term."

[grammyjo1]

If homosexuality was genetic, it would only be an ABERRATION (meaning?NOT normal). And I?ll even entertain that possibility. Perhaps in SOME cases this aberration does exist. And IF you want to buy into the lie that humans are only higher animals, then other animals having slim homosexual traits would indeed encourage your belief that you were ?born that way? and just can?t help it. BUT, if you want to know what REAL normal is think about reproduction?..in HUMANS. Excuse me, but you?ll have to come up with some really WEIRD explanations as to how HUMAN men can procreate with each other or how two women could. I mean COME ON, get real!

In a free society (which ours still is but who knows for how long given our new president?s STRONG Socialist tendencies) anyone of legal age can cohabitate. It?s perverted yet you?re still free to do so (perversion being that which IS NOT normal). But YOUR freedom stops at the point where you try to interject your perversion into MY life, and try to get ME to legitimize and financially enable you to live that lie. And that?s exactly what homosexuals want. Not only that but they also want to re-DEFINE what marriage and family is. If the normal definition of marriage was allowed to be redefined then ANY definition of marriage would have to be accepted. One can only begin to imagine what WEIRD unions (oops, I mean marriages) would start popping up, demanding to be legitimized. I shudder at the thought.

And let?s not leave out the moral or spiritual aspect of this. If you?re an atheist or even an agnostic and don?t believe that humans were created by God then you won?t care about moral law. But ANY one who says they accept the tenets of the Bible MUST admit that homosexuality is in NO way normal (NOR acceptable). Pure truth is infallible. True moral law is unchangeable. You can try your entire life to change moral law and pure, ultimate truth. You can TRY to fit your idea of what is and isn?t acceptable to God into society and call it normal. But as hard as you try you won?t be able to do it. Moral law?.TRUTH?. can?t be changed just because you want it to be.

[Regtas]

So, richardoac, it is your expert opinion that gay people LIKE to be insulted, ostracized, deprived of rights straights take for granted, and even physically assaulted because they CHOOSE to be gay?

They are BORN homosexual. It's in the genes. Heredity. A complex code that determines every facet of your physical being (even obesity can be partially attributable to genetic makeup). And socially, gays are, per capita, more likely to contribute to the cultural and literary fabric of society than straights, particularly those ignorant rednecks who look on them as an inferior, abominable subspecies - which is what they (you?), themselves, actually are.
.
http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/news/20050128/is-there-gay-gene
http://www.medpagetoday.com/OBGYN/Pregnancy/3641
http://www.livescience.com/health/060224_gay_genes.html

So, getting back to the original subject, Hear Hear, Sean Penn!

[richardj390]

Sean Penn: the perfect example of the classic arrogant elitist as*shole. Picks his award speech as a time to give a political lecture. And by the way, he was the only person all evening to do this, just revealing the narcissistic nature of this liberal sh*t-for-brains. He lectures the MAJORITY of the voters of California, who just don't happen to agree with his opinions. And for this, all of us are supposed to be "ashamed".
Liberals like Penn just don't get it, but let me explain to you rockheads out there that agree with him in this way: The vote re g*ay marriage in CA was close. If it had gone the other way, and 52% of the people had defeated the proposition, it%u2019s a certainty that the liberals in CA would all be saying %u201CWe won. The voters have spoken.%u201D Well, it didn%u2019t turn out that way, did it? The majority voted the other way. And what have we seen in CA the last 3 months? Whining. Bitterness. Threats of lawsuits. Threats to take this to the Supreme Court. Our own attorney general trying to override the voters. And dozens of people like Sean Penn with the arrogance to tell the majority that they were %u201Cwrong%u201D, or should be %u201Cashamed%u201D. No. We don%u2019t accept your arrogance. If there is any shame to be placed, it is upon the sore losers in this state that have zero respect for the ballot box, the voters, and majority rule. That is where all shame should lie. Think of the lessons you are teaching your kids, and stop being pathetic.

[richardj390]

I'm sure it didnt take much practice on Penn's part to play a g*y guy. After all, anyone with his brain damage has likely been half-g*ay his entire life already,

[wingnutsblow]

I'm a progressive, but the choice of Penn for best actor was purely political. Mickey Rourke was robbed.

[libsbloww]

Of course he is emotional...he is a ****, what else has this dopy moron done in the past 10 years...nothing! LOL!

[honestabe8]

louiville: my statement is not false. it's a very good chance that more people like penn than know grammyjo.

[jamster31]

Men are with men, women are with women. With Bush we get a president who really didn't win the popular vote, he doe's a horrible job and we vote for him to continue. Then, here we are with Islamists openly overtaking countries and attacking us and we vote in a previous Islamist for president. We have morally challenged movie stars trying to use their clout to steer our country in the direction they believe we should be going. The populace of this country is the dumbest it's ever been. No wonder this country is headed for dire straits.

[richardoac]

"It is a hereditary trait found in a minority of people (and animals, too, for that matter), no different from being left handed or having blue eyes, and is not a reason to deprive one who is gay from the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals - and that includes matrimony."

That homosexuality is a hereditary trait is not scientifically established. That's nothing more than wishful thinking. AND I do not want to deny homosexuals any right that I enjoy. They currently enjoy exactly the same rights as I.

Governments, regardless of religion, define certain parameters for legal marriage: of opposite ***, of a certain age, of a certain mental competence, and not closely related are all examples.

Your wishful thinking is not supported by science or law. Homosexuals have the same restraints on marriage that I do.

[mortal3]

Hollywood gives an award to the drug addict and women beater Ledger, Who is surprised by that?

Posted by thgdriver1 at 01:07 PM : Feb 23, 2009
----
He died, what did you expect?
Personally, I say Jack Nicholson did a MUCH better job when he played the Joker.

[itjustis-2009]

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid people are.

[jamster31]

If we don't agree with homosexuality are we bigots? That's not fair. You're the ones calling names. If we don't agree with sean Penn's going to and meeting Chavez are we allowed not to like him? This countries population is messed up. Nobody seems to know what's right and what's wrong. Too much TV or MTV or something.

[louiville2]

GrammyJo: Penn has a right to free speech as much as you do. The fact is that more people care about what he says than care about what you say. I do not care for what either of you have to say. Kick him out of the country? Because he voiced an opinion that you disagree with? What are you thinking?


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Posted by HonestAbe8

Hmmmm it's not what the box office is saying, it's saying it's stinker. I would say your comments are false and that grammyjo is right, probably over the top but Americans have real problem to deal with not hyped up dripple.

Hetrophobia is becoming a big issue in Hollywood. Just think if the movie had been made just help people with their driving skills it might have saved ten's of thousands of lives. BTW the mayor was also killed but little to no mention.

[regats-2009]

Thank you, Sean Penn, for your insightful words (which some might find "inciteful") about the mindless intolerance and bigotry of the religious right, and Bill Mahers's words about the criminal ignorance and savagery of religionists throughout the world.

And GrammyJo1, there is nothing abnormal or particularly hedonistic about being homosexual. It is a hereditary trait found in a minority of people (and animals, too, for that matter), no different from being left handed or having blue eyes, and is not a reason to deprive one who is gay from the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals - and that includes matrimony.

Oh, and you wrote "... or loose many more viewers".
The correct word is "lose" - but that's to be expected from someone who does not appear to be particularly bright.

[honestabe8]

GrammyJo: Penn has a right to free speech as much as you do. The fact is that more people care about what he says than care about what you say. I do not care for what either of you have to say. Kick him out of the country? Because he voiced an opinion that you disagree with? What are you thinking?

[liselle3]

GrammyJo1
Grow up and look around you... you don't get to define normal for the diverse group humans. If you don't like it stay in the house, and shut of the TV. People are people and deserve love and respect, not your scorn and judgement.

[grammyjo1]

Just for the record this line in my post-

Keep the %u2018man on man%u2019 kissing

-WASN'T what I typed. Those random characters were put there when I posted.

[grammyjo1]

I%u2019ve watched the Oscars for more years than I can remember, always enjoying the fashion show. And I could tolerate it when they didn't blatantly promote homosexuality during the broadcast. But last night was the last straw for me. Keep the %u2018man on man%u2019 kissing and the gay propaganda quiet or loose many more viewers in the process. It was disgusting to say the very least and I won%u2019t be watching any longer. Sean Penn is a disgrace to the nation that has afforded him the liberty to say treasonous things while in other countries. He hates America and has NO qualms about taking accolades from the very people who will do their best to drag America further into the pit of Hedonism. He should have been kicked OUT of this country years ago or put in prison for treason. It was sickening to listen to him stand at the podium and feign compassion for ANY one but himself (his one and only concern). As far as homosexuality goes, I%u2019m not a homophobe. What I am is fed up with a minor group of hedonists so caught up in perversion that they have truly convinced themselves that they are normal and should enjoy the same rights as NORMAL people. If you want to cohabitate, go ahead. Who cares? But when you want to RE-define what normal is then every NORMAL, sane American says enough is ENOUGH.

[bushwhacked8]

Posted by rallyAfag at 03:14 PM : Feb 23, 2009

Much like over paid athletes, actors are icons that the majority of the public looks up to. Often times their voices weigh more than the common man's and through their voices often comes awareness. If someone is a great actor or great baseball player or great musician or whatever, then most believe that they're great leaders and ambassadors in other areas as well. With that said, equal rights for all is an important message whether it comes from Penn, you or Santa Claus.

[rallyafag]

its hard to take people who makes a living 'pretending' seriously..

its like penn saying he is going to save New orleans with a leaky boat..