Described by The New York Times as "both a human tempest and an actor of sizable gifts", Sean Penn is at least as well-known for his brief but highly publicized marriage to pop phenomenon Madonna and his battles with the entertainment press as for his impressive but relatively modest body of work as an actor. The son of blacklisted actor-turned director Leo Penn and his actress wife Eileen Ryan, this intense volatile actor refuses to prostitute his talent, preferring to work on the fringes of the industry for far less money than he could command on projects that his name often helps realize.