The 48-year-old actor took home the second Oscar statuette of his career, the first being his 2004 win for his role as an anguished father in “Mystic River.”

 

"You commie, homo-loving, sons of guns," the clever Sean Penn told the audience as he accepted his award. "I did not expect this and...I know how hard I make it to appreciate me." In addition, the actor said that everyone benefited from equal rights and that the timing of the film was perfect.

 

Sean Penn, who has a bad guy public image that dates way back in his early career breakthrough, managed to persuasively bring to mind the renowned magnetism of Harvey Milk, who was shot to death in 1978 at San Francisco City Hall. "He came in kind of ready made" for the part, openly gay "Milk" helmer Gus Van Sant explained.

 

When he presented Sean Penn as an Oscar nominee, renowned actor Robert de Niro joked by asking himself how the former was able to obtain “all those straight roles (…) for so many years.”

 

This year’s Academy Award best actor battle was widely believed to be a two-man race between Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke, who saw an incredible comeback in “The Wrestler.”

 

Sean Penn also took home the Screen Actors Guild award for best actor and a bunch of critics’ honors.