Sean Penn: 'Filmmaking Is More Interesting To Me Than Acting'

[Brian Damage]

Sean Penn is keen to turn his back on acting because he no longer enjoys the process and finds himself bored and homesick on film sets.

The Oscar-winning star is thrilled when he signs up for a new role and for the first couple of weeks of shooting - but then he finds himself alone in a motel room and missing his family. And now he's keen to concentrate on directing more movies instead.

He says, "Filmmaking is more interesting to me than acting. Acting, I've gone from a love/hate relationship to a dark, bitter hatred. You might be fascinated with the material... You get three weeks into it... and (you're like), 'I'm f#$%ing trapped here,' and that drives me outta my f#$%ing mind.

"I'll sit there and it'll be one of those cottage-cheese white ceilings in a motel somewhere, my family's thousands of miles away and I'm thinking, 'What the f#$% am I doing here?'"

[coffield3]

Filmmaking is just the same though? You'll still be away from family doing that. :crazy:
Maybe it is because he hasn't had many "offers" recently! :lol:

[Janice]

I recently watched a Penn directed movie, Into The Wild. It's one of the best films I've seen all year.

[coffield3]

Being a director you still have to be on the set like the actors do, so he's still going to be alone in a motel room with being a director/filmaker?

He is a great actor, i like a few of his movies. :)

[Janice]

Being a director you still have to be on the set like the actors do, so he's still going to be alone in a motel room with being a director/filmaker?

He is a great actor, i like a few of his movies. :)
His remarks don't make sense because of the reason you stated. Either he's really stupid, which I doubt, lol, or he made both of these statements, but meant them in an unrelated way.

Penn might have said that that he enjoys directing more than acting. He also might have said that he misses his family while filming movies. The author could be a lousy writer, and didn't convey Penn's words correctly. That happens all the time. That's my guess anyway.

[Ireneparalegal]

What is the source for these comments? I don't see any.

Anyhoo, he appeared on Oprah and discussed his film and directing career. It made for interesting television. You can see this other side of Sean Penn if all you know of him is this aggressive guy who cusses, hates papparazi, is difficult, etc. Here is a link that condenses that interview. He also talked abt that film he directed INTO THE WILD and his love of the book and his long desire to make th film, but only with the approval of the family, which took a long time to get:

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200709/tows_past_20070920.jhtml

[HuntingtonM15]

I recently watched a Penn directed movie, Into The Wild. It's one of the best films I've seen all year.

I loved Into The Wild. It's definitely the best movie I've seen this year.

[Janice]

I loved Into The Wild. It's definitely the best movie I've seen this year.
Incredible story. I watched it Saturday night, and I still can't shake it. The critics loved it too.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/into_the_wild/