Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), as well as the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for the former and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the latter. Penn was born in Los Angeles County, California, the middle son of actor and director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan (née Annucci). His paternal grandparents emigrated from Lithuania and Russia.