These days, Sean Penn is probably as well known for his outspoken political views and activism as he is for his place in Hollywood - few other actors in the history of the industry have used their fame to quite the same degree to project themselves as a champion of a particular cause. It's fair to say that this over-earnest dedication to causes, imbued with a degree of pretentiousness, often comes over in Sean Penn's on-screen personas. In movies such as Milk this is most obvious but other, less political titles, still often feature Penn acting with an overbearing sense of self-importance. Penn might have pushed himself into more challenging roles earlier in his career with films like Dead Man Walking, but it's hard to think of anything in more recent years which demonstrates a desire to break through any performance boundaries. Like Ryan Gosling, his turn as gangster Mickey Cohen in Gangster Squad verged on the parodic, suggesting that the truly interesting and dynamic performances are behind him.
