TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2009
Well-known for being vocal about his political views, Sean Penn didn't fail to spark controversy when he won the Best Actor award last night at the Oscars.
It was the second Oscar win of his career, courtesy of his portrayal of gay civil rights activist Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant's Milk.
In his acceptance speech, Sean noticeably did not thank his wife, Robin Wright Penn. Instead, he chose to comment about the state of gay civil rights and the anti-gay religious protesters, who are a common sight each year at the Oscars.
In his speech, Penn said: "For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight... I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone."
The celebrity-packed audience responded with rousing applause.
When
Access Hollywood caught up with Sean at the post-Oscars Governor's Ball, he was asked if the speech was planned. Sean assured them that his wife knew of his feelings for her and that he had discussed beforehand that he would omit mentioning her to express his political views.
