Today, August 17, is Sean Penn's birthday

CAIRO – 17 August 2017: Thursday, August 17, is academy-award winning Sean Penn's 57th birthday.

Penn was born in California to actress Eileen Ryan and director Leo Penn. Penn's first film was the 1981 military drama Taps, though his breakthrough role came a year later with the high-school comedy/drama 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High', where young Penn portrayed the stoned surfer Jeff Spicoli.

Penn would quickly be known as an acting force to be reckoned with, starring in dramatic films such as 1993's Carlito's Way alongside the legendary Al Pacino, where he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

One of Penn's most acclaimed roles was in 2003's Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood, which won Penn an Oscar for Best Actor in a leading role. His second academy award came in 2008's drama 'Milk', where Penn portrayed the tragic real-life story of openly gay politician Harvey Milk.

The actor is also known for his activism efforts, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Haiti where he attempted to help displaced people get their lives back.

Penn is also the center of drama regarding his marriage to world-famous star Madonna back in the 1980s. Their marriage was short-lived, with rumors abounding that Madonna was the victim of domestic violence under Penn. However, Madonna confirmed these claims were false in a legal statement according to jezebel.com