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Karl Stefanovic discusses acting debut alongside Sean Penn

They say "go big or go home," and Karl Stefanovic wasted no time in going big, boldly venturing into acting alongside Hollywood legend Sean Penn in Stan's latest original series, C*A*U*G*H*T . In an interview with 9Entertainment the on the blue carpet premiere at the Sydney Opera House, the Today show host shared how he landed the role, and what it was like to film with a legend. "I'm in it!" he boasted. "It's amazing, when Kick [creator, producer, director and star] asked me to come on I thought it was a joke – that's how crazy it is. "It was so fun to see his vision brought to life and be part of that process." Stefanovic also shared how his first day of acting went. "I was in my first scene, and Sean Penn walked out and stood right next to the camera. Sean Penn, my first acting scene ever," he gushed. "I actually stopped during my line, and I just said, 'Oh my God... Sean Penn!'" Stefanovic laughed as he recalled how the Hollywood legend looked at him, shook his head and jokingly walked away. The series itself is directed and produced by Australian writer Kick Gurry, who is known for his role as Griff in Edge of Tomorrow. The show is a comedy about four Australian soldiers who get mistaken for Americans in a war-town country and are captured by freedom fighters. The freedom fighters then made a hostage video, which goes viral, and the soldiers rise up to fame. The show features a star-studded cast including Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, Bryan Brown and more. Images: Getty/ Mike Marsland/WireImage

"His worst moment as a person": Sean Penn unleashes on Will Smith's Oscar's slap

Sean Penn has become visibly angry as he recalled the infamous moment at the 2022 Oscars ceremony when Will Smith stormed the stage to slap Chris Rock. Penn recalled the award ceremony moment as he reflected on the Academy's decision to not let Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speak at the ceremony. The actor has been a strong advocate for the people of Ukraine in their ongoing war against Russia, and even traveling to the war-torn region to help in their fight. Speaking to <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/features/sean-penn-slams-will-smith-slap-ai-oscars-1235720417/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a>, Penn shared how frustrated he was that Zelenskyy was silenced, while Smith's actions were the real problem. “The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s [Zelenskyy] not lighthearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith.” Variety noted that the actor was visibly infuriated speaking on the subject, even turning red during the interview. “I don’t know Will Smith. I met him once,” Penn said. “He seemed very nice when I met him. He was so f***ing good in King Richard.” “So why the f**k did you just spit on yourself and everybody else with this stupid f***ing thing? Why did I go to f***ing jail for what you just did? And you’re still sitting there? Why are you guys standing and applauding his worst moment as a person?” the 63-year-old said, referencing his 1987 arrest and jail stint for punching a film extra in the face. “This f***ing bulls**t wouldn’t have happened with Zelenskyy,” Penn added. “Will Smith would never have left that chair to be part of stupid violence. It never would have happened.” Penn was so shocked and infuriated by the moment that he chose to destroy his two Oscars. "I thought, ‘Well, f**k, you know? I’ll give them to Ukraine. They can be melted down to bullets they can shoot at the Russians,’” he said. When visiting Zelenskyy in Ukraine last fall, Penn showed his support by giving the leader one of his Oscars. At the 2022 Oscar's ceremony, Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. After returning to his seat, Smith shouted out, “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth!” Image credits: Getty Images

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“When you win, bring it back to Malibu”: Sean Penn loans Oscar to Ukraine

Actor Sean Penn has shown his support for Ukraine in its war with Russia by loaning one of his two Oscars to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him it could stay on one condition: “When you win, bring it back to Malibu”. A video of the encounter between Zelenskyy and Penn, who is making a documentary about the Russian invasion, was shared by Zelenskyy’s office online and described the gift as “a symbol of faith in the victory of our country”. “It will be in Ukraine until the end of the war.” During his most recent visit to Ukraine, Penn told Zelenskyy that every time he leaves he feels “like a traitor”. “But if I know this is here with you then I will feel better and stronger for the fights,” he said before presenting the leader with his award. “When you win, bring it back to Malibu. Because I feel much better knowing there is a piece of me here.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CktdU1RLvIQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CktdU1RLvIQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Володимир Зеленський (@zelenskiy_official)</a> </div> </blockquote> After initially hesitating, Zelenskyy accepted the statue and quipped: “We have to win, quick.” Wednesday’s meeting, which marked Penn’s third visit to Ukraine since the invasion began, also saw the actor accept an award from Zelenskyy. The Mystic River star was presented with the Ukrainian Order of Merit of the third degree, which is given to citizens for outstanding achievements in economics, science, culture or military or political activity. “It was with great pleasure that I presented Sean Penn with the Order of Merit of the III degree,” the caption of the clip shared on Zelenskyy’s official Instagram read. “Thank you for such sincere support and significant contribution to the popularization (sic) of Ukraine in the world!” The video also showed the pair walking around Kyiv and arriving at Constitution Square where there is a “Walk of the Brave” - a walkway lined with plaques for world leaders who have supported Ukraine. Penn also has a plaque laid on the ground along the walkway, engraved with his name and the date February 24, 2022, which was the start of the invasion, as Penn was one of the first people to visit Ukraine after Russian troops moved in. Pointing to the plaque, Penn said there were three sources of pride for him in the world. “The place where my daughter was born, the place where my son was born and this. Thank you,” he said. Image: Getty Images

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Sean Penn flees Ukraine on foot

Famous Hollywood actor and director Sean Penn has fled war-torn Ukraine on foot. The Oscar-winning actor, 61, was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/sean-penn-travels-to-ukraine-to-film-war-documentary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in Ukraine filming a documentary </a>and was forced to escape to Poland when Russia invaded the country on February 24. “Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road,” the actor tweeted on Tuesday. “Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value.” Days prior, Penn called out Russian President Vladimir Putin for the “horrible mistake” of attacking the European country. “Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesn’t relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind,” Penn wrote. “President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have risen as history symbols of courage and principle. "Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost.” Penn had been in Ukraine for several months filming his documentary about the escalating situation between the two countries. He managed to escape to Kyiv before Russian forces made their way into the country. Image: Twitter

Travel Trouble

Sean Penn travels to Ukraine to film war documentary

Actor Sean Penn has travelled to Ukraine to film a documentary about the ongoing conflict with Russia. The 61-year-old met with the Ukrainian president after attending a government press briefing for part of a VICE documentary he is filming. President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of his meeting with the actor on his Instagram, with the caption, "The more people know about the war in the Ukraine, the higher the likelihood of stopping Russia!" Sean Penn has been filming the documentary about escalating tensions in the area for several months, and recently returned to Kyiv, just days before Russian forces invaded the country. In a translated <a id="mol-f6a771f0-9594-11ec-bc71-19f2c1b2d56a" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/facebook/index.html">Facebook</a> post, the Ukrainian government said it was grateful for Penn being there, and was praised as being more courageous than Western leaders. "An American actor and filmmaker, Oscar winner Sean Penn arrived to Ukraine. The director specially came to Kyiv to record all the events that are currently happening in Ukraine and to tell the world the truth about Russia's invasion of our country." "Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty." "He spoke to journalists, to our military, saw how we defend our country. Sean Penn demonstrates the courage that many others, especially western politicians lack." "The more such people, true friends of Ukraine, who support the fight for freedom, the sooner it will be possible to stop the massive attack on Russia," a statement on the Ukrainian government's Facebook page read. Sean Penn has recently been spotted in Kyiv having dinner with journalists, while thousands of people are fleeing the Ukrainian capital. Penn has been involved in several journalistic endeavours before, after taking part in a documentary of the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010. In 2016, the actor and director found himself caught up in the US investigation into fugitive drug lord El Chapo, after he made contact with him while working on a Rolling Stone article. Image credits: Instagram

Movies

Sean Penn's Aussie wife files for divorce after just one year

Actor Sean Penn’s Australian wife has filed for divorce after just one year of marriage. Leila George, whose father is American actor Vincent D’Onofrio, married Penn in a Zoom wedding in July 2020. The actress filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday. Penn told late night talk show host Seth Meyers that he and George, 29, tied the knot in an intimate ceremony attended only by Penn’s two children and George’s brother, with a county commissioner officiating over Zoom. Though the couple made their red carpet debut in 2016, a close friend told People that they had reunited early in 2020 after an on and off romance. "They got together and then they broke up, and Sean won her back," the source told People. "He realised he had made a mistake and when he felt he might lose her, he worked hard to get her back." This is the third time Penn, 61, has been divorced. He was previously married to Robin Wright from 1996 to 2010, and he shares two children with her: daughter Dylan, 29, and son Hopper Jack, 26. Prior to that, he was married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989. George, whose full name is Leila George D’Onofrio, is the American-Australian daughter of Law and Order: Criminal Intent actor Vincent D’Onofrio and Italian-Australian actress Greta Scacchi. She studied at the Sydney Film School and started out in Hollywood as a camera operator before trying her hand at acting. Since then, she’s appeared in several films, including Mortal Engines, The Long Home, and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? In an interview with W Magazine, George said of her decision to pursue acting, "Growing up, I'd sit on my mum's sets or my dad's sets for hours and hours and not get bored. "That's always where I wanted to be." Image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

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Delicious sweet potato alfredo penne

This delicious pasta recipe has the added flavour of sweet potato and garlic for a perfect simple winter's meal. Ingredients: 400g sweet potato, peeled, chopped 1½ cups milk 375g penne 1 tbsp oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 60g baby spinach, leaves ½ cup finely grated parmesan Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Place sweet potato on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Drizzle with oil and bake for 15-20 minutes until tender. Puree with 1 cup of milk until smooth. 2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan until al dente. Drain well. 3. Heat remaining oil in a large pan and sauté garlic for 1 minute. Add puree and pasta to pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until hot. Stir in remaining milk and spinach. Cook, stirring, until spinach has wilted. 4. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan. Season to taste. Serve topped with extra parmesan. Tips: Stir cooked, shredded chicken, canned tuna or crispy salami through pasta if preferred. Recipe thanks to <a rel="noopener" href="http://australiansweetpotatoes.com.au/" target="_blank">Australian Sweet Potatoes</a>.

Food & Wine

Roasted tomato and feta pesto penne

This classic pesto pasta combines the rich flavours of roasted tomato with fetta for a lip-smacking meal. Serves: 4 Ingredients: <div> <ul> <li>250g grape tomatoes</li> <li>1/3 cup olive oil</li> <li>1/4 cup basil leaves</li> <li>1/4 cup toasted pine nuts</li> <li>1 garlic clove, finely chopped</li> <li>2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan</li> <li>100g baby rocket leaves</li> <li>250g dried penne</li> <li>1 head broccoli, cut into small florets</li> <li>200g Lemnos smooth feta, crumbled</li> <li>Lemon zest</li> </ul> </div> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle 2 tsp of oil over the top. Roast for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to wilt and soften. Season with pepper as desired.</li> <li>Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and half the rocket in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the remaining oil and combine mixture in the food processor.</li> <li>Cook the penne as usual. Add the broccoli in the last two minutes of cooking. Drain well. Toss pasta in a pan with the tomatoes, feta and rocket mixture. Toss to combine and serve with lemon zest for added flavour.</li> </ol> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/piri-piri-chicken/">iri piri chicken</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/pumpkin-and-ricotta-cannelloni/">Pumpkin and ricotta cannelloni</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/hot-chocolate-mousse/">“Hot chocolate” mousse</a>

Food & Wine

Chicken and tomato penne

You can’t go past this winning combination of chicken and tomato – plus, it will take you no time at all to throw together. Serves: 4 Ingredients: <ul> <li>350g dried penne pasta</li> <li>2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, diced</li> <li>300g cherry tomatoes, halved</li> <li>1 can diced tomatoes</li> <li>1 onion, sliced</li> <li>4 cloves garlic, finely sliced</li> <li>2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to season</li> <li>Fresh parsley, to garnish</li> </ul> Method: 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook for eight to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain. 2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in frying pan over medium. Season diced chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook chicken until golden brown. Transfer to plate and set aside. 3. In same pan, add remaining oil and add garlic and onions. Cook for five minutes or until translucent. Reduce heat and add canned tomatoes. Simmer until sauce thickens. 4. Add chicken, pasta and cherry tomatoes into pan. Mix all ingredients together and heat through. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/07/spanish-rice/">Spanish rice</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/07/tomato-tarragon-chicken/">Tomato and tarragon chicken</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/07/chicken-vegetable-soup/">Chunky chicken and vegetable soup</a>

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Karl Stefanovic discusses acting debut alongside Sean Penn

"His worst moment as a person": Sean Penn unleashes on Will Smith's Oscar's slap