Sean Penn appeared on “The Louis Theroux Podcast” and declared Jennifer Lawrence to be “probably the last movie star.” Penn and the eponymous podcast host were discussing an array of different celebrities, with the Oscar winner giving his opinion on each.
“I think the movie star manufacturer ran out around Jennifer Lawrence time or something,” Penn said about movie stardom. “She’s probably the last movie star.”
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One undisputed movie star in Penn’s mind is Tom Cruise, who is back in theaters this month with “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” Penn praised the A-lister as “a guy who pursues excellence on a very high level.”
“Certain kind of movies people appreciate more than others… but this is a very good actor who is also an incredibly extraordinary craftsman,” Penn said about Cruise. “Those movies don’t get made on those level without somebody extraordinary behind them. He’s the common link behind many of them. It’s no accident. He does his own stunts. He’s probably the best stuntman in movie world. He’s the most experienced guy.”
When Penn noted later that “I see some performances from some young actors where I feel like I should quit and become an accountant because they are so good,” Theroux wondered who the actor might be talking about. Perhaps Timothée Chalamet?
“I haven’t seen that movie yet,” Penn said, referring to Chalamet’s Oscar-nominated turn as Bob Dylan in last year’s “A Complete Unknown.” The actor added: “I haven’t seen his movies yet.”
But Penn has clearly seen Jennifer Lawrence movies, thus naming her “probably the last movie star.” Both Lawrence and Cruise will be attending the Cannes Film Festival this year with new movies. Cruise is bringing the latest “Mission: Impossible” sequel, which is being billed as his final outing as Ethan Hunt, while Lawrence teams with director Lynne Ramsay and co-star Robert Pattinson on the psychological drama “Die My Love.”
Whether or not movie stars still exist in Hollywood remains an ongoing topic of debate among talent. Some A-list directors like Quentin Tarantino have claimed that the rise of Marvel has contributed to the death of the movie star, as actors like Chris Evans are more associated with their superhero characters than they are as movie stars. Actors like Harrison Ford disagree. He was asked about the death of Hollywood movie stars by GQ magazine last year and responded: “Oh, I think it’s rubbish.”
“I don’t think the question is whether or not there are any movie stars. There’s wonderful actors coming up every day,” Ford said at the time. “Whether or not they become movie stars is really not the point. If movies need stars, they will find them. I’ve never fucking understood being a movie star. I’m an actor. I tell stories. I’m part of a group of people who work together, collaborate on telling stories. I’m an assistant storyteller. That’s what I am.”
Listen to Penn’s full interview on “The Louis Theroux Podcast” here.
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