Sean Penn may not be the first actor that comes to mind when thinking about the history of funny performances in films. Indeed, Penn's reputation is as the most serious of dramatic actors, and his is well deserved, built on award-winning work in such hard-hitting dramas as Dead Man Walking, Mystic River and Milk. But in fact, Penn's long and impressive filmography is filled with roles that made him switch from drama to comedysometimes with memorable results.
Penn's turn to co-star with then-wife Madonna in Shanghai surprise It may have been an initial disaster, but the star continued to scratch his comedy itch nonetheless, starring alongside Robert De Niro in the remake We are not angels. Letting his funny side finally pay off for Penn in terms of awards love when his performance as a self-absorbed jazz guitarist in the Woody Allen film Sweet and low received an Oscar nomination. Most recently, Penn played an over-the-top Hollywood actor in Paul Thomas Anderson's comedy film. Licorice Pizza.
Penn's Fast Times At Ridgemont High is leaving Netflix soon
December 31st is the last day on the streamer
Fast times at Ridgemont High left Netflix. Rolling Stone Writer (and future filmmaker) Cameron Crowe famously went undercover at a real San Diego-area high school as research for his book of the same name. Crowe then adapted his book into a screenplay, which was brought to life on screen by director Amy Heckerling. The resulting film became a huge hit, a critical favorite with a recent score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, and ultimately a 1980s classic.
Fast times at Ridgemont High maintained its status as a beloved '80s coming-of-age tale, but the film will not be available on Netflix, as it left the streamer on December 31st. There's no word yet on where the raunchy comedy will air in 2025.
Our Take on Fast Times at Ridgemont High Leaving Netflix
Penn fans might want to pick up a new streamer
THE Fast Times the cast is legendary, featuring future stars like Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Nicolas Cage, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Forest Whitaker. However, Penn was arguably the film's most prominent name, thanks to his hilarious performance as the oblivious stoner Jeff Spicoli. Penn's portrayal proved influential, establishing a model for movie stoners which is still being copied to this day.
|
Future Oscar nominees/winners in quick times |
Oscar nominations (wins in bold) |
|---|---|
|
Sean Penn (Spicoli) |
5 Best Actor - Dead Man Walking, Sweet and low, I'm Sam, Mystic River, Milk |
|
Nicolas Cage (Brad's sprout) |
2 Best Actor - Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation |
|
Forest Whitaker (Charles) |
1 Best Actor - The Last King of Scotland |
|
Jennifer Jason Leigh (Stacy) |
1 Best Supporting Actress - The Hateful Eight |
|
Martin Brest (Dr. Miller) |
1 Best Film - Women's Perfume 1 Best Director - Women's Perfume |
Penn did demonstrate his comedic talent early on, but his performance in Spicoli would prove atypical, as it quickly turned into hard-hitting drama. Today, Penn finds his name in the news more for his political views than his acting work, but he still appears in the occasional film. In 2024, Penn co-starred with Dakota Johnson in the drama Daddywho found himself at the center of controversy after Quantas Airlines showed the censored film on a flight, angering passengers.
Daddy is an intriguing film from latter-day Penn, and with Fast times at Ridgemont High leaving the streamer, it's about to be the only option for Netflix subscribers looking for its work. There's nothing shocking about the dearth of older Penn films on the service, given the general lack of classic titles in its lineup. As for Penn's latest films, the actor's lighter workload means he doesn't have much to choose from for a service like Netflix. Some Penn films will be shown in the future, but for now, Penn fans who use Netflix are out of luck.
Source: Netflix