Penn loses car in 'bold' theft

Penn loses car in 'bold' theft

Sean Penn was once more famous for his petulant behaviour than his films

Hollywood actor and director Sean Penn has had his car, containing two guns, stolen while he had lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Police said on Thursday the theft of the 1987 Buick Grand National took place on Tuesday on a busy street of San Francisco.

Penn was eating a meal just a block away from his car, near the campus of the University of California at Berkeley.

A police spokeswoman said the robbery was "bold" given the time of day and the district in which it was undertaken.

"It is a dense commercial district, there were people walking around, driving, there are quite a number of banks around there, so people are doing business, so it is quite unusual," said the spokeswoman.

The 1987 Buick Grand National is considered a valuable collector's item.

The thief also made off with two guns in the car that Penn had a licence to keep, a handgun and a Smith and Wesson revolver.

The police said they had not yet found the vehicle.

Reputation

Penn lives just north of San Francisco with his wife, actress Robin Wright, and their two children.

He is best known for playing intense characters in films such as I Am Sam, Dead Man Walking, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Sweet and Lowdown.

In recent years, he has also branched out into directing, winning praise for The Pledge in particular.

He is also famous for once being married to pop star Madonna, and for his public outbursts, specifically involving the press.

He married Madonna in 1985 and the ceremony dissolved into a media scrum.

The couple separated in 1987 and later divorced.