Sean Penn is no longer in love with acting.
The Milk star, who is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation, admits he has a new first love -writing.
Promoting the release of his first novel, Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff, in a pre-taped CBS Sunday Morning interview, the 57-year-old Oscar winner admits being in front of the camera is not always fun.
"(Acting) can be great when you're working with good actors or good directors or good writing as an exercise," he says, "but do I have a belief that it has a lasting value? Maybe I could make the argument intellectually, but... I'm not in love with that anymore."
Penn's novel, which centers upon a septic tank salesman-turned-assassin who uses a mallet to kill people, will be released next week, and the actor insists fans will have varied reactions to his first book, but he has no issue if some readers don't like it.
"You know, some people are going to get this book and some people are not going to get this book," he says. "Some people, I think, will really enjoy it. Others will loathe it. And that really is what I'd like to say about me, you know?"
Penn made his mark as a writer back in 2016 when his top secret jungle meeting with fugitive drug lord Joaquín Guzman, aka El Chapo, was published in Rolling Stone magazine. El Chapo was arrested and hauled back to prison the day after Penn's piece about their time together was published online.