Considering Sean Penn won the Best Actor Oscar in 2004 for his work in Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River, you’d think he’d have nicer things to say about acting.But no, Mr. Penn isn’t feeling it these days.In the season premiere of the Sundance Channel’s Iconoclasts series airing Oct. 25, Penn explains his disdain for being in front of the camera to Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild. (Penn directed the movie adaptation.) "Acting, I've gone from a love/hate relationship to a dark, bitter hatred unto itself-no love at all," Penn says, adding that the long shoots drive him "out of [his] mind."Not only does Penn hate being away from his family when he's on location, he also dreads early call times. "I’m not a morning person," he says. "I’ll get up in the morning, but I won't be around. My head’s in the bed for a few hours no matter what I do the night before."But none of that matters when he’s behind the camera. "With directing a movie, it’s different," he says. "I love the traveling circus part of it and the adventure you go on."-Additional reporting by Matt Donnelly

Marc Malkin


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