BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Sean Penn opened up about the “green card” joke heard ’round the world Saturday in Beverly Hills during a promotional tour for his new film “The Gunman,” saying that he has “absolutely no apologies” for his comment. The actor-director also offered up choice words for those who didn’t recognize the irony in his remarks.

On Feb. 22 at the 87th Academy Awards, Penn, tasked with presenting the best picture award, made waves when he opened the envelope and first asked “Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?” before announcing the winner as “Birdman.”

Directed by the Mexican-born Alejandro Iñárritu, many wondered whether the joke was distasteful. The term “green card” refers to a document that confers permanent residency on immigrants in the U.S.

“I found it hilarious,” Iñárritu said after the ceremony. “Sean and I have that kind of brutal (relationship) where only true friendship can survive.”

Iñárritu directed Penn in the 2003 film “21 Grams,” and the two remain close to this date. “I make on him a lot of very tough jokes that I will not tell you,” Iñárritu added.

While Iñárritu’s casual dismissal of any perceived offense helped to temper the public response to the comment, Penn has remained largely silent on the topic. “I have absolutely no apologies,” Penn said.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.