Sean Penn with Daughter, Dylan Penn (Source: Getty Images) 

All set for an August 20 release, Flag Day features Dylan and Sean Penn starring in their first film together. In the movie, Sean Penn plays Dylan’s father, much like in real life. And according to Dylan, shooting the film was quite like being in family therapy. Flag Day is directed by Sean Penn and stars the two-time Oscar-winning actor. The upcoming release of Flag Day sure has movie watchers excited. The film received a 4-minute standing ovation at the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival, which adds to the anticipation for its release.

Most actors do not know the privilege or the pressures that come with being directed by a parent. But for the father-daughter duo, filming Flag Day proved to be a challenge of sorts for both. In the latest issue of PEOPLE magazine, Dylan sheds light on the process of filming the most hard-hitting scenes in the movie, saying, "For me, it was equal to doing family therapy in a room full of strangers," - "I've done family therapy, but I've never done it with a crew that I didn't know," Dylan adds.  

Acknowledging the struggles of directing his daughter, especially when extracting emotionally demanding performances, Sean Penn says, "there were times that I had to not only avoid going in to hug her but, in fact, push for more." "I felt like somebody ought to call Child Protective Services at that point," the actor adds.

Dylan Penn with Mother, Robin Wright, at The 2017 Emmy Awards (Source: Getty Images) 

Dylan admits to seeking motivation from her mother, actor Robin Wright. According to the young actor, her mother very simply said, “I've never worked with a better director than your dad. It was the most amazing experience I've ever had as an actor.” Having received enough reaffirmation from her mother; for Dylan Penn, taking up the challenge that was ‘Flag Day’ was a no-brainer.  

Flag Day features Sean Penn essaying the role of a con artist and a bank robber. The movie is based on real people, and Penn embodies an infamous counterfeiter, while Dylan plays his daughter. The film also stars Regina King and Josh Brolin among others. Flag Day is based on the biographical novel, Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life by Jennifer Vogel. Dylan Penn takes on the role of Jennifer Vogel, and while this is her first starring role alongside her father, Dylan has appeared on screen in Condemned, and Elvis & Nixon, also starring Kevin Spacey.  

Dylan is the daughter of Robin Wright and Sean Penn, who were married from 1996 to 2010. The couple also share a second child, son Hopper Jack. Apart from Robin Wright, Sean Penn was also married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989, and partnered with Charlize Theron from 2013 to 2015. Penn’s relationship with Theron was the subject of intense press scrutiny. The actor married Leila George, who is an American-Australian actor, in 2020. Sean Penn is best known for acting in, and directing a number of hard-hitting dramas, and is a two-time Academy Award winning stalwart of American films.