NEW YORK:

Oscar winning actor Sean Penn is refusing to let criticism stop him from expressing his views on political matters and feels celebrities should speak out more for what they believe in.

According to hollywood.com, Penn has been criticising the Bush administration and even called him “a Beelzebub and a dumb one”. He says: “I think it’s incumbent upon everyone to speak up. Not enough people do it. Maybe they’re afraid they’ll be criticised or called a Nazi. But I hope that never makes me embarrassed to lend a hand or speak my mind.” He adds: “I was able to lend a hand and that’s all I was there to do. People may want to make it more than that, but I don’t want to dignify all these talking-head (jerks). At the end of the day, you have to do what you think is right, to act responsibly so you can live with yourself.”