Well, we know how Sean Penn would vote in the Best Actor Oscar race, if he were a member of the Academy . In an op-ed for Deadline , Academy Award winner Penn wrote an invective explaining why A Star Is Born deserves to win it all. Penn especially heaped praise onto Bradley Cooper , the movie's director, writer, and star. "He's made the most successful contemporary love story of all time," Penn pronounced, while encouraging voters to participate in commending the movie while they can.