Don’t mellow my harsh, dude. I hurried past Penn’s three surfboards and silver Airstream in the front yard, half expecting to see the un-pacific denizen of the Pacific Coast wrestling on the floor with the photographer. Penn, in dark T-shirt, Columbia utility pants and sneakers, was charming, trailed by his adoring dogs, a golden retriever and a German shepherd rescue puppy. When I joked that I was relieved to see him treating the photographer sweetly, he laughed. “When I did my 23andMe,” he said, “I thought I might be part Hopi because they don’t like to be photographed.”

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Persons: Sean Penn, Hollywood hothead, Jeff Spicoli, Penn, “, ” Organizations: Hollywood, Times, Pacific Locations: Ridgemont, Columbia, German