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Sean Penn has learned to cope with negativity

Sean Penn has "plenty of walls" he can kick if criticism upsets him.

The Academy Award-winning actor - who stars alongside Idris Elba and Ray Winstone in his new film 'The Gunman' - says he's grown used to negative comments and insists he's found a healthy way of coping with abuse.

Sean told ShortList magazine: "You just have to take the sh*t. I got plenty of walls I can kick if it upsets me, but mostly I'm pretty thick-skinned."

The 54-year-old star, who helped victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization in 2010 following an earthquake in the country, also rejected the idea that he's an example of 'limousine liberalism'.

He reflected: "When you're in a position like I've been lucky enough to be in, forget about what my organisation does, or the high-dollar operations, everybody - a school teacher or an actor or whoever - has an obligation to speak out and play a part."

Meanwhile, Sean recently revealed that his current partner - actress Charlize Theron - is the "love of my life".

Asked by a journalist about his "girlfriend", Sean replied: "No, no, excuse me, Charlize is not my girlfriend. She's the love of my life...

"We have a very strong relationship. [We] have known each other for a very long time. But we weren't together."