Sean Penn's backstage comments after winning best actor SAG Award for his performance in "Milk"

Sean Penn solidified his position as the front-runner for the best actor Oscar when he won the SAG award for his roie as Harvey Milk in "Milk." He gave a charming acceptance speech including this: "Something happened to me during the making of this movie. I noticed it tonight that the statues have rather healthy packages ... As actors we don't play gay, straight ...we play human beings. (I'm) so appreciative of this acknowledgment. This is a story of equal rights for all human beings. Thanks Gus Van Sant, Lance Black, the counsel of Cleve Jones and the great Harvey Milk."

But backstage, it seemed like he'd rather have a root canal then face a roomful of reporters - even after winning a big award like he did on Sunday night. But he's a smart and thoughtful man and I dashed over from my backstage spot into the interview room to sit in on his press conference. Here are some highlights:

He was asked about "Milk" and what impact it might have had on real-life politics in California where the same-sex marriage debate remains on the front-burner post-Prop. 8: "You're dealing with a narrative and on that level, the narrative certainly was a movie that I felt could touch people. (Director) Gus Van Sant was really the key to that. It's filmmaking and writing that I think are making this (movie) work."

Sean was asked what he learned about himself after doing this movie. I half-expected him to say, "That I don't mind kissing men!" But, of course, he did NOT say that. What he said got a big laugh: "Every time I do a movie I learn just how much older I'm getting by the crow's feet on screen."

Penn, who said he remembers when Harvey Milk was assassinated 30 years ago and was asked what it was that moved him about the story and why he wanted to portray the gay rights leader: "The first part of my interest in it really was Gus Van Sant who is incapable of making an irrelevant movie. He's one of our great filmmakers and consistently original. That in combination with the nature of this story and this particular man and a script by (Dustin) Lance Black. But I have to say, I know the impulse is to consider this as one makes a decision based on themes or messages and so on. But really this is right in there with the same reason why I decide to do anything and that is a script and a director."

Penn was also asked about the comraderie on the set of the film: "This is a classic case of a director creating a working environment and you create that by the family you've put together both with the crew and the actors. For me, it was particularly less strenuous because it was shot at home - it was shot in San Francisco where I live."

"We did this as a group in the sense that it was not only the actors and the crew and the director but also the people who had worked on Harvey's campaign, all the people who were closest to him were on the set daily and they've all been supportive."