Sean Penn and his publicist were “real-life heroes” when Variety’s Golden Globe pre-show host Marc Malkin’s car died and left him stranded in the desert.
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According to several sources, the TV personality and journalist was driving back from the Palm Springs Film Festival this past weekend when his electric car ran out of power.
The sources told Page Six that Malkin had his car towed to a charging station in Cabazon, CA. When he arrived, he noticed that Penn and his publicist, Mara Buxbaum, were there charging their own cars. Penn and Buxbaum were also coming back from Palm Springs.
They had been in town because Penn introduced Penélope Cruz before she was honored with the Variety Creative Impact in Acting Award. Malkin had also manned the red carpet for that event.
Sean Penn Pushed Marc Malkin’s Car to a New Charging Station
Sean Penn and Mara Buxbaum managed to charge their rides, but Malkin’s would not power up. One of the sources told the publication that his car wouldn’t charge because the battery was completely dead.
Somehow, Malkin realized a different type of charging station may give his car the jolt it needed. Not able to get another tow truck, he put it in neutral, jumped in, and hoped he could direct it to a new pump.
All of a sudden, Buxbaum appeared beside him, and she asked if he needed someone to push his car. When Malkin looked in his rear-view mirror, he saw Penn already started pushing. A source said that Malkin was shocked to see an Oscar winner rolling up his sleeves and saving the day.
“It was the funniest thing ever,” the source continued. “Sean was a real-life hero.”
Thanks to Sean Penn, Marc Malkin managed to get back to Los Angeles in time for the Golden Globe’s pre-party on Friday, Jan. 6. The co-host stayed in town to interview the stars as they walked down the red carpet ahead of tonight’s ceremony.
The Golden Globe Awards pre-show kicks off at 6:30 PM. Angelique Jackson and Rachel Smith will be co-hosting with Malkin. If you want to watch, Variety, Entertainment Tonight, and the Golden Globes website will stream the event.