In stark contrast to the highly emotional Winslet, Best Actor winner Sean Penn strode into the press room as if entering a post office; there to run an errand, to do a job required of him: to talk to the press. His Oscar was nowhere to be seen. He stood, hands in pockets, and answered a line of questioning prompted by his politically-charged acceptance speech.

"I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect," Penn had said during the telecast, "and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support." It was poetic justice of sorts for the man who'd portrayed slain gay activist Harvey Milk to receive the night's top acting honor while outside, anti-gay demonstrators surrounded the Oscar perimeter with signs. In the press room, Penn continued to shame those detractors. What would he say if he should come face to face with them?

"I'd tell them to turn in their hate card and find their better self," he answered. "I think that these are largely taught limitations and ignorances...it's very sad in a way, because it's a demonstration of such emotional cowardice to be so afraid to be extending the same rights to a fellow man as you would want for yourself."

After a string of politically-themed questioning (What does Penn think of Barack Obama's stance on gay marriage? He hopes it's not a "future one or a felt one"), Penn was ready for lighter talk. Could he describe his friendship with fellow nominee Mickey Rourke, who many felt might steal the Oscar from underneath Penn's nose?

"I've been making movies for over 25 years and I can't speak for his consistent sense of me. He's an excellent bridge burner at times, but we've had for the most part a very close friendship," Penn shared. "And he's somebody that I alternatively looked up to and advised and directed, I've wanted to work with and admired and quite literally had me, almost throughout The Wrestler, weeping."

"He's one of our most talented actors; he always was. Comebacks are funny, and we talk about it with him, but everyone in this room has to make a comeback every day. Life is tough. And I think what's sensational about him is always what's been sensational about him; he's one of the great poetic talents in acting that we have."

Next: Montages, skits, and everything in between -- did the telecast work?