The Hole frontwoman, who launched her screen career in 1984, has penned an article for Harpers Bazaar magazine in which she details her thoughts on ageing, beauty secrets and her fresh start.

Love revealed that after seeing Penn in 2011 movie This Must Be, in which he played an ageing rock star, she became driven to return to acting and had a meeting with Penn and his agent.

In the essay, she writes, "I decided that I wanted to act again after I saw Sean Penn a few years ago in an independent film called This Must Be the Place. I always think that if I were a guy, I would be Sean-he's like my male doppelganger. But that film lit a fire in my belly. So I sat down with Sean and his agent, and they gave me a bunch of tasks, and I've checked every box over the past three years.

"I just became determined to claw my way up that greasy pole. The best way is to walk the line and be a good girl, and really focus on learning my craft more than I have in the past. I'm paying my dues, and it's been good for me."

Love is currently starring in hip-hop U.S. drama series Empire, as has-been singer Elle Dallas. In 1997, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress for her performance in The People vs. Larry Flynt.