'He lit a fire in my belly': Courtney Love says her 'male doppelganger' Sean Penn reignited her passion for acting

Published: 12:39 EST, 16 July 2015 | Updated: 15:03 EST, 16 July 2015

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Former grunge queen Courtney Love doesn't usually take advice from anyone, but it seems she makes an exception for actor Sean Penn.

Love, 50, told the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar that Penn, who she calls her 'male doppelganger,' reignited her passion for acting.

'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,' she told the magazine.

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Glam rocker: Courtney Love, seen after a visit to the Late Show with David Letterman in February, says firebrand actor Sean Penn inspired her to act again

In the 2012 film, Penn plays an aging rock star, so it naturally struck a chord with Love, who has long considered the volatile actor a kindred spirit.

'I always think that if I were a guy, I would be Sean - he's like my male doppelgänger,' she confessed.

'But that film lit a fire in my belly.'

Intense actor: Sean Penn gave Love a list of tasks to help jump start her acting career

Penn's performance prompted the widow of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain to reach out to the firebrand actor, 54, for guidance.

Penn, who recently split from fiancee Charlize Theron, advised Love to sharpen her acting skills and buckle down to rebuild her career.

'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,' the former rocker explained.

Cookie's watching: Love played washed-up rocker Elle Dallas on hit show Empire

Never a stranger to ambition, Love said staying focused was key to relaunching her acting careers in the competitive world of Hollywood.

'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,' she said.

'I'm paying my dues, and it's been good for me,' she added.

Love earned rave reviews and a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of tragic wife Althea Flynt in 1996 film The People Versus Larry Flynt. She also starred opposite Jim Carrey in Andy Kaufman biopic Man On The Moon in 1999.

Frances Bean and Courtney Love at Montage Of Heck premiere

Scarlet woman: Love turned heads at the premiere of Kurt Cobain documentary Montage of Heck in Los Angeles in April

However, the singer quit acting after growing bored and wanting more autonomy, she told People magazine.

In recent years she has dipped her toe back in the water, securing a series of roles on television beginning with a part on biker drama Sons of Anarchy.

The Pretty On The Inside singer also played deadly assassin White Gold on ABC drama Revenge, and faced off against Cookie as has-been rocker Elle Dallas on Fox's hit show Empire.

The Hole front woman has also made progress repairing her relationship with artist daughter Francis Bean Cobain, 22, after a long estrangement.

Courtney Love as 'Elle Dallas' on Fox's hit show Empire