Chris Penn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Penn
Penn in Corky Romano (2001)
Born	Christopher Shannon Penn (1965-10-10)October 10, 1965 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	January 24, 2006(2006-01-24) (aged 40) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting place	Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1976–2006
Parents	Leo Penn (father) Eileen Ryan (mother)
Relatives	Michael Penn (brother) Sean Penn (brother) Dylan Penn (niece)

Christopher Shannon Penn (born October 10, 1965 – died January 24, 2006) was an American actor. He was known for playing many different types of characters, often tough guys, funny roles, or even villains. Chris Penn came from a family of actors, including his older brother, famous actor Sean Penn, and his other brother, musician Michael Penn.

Chris Penn starred in many popular movies. Some of his well-known films include Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, and Starsky & Hutch. He even won an award called the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role in the movie The Funeral. He also lent his voice to the character of Officer Eddie Pulaski in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Chris Penn passed away on January 24, 2006, at the age of 40, due to heart disease.

Early Life and Family Background

Chris Penn was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Leo Penn, was an actor and director, and his mother, Eileen Ryan, was also an actress. His family had roots from different parts of the world. His grandparents on his father's side were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and Russia. His mother's family was Catholic, with Italian and Irish heritage. Chris was the youngest of three brothers. His older brothers are the well-known actor Sean Penn and the musician Michael Penn.

Chris Penn's Acting Career

Chris Penn began acting when he was just 12 years old. His first movie was in 1979, called Charlie and the Talking Buzzard. He quickly started getting bigger roles in the 1980s.

Early Film Roles

In 1983, Chris Penn appeared in the drama Rumble Fish, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. That same year, he played the best friend of Tom Cruise's character in the high school football movie All the Right Moves. A year later, in 1984, he was in the hit dance movie Footloose, playing the best friend of Kevin Bacon's character. He also played a villain in the Clint Eastwood western film Pale Rider in 1985. In 1986, he acted alongside his brother Sean Penn and his mother Eileen Ryan in the movie At Close Range.

Action and Drama Roles

Chris Penn was a skilled actor and even had a black belt in karate. This helped him in the 1989 movie Best of the Best. In this film, he played Travis Brickley, a confident member of the U.S. Taekwondo team. He returned to this role in the sequel, Best of the Best II, in 1993.

Some of his most memorable performances were in movies written by Quentin Tarantino. He played "Nice Guy Eddie" in Reservoir Dogs and Detective Nicky Dimes in True Romance. In 1996, he received the Best Supporting Actor award at the Venice Film Festival for his work in The Funeral.

In 1998, Chris Penn played Clive Cod in the action-comedy film Rush Hour, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. He also appeared in a music video for Jay-Z's song "Can I Get A..." as a bartender.

Later Career and Voice Work

In 2001, Chris Penn co-starred with Peter Berg in the comedy movie Corky Romano. He also appeared in the crime thriller Murder by Numbers alongside Sandra Bullock.

In 2004, Chris Penn provided the voice for Officer Eddie Pulaski, a dishonest police officer, in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He also made guest appearances on TV shows like CSI: Miami, Will & Grace, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. His last film, The Darwin Awards, was shown at a film festival the day after he passed away.

His Passing

Chris Penn was found in his apartment in Santa Monica on January 24, 2006. He was 40 years old. An examination showed that the main reason for his death was heart disease. He was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Chris Penn para niños