Leo Penn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leo Penn
Penn in 1964
Born	Leo Zalman Penn (1921-08-27)August 27, 1921 Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	September 5, 1998(1998-09-05) (aged 77) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation	Television director, actor
Years active	1946–1995
Spouse(s)	Olive Deering ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1952)​ Eileen Ryan ​ (m. 1957)​
Children	Michael Sean Chris
Relatives	Dylan Penn (granddaughter)

Leo Zalman Penn (born August 27, 1921 – died September 5, 1998) was an American director and actor. He worked mostly in television. He was the father of three famous sons: musician Michael Penn and actors Sean and Chris Penn.

Early Life and War Service

Leo Penn was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His parents were immigrants from Eastern Europe. His mother was from Russia, and his father was from Lithuania.

During World War II, Leo Penn served in the United States Army Air Forces. He was a bombardier on a B-24 Liberator plane. He was stationed in England and was part of the Eighth Air Force.

Becoming an Actor and Director

Leo Penn was a member of The Actors Studio, a famous acting school. In 1954, he won an award for his acting in a play called The Girl on the Via Flaminia.

He acted in many TV shows when television was still new. Some of the shows he appeared in include:

• Crossroads (1956)
• Navy Log (1957)
• Decoy (1957–1958)
• Have Gun – Will Travel (1960)
• The Islanders (1961)
• The Asphalt Jungle (1961)
• Straightaway (1961)
• The Law and Mr. Jones (1961)
• Harrigan and Son (1961)
• Checkmate (1961–1962)
• Mrs. G. Goes to College (1961–1962)

Later, Penn became a successful director for many popular TV series. He directed episodes of shows like:

• I Spy
• Lost in Space
• Star Trek
• Hawaii Five-O
• Kojak
• Little House on the Prairie
• Columbo
• Magnum, P.I.
• St. Elsewhere
• Cagney & Lacey

In 1983, he was nominated for an Emmy Award. This award was for his excellent directing in a drama series called The Mississippi.

Challenges in His Career

Leo Penn believed in supporting workers' rights in Hollywood. During a time when the government was investigating people in the film industry, he refused to name any friends or colleagues. Because of this, he was not allowed to work in movies for a while. This was known as being "blacklisted."

Even though he couldn't act in movies, he found work in television. However, he later lost his job at CBS after someone made an anonymous accusation against him. Since he was barred from acting in both film and TV, he decided to focus on directing. This challenge led him to become a very successful TV director.

Family and Later Life

Leo Penn married actress Eileen Ryan in 1957. They had three sons together: Michael, Sean, and Chris. All three of his sons grew up to be involved in the entertainment industry.

Leo Penn passed away on September 5, 1998, in Santa Monica, California. He was 77 years old and died from lung cancer.

Film Roles

Leo Penn also acted in some films during his career. Here are a few of them:

See also

In Spanish: Leo Penn para niños