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CHRISTOPHER PENN Died Jan. 24, 2006
  • Caption: CHRISTOPHER PENN Died Jan. 24, 2006
  • Description: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001606/
    Name:
    Chris Penn
    Date of Birth:
    10 October 1965,
    Place of Birth:
    Los Angeles, California, USA
    Biography:
    Not available

    Date of Death:24 January 2006, Santa Monica, California, USA. (enlarged heart)

    Obituaries:
    I never enjoy writing these obituaries. Yes, I like to pay tribute to those in the industry who have passed away, but I don’t enjoy this. I don’t enjoy this because it means that someone has died. It means that their loved ones are grieving. I especially dislike writing these tributes when the person died before they reached the fullness of life. I really hate writing the words actor Chris Penn died at age 43. The cause of death has not been determined, however, the Santa Monica Police say that there is no evidence of foul play. My first memory of Chris Penn was in the movie "Footloose." He and my old 7th-grade-classmate John Laughlin played Kevin Bacon’s new country friends in the hit film. I thought to myself that Chris Penn had a future as a sidekick. Little did I know at the time that he had a future as an excellent character actor and villain. His first few films were ‘good guy’ roles. It was a nice surprise when Clint Eastwood cast him as the heavy in the supernatural retake on "Shane" called "Pale Rider."

    Chris and his older brother Sean Penn played real life brothers in the true crime film "At Close Range." Christopher Walken played their evil father. Chris Penn’s death scene in "At Close Range" is as good a piece of work as his older brother has ever done. The combination of fear, acceptance and the feeling of being totally betrayed that Chris Penn brought to that scene moves me every time I see it. I think that scene will be damn near impossible to watch for the foreseeable future. Like most folks, I guess my favorite Chris Penn performance was as Nice Guy Eddie in Tarantino’s break-out debut "Reservoir Dogs." Penn was perfect as the spoiled wiseguy son of Lawrence Tierney’s Joe Cabot. He held his own in a film full of meaty performances. Other film credits include "Rumble Fish," "All the Right Moves," "True Romance," "To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar," "Mulholland Falls," "Rush Hour" and "Starsky and Hutch."

    Chris Penn’s talent was recognized by a number of organizations. He was nominated for a Best Actor Genie in 1996 for "The Boys Club." The Genie Award is Canada’s equivalent of the US Oscar. The next year, Mr. Penn’s talent was recognized with a Best Male Lead nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards for his work in Abel Ferrara’s gangster period piece "The Funeral." In "The Funeral," Chris Penn was reunited with actor Christopher Walken. This time they played brothers instead of father and son. Mr. Penn won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Venice Film Festival for that same film. Director Robert Altman added Chris Penn to his great ensemble cast for the film "Short Cuts." The entire cast won awards for Best Ensemble Cast at the Venice Film Festival and the Golden Globes.

    Chris Penn came from a show business family. His father was the prolific TV director Leo Penn. Leo Penn died of cancer in 1998. Chris Penn’s mother is the actress Eileen Ryan. Chris Penn’s two brothers are actor Sean Penn and composer Michael Penn. 43-years-old is so young. Younger than me. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.
  • Actor/Actress/Director: Chris Penn
  • Movie:
  • Id: 10427955
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