Actor Chris Penn was found dead on Tuesday atan apartment near the Pacific Ocean in the Los Angeles suburbof Santa Monica, according to police. Though a cause of death has yet to be determined, police said they didn’t suspect foul play.
As we await more details about his mysterious, untimely death (depending on the source, he was just 40 or 43), you can remember him with your own mini-film festival of his best roles:
Footloose (1984) In which Kevin Bacon teaches the lean, mean farmboy how to dance. Let’s hear it for the boy.
At Close Range (1986) Chris’ only movie with his brother Sean (mom Eileen Ryan’s in it too) features the Penns as stepbrothers whose criminal dad is the world’s worst role model — he’s played by Christopher Walken at his most terrifying.
Reservoir Dogs (1992) Quentin Tarantino helps Penn reinvent his career with the role of Nice Guy Eddie. Penn plays Mini-Me to veteran gangster-pic star Laurence Tierney and establishes the thuggish persona that will last the rest of his career.
Short Cuts (1993) In his shocking performance as the frustrated husband of phone-sex operator Jennifer Jason Leigh, Penn is a standout in Robert Altman’s ensemble epic.
Entourage (2005) In a showdown of the showbiz lesser brothers, Penn (guest-starring as himself in the episode ”An Offer Refused”) took on Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon). The actor’s visage, increasingly bloated in recent years, was pretty frightening, but Penn’s fearsome power would have been apparent in his performance alone.
Comments (1-30) of 30 Add your comment
I know it’s probably everybody’s favorite, but his performance of Nice Guy Eddie in Resevoir Dogs was fantastic. That scene near the end, where he’s grilling Mr. Orange, was so intense. I still can’t believe he’s gone, he was so young. My condolences to his family.
i’m not trying to be funny or ironic or anything, but i think his best performance was in abel ferrara’s “the funeral.”
my fave chris penn movies:
to wong foo, thanks for everything, julie newmar
corky romano
stealing harvard
played a mean a**hole in all of them. he will be missed. his death comes as a huge shock.
I got tears in my eyes when I read this story this morning. I was always happy to see him in something I was watching. I squealed last season when he was on Entourage. He was very talented and always underappreciated. Maybe now the world will take a moment to pay him a little attention- better late than never. He had a great voice- always distinguishable from any other. “Why don’t you tell me what really happened”- I can still hear it in my head. He will be missed. R.I.P.
don’t forget about True Romance. that’s a great movie.
I too am saddened by the loss of Chris Penn. An amazing actor, Mr. Penn had a “next door neighbor” quality about him that made his gangster characters particularly intimidating.
The Entertainment industry has lost some greats in recent years, but Chris Penn’s death is a particularly big loss, especially for fans of Indpenendent cinema.
Chris was grossly undervalued as an actor.. His talents are many and he will be sorely missed.. I was shocked to hear this sad news on the radio I almost drove off the road.. Condolences to the Penn family
oh, poor Willard.
He’s my favorite part of Footloose… next to Kevin Bacon’s skinny tie and that guy at the dance who is digging in his nose.
Will be missed. Sniffle. Tears.
Penn gave a brilliant performance in a first-season episode of Chicago Hope, as a young man taking an operating room hostage when a last-minute change is made and his dying brother is refused the donor heart he was scheduled to receive.
what was the name of the martial arts movie he was in with eric roberts?
TRUE ROMANCE, baby! Chris at his best. Miss him already
Deepest condelences to the Penn family. Loved his performance in Resevoir Dogs and Foot Loose.
The episode of Everwood he was in last year made me cry a lot. He played a father that accidentally shot his son in a hunting accident and wanted to give part of his liver to save his son. It was so sad and touching and I still remember the way he said “I shot my son.” This is a very sad loss.
Reading the Yahoo headline this morning – at first I thought it said Sean Penn. Which would have been a total shock to the system. But then I saw it was Chris – and you know – he wasn’t as high a profile film star as his brother, but he was awesome in Footloose, Reservoir Dogs, Entourage… the guy was downright likeable. He kicked Drama’s @$$ in the ring – hilarious! It was like seeing an old friend when I saw him turn up on that show. He will be missed.
I will see you on the next side and we will have a few laughs. I started watching you when i was young and I feel like I lost a brother.I just found out and it brought tears to my eyes.The best roles that I liked was footloose and at close range. when Chris walken shot you and you said DAD. That was so sad they way you said it I could feel the pain of haveing your own Father do that. May you be at rest and I know that you feel the love that in the coming days will be poured out for you. And at last your acting will be told for what it is (GREAT) You my friend will be missed very much.Rest in peace untill we meet.From one of your fans.. richard
Deepest Sympathy to his family. Chris was a fantastic actor and will be missed.He will leave a legacy of some great roles in film and television.
The martial arts movie was “Best of the Best.” A nice role for him in a decent movie. A good article (though a little old) is by Salon.com’s Cintra Wilson, in her series on under-appreciated actors.
Seriously, my favorite Chris Penn movie is The Wild Life, one of the early 80s teen romp movies. Hilarious. I did love him in Footloose, though, and Reservoir Dogs. In Entourage last year he was awesome (although in retrospect very unhealthy looking).
He was underrated. His Entourage appearance was awesome. What a loss.
i first heard about this last night over at People.com and i was shocked and deeply saddened. i can’t wait to find out what the cause of death was. i own quite a few of the films he was in and there is a big poster from Reservoir Dogs in my apartment. in fact my mom came over this weekend, and she was asking me who all the different guys in the picture were and the person we talked about the most was Chris. loved him in footloose, and he was very funny in the off the wall comedy corky romano. i feel really bad for his family.
A tremendous shock Chris will be missed by many, many
fans..Loved him in Footloose, of course and At close
range… Deepest sympathies to his family and hoping
media and prying eyes will let the family have some
peace during this very sad,sad time…God Bless
A tremendous shock Chris will be missed by many, many
fans..Loved him in Footloose, of course and At close
range… Deepest sympathies to his family and hoping
media and prying eyes will let the family have some
peace during this very sad,sad time…God Bless
Chris you will be missed!
Do not stand at my grave and forever weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and forever cry.
I am not there. I did not die.
Who cares? Another Hollywood druggie. He was a good performer, but that’s about it. Actually, the wrong Penn was buried. Should have been Sean “am I an asshole or what?” Penn. Fine young men die each day in America. To shed tears over men/women that are overpaid, druggies, self destructing A-holes is a waste of your time.
Care about your family and let the Hollywood idiots just kill themselves. Not much lost.
He was just another fat Hollywood druggie. Get a life. Honor those that deserve it. And hug your kids.
one of the best actors to grace the big screen love him always…..will miss him…..
I think you might have been something for me to look into. you came to me while i was in a grave yard. i think the media and everyone should watch careful over Sean because he came to me as well.
Chris was my best friend and I did not realize how much he meant to my life until he was gone. Why is that? He made my life better. I tried to do the same for him. For those who did not know him, he was the kindest most generous man I have ever met. Yes, he had problems, but who doesn’t? May he rest in peace.
I met chris at the malibu courthouse,chez jay restarant,and various nightclubs and special events.He was one of the nicest celebrities I have ever met.I know he was a sad soul and I choose to look at his passing as a means to create powerful health for myself and my family.Also to never forget to tell the people you love how happy you are to be part of thier life.Honor yourself and your body,be a good person and you honor chris’ memory!!!
Don’t forget Chris as “Bubba” in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the best portrayal of an adult child that exists!