Penn, Christopher

Christopher Shannon Penn (October 10, 1965 – January 24, 2006) was an American actor. He was the younger brother of both actor and filmmaker Sean Penn and musician Michael Penn. Noted as a skilled character actor, he was typically cast as a tough character, featured as a villain or a working-class thug, or in a comic role. Penn had notable parts in such films as All the Right Moves (1983), The Wild Life (1984), Footloose (also 1984), Pale Rider (1985), At Close Range (1986), Reservoir Dogs (1992), True Romance (1993), Short Cuts (also 1993), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), The Boys Club (1996), Rush Hour (1998), Corky Romano (2001), and Starsky & Hutch (2004). He won the Volpi Cup for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in The Funeral (1996). He also provided the voice of corrupt cop Edward "Eddie" Pulaski in the action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). Penn was found dead in his apartment on January 24, 2006, at the age of 40. An autopsy revealed the primary cause for his death was "nonspecific cardiomyopathy" (cardiovascular disease).