Sean Penn

Early life

Penn was born in Los Angeles County, California, the son of Leo Penn, an actor and director, and Eileen Ryan (née Annucci), an actress. He has one living brother, musician Michael Penn. Another brother, actor Chris Penn, died in 2006. His paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and Russia. Penn’s mother is a Roman Catholic of Italian and Irish descent. According to Penn’s mother, Leo Penn may have had distant Spanish ancestry, as the family’s surname was originally “Piñón”. Penn was raised in a secular home and is an Agnostic.

Career

Penn appeared in a 1974 episode of Little House on the Prairie as a then blonde-haired extra because his father, Leo, directed some of the episodes. Penn launched his career with the 1981 film Taps, followed a year later with the comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (in the role of Jeff Spicoli), and has since starred in over forty movies.

Read more