Chris Penn

Christopher Shannon Penn, popularly known as Chris Penn, was an American actor, and the brother of Sean Penn and musician Michael Penn. Noted as a skilled character actor, he portrayed tough characters in diverse roles - be it villainous, working-class thug, or comic. Penn is known for his roles in films like To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, The Funeral, and Footloose, among others. He won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in The Funeral. He also lent his voice to corrupt cop Edward 'Eddie' Pulaski in video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Penn started acting at age 12 at the Loft Studio and debuted in 1979's Charlie and the Talking Buzzard. His memorable performance includes roles in Reservoir Dogs as Nice Guy Eddie and True Romance as Nicky Dimes. He won Best Supporting Actor at the Venice Film Festival for The Funeral in 1996. Penn was found dead in his apartment on January 24, 2006. An autopsy revealed the primary cause for his death was 'nonspecific cardiomyopathy' (heart disease).