Sean Justin Penn (born
August 17,
1960) is an
Academy award-winning
American film actor and
director. In 2004, he was invited to join the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Biography
Early life
Penn was born in
Los Angeles County,
California,
[California Births, 1905–1995 [1]] 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.
[Jews Flop in Big Oscar Award Wins. Jewish Journal.com. 5 March 2004.][Sean Penn Genealogy.] Penn's mother is a
Roman Catholic of
Italian and
Irish descent.
[Kelly, Richard T. Sean Penn: His Life and Times. Canongate U.S. 2004. ISBN 1841956236.] 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.
[Sean Penn. Celeb Atheists.]
