Chris Penn

Penn in 2004, photo by PrPhotos.com

Birth Name: Christopher Shannon Penn

Date of Birth: October 10, 1965

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Death: January 24, 2006

Place of Death: Santa Monica, California, U.S.

Ethnicity:
*father – Ashkenazi Jewish
*mother – Italian, Irish

Chris Penn, also billed as Christopher Penn, was an American actor. His roles included the films All the Right Moves, Rumble Fish, Footloose (1984), The Wild Life, Pale Rider, At Close Range, Made in U.S.A., Return from the River Kwai, Best of the Best, Mobsters (1991), Leather Jackets, Reservoir Dogs, The Music of Chance, The Pickle, Short Cuts, True Romance, Josh and S.A.M., Beethoven’s 2nd, Imaginary Crimes, Fist of the North Star, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar; Dead Man’s Walk, Mulholland Falls, The Boys Club (1996), Deceiver, One Tough Cop, Rush Hour, The Florentine, Corky Romano, Murder by Numbers, Stealing Harvard, Masked and Anonymous, Starsky & Hutch (2004), The Darwin Awards, Holly (2006), King of Sorrow, and Aftermath; and the series AFP: American Fighter Pilot and The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire.

Chris was the son of actor and director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan (born Eileen Annucci). He is the brother of musician Michael Penn and actor Sean Penn. His father was Jewish, the son of emigrants from Russia and/or Lithuania. His mother was of half Italian and half Irish ancestry. His niece is model Dylan Penn and his nephew is actor Hopper Penn. Chris’s brother Michael is married to singer and songwriter Aimee Mann.

Chris’s mother had said that his father could have had Sephardi Jewish ancestry, as the family’s original surname is said to be Pinon.

Chris’s paternal grandfather was Moische/Maurice Daniel Penn (the son of Heyman Penn and Bebka/Lillian/Lilian Cohen). Moische was a Jewish emigrant, born in Meretz, Merkinė, Varėnay, Lithuania.

Chris’s paternal grandmother was Elizabeth Marion Melincoff (the daughter of Maurice/Morris Melincoff/Malinikoff and Sarah Wintrop/Wolftroud). Elizabeth was a Jewish emigrant, from Russia or Lithuania.

Chris’s maternal grandfather was Americus William Annucci (born Amerigo Giuseppe Annucci, the son of Federico/Francisco Annucci and Sofia/Sophia Bettini). Americus was born in New York, to Italian parents. Federico was born in Potenza, Basilicata, the son of Antonio Annucci and Gratzia Cappobianco. Sofia was the daughter of Luigi Bettini and Vincenza D’Antonio.

Chris’s maternal grandmother was Rose Isabel Ryan (the daughter of Thomas John Ryan and Mary Sheehan). Rose was born in Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. Thomas was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, the son of Robert Ryan and Catherine O’Brien. Mary was born in Keeseville, Essex County, New York, to Irish parents, James Sheehan and Jane Collins.

Sources: Genealogies of Chris Penn – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
https://www.geni.com
https://www.findagrave.com

Chris’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Chris’s paternal grandparents, Moische/Maurice Daniel Penn and Elizabeth Marion Melincoff – https://www.familysearch.org

Social Security record of Chris’s paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Marion (Melincoff) Penn – https://www.familysearch.org

Chris’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Chris’s maternal great-grandparents, Federico/Francisco Annucci and Sofia/Sophia Bettini – https://familysearch.org

Chris’s maternal grandmother, Rose Isabel Ryan, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org