Chris Penn, R.I.P.

Very sad news out of Los Angeles: Chris Penn, brother of Sean Penn and an actor himself, was found dead.

I'll always remember him from Reservoir Dogs, of course, but also in Short Cuts (as Jennifer Jason Leigh's husband) and the underrated The Music of Chance, not to mention At Close Range and in his much younger days, All the Right Moves and Footloose - in which he was quite sympathetic and realistic as a rural teen in need of a reawakening. Unlike his brother, he was destined to be a character actor, with his doughy build, but was a pretty darned good one.  He was, or could have been, this generation's version of noir character actors Dan Duryea, Elisha Cook Jr. and the like. Penn was in a lot of mediocre stuff, and one can only wonder if he had a hard lifestyle that may have contributed to his early demise, but he leaves behind a legacy of some fine supporting work. His talented family should be in our thoughts at the moment.

(Added a favorite bit of dialogue in the comments below - from True Romance, in which Penn played Nicky Dimes.)

Comments

[Craig P]

[This exchange is rated R; from True Romance, in which Chris Penn played the cop Nicky Dimes]

Nicholson: You just made it big time.
Nicky Dimes: You're no longer an extra...
Nicholson: ...or a bit player...
Nicky Dimes: ...or a supporting actor...
Nicholson: ...you're a fucking star. You are a fucking star. And you are going to be playing your one-man show for the next two fucking years for a captive audience. And listen to this, you get out in a few years and meet some old lady, get married, and you'll be so unrestrained to your wife's needs because you'll know what it feels like to be a woman.
Nicky Dimes: Of course, you'll only want to fuck her in the ass because that pussy wont be tight enough anymore.
Nicholson: Good one detective, right you fucking faggot?