The "I Am Sam" star died at her home on Sunday, one week before her 95th birthday.
Veteran actress Eileen Ryan whose career spanned over 50 years died at her home on Sunday at the age of 94. The matriarch of the Hollywood family that includes actor Sean Penn died one week before her 95th birthday. Ryan appeared in over 60 television shows and films according to CNN including acclaimed films such as Magnolia in 1999 and 2001’s I Am Sam. The oldest of Ryan's three sons, Michael Penn, confirmed his mother's death on social media tweeting a throwback photo of Ryan and writing, "We lost mom yesterday 💔."
Ryan's youngest boy, actor Chris Penn, died in 2006 at the age of 40. He appeared in high-profile films including Reservoir Dogs and True Romance. Apart from Sean Penn, 62, she is also mother to 64-year-old composer/songwriter Michael Penn who is the singer of the late ’80s hit single “No Myth.” PEOPLE reports her husband of 41 years, actor/director Leo Penn, died in 1998 at age 77. The pair met in 1957 during rehearsals for their production Iceman Cometh. The pair moved in together within a week of meeting and married a few months later, according to her obituary. Her son Michael was born in 1958, then came Sean in 1960 and Chris later in 1965.
Rest in peace Eileen Ryan .you were a wonderful woman and actor and gave birth to gifted artists . Bless you.
— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) October 10, 2022
According to The Hollywood Reporter Ryan starred in several films featuring her son Sean, including The Indian Runner (1991), The Crossing Guard (1995), I Am Sam (2001), The Pledge (2001), The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) and All the King’s Men (2006). She also had guest roles on The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, The Detectives, Ben Casey, Marcus Welby, M.D., Little House on the Prairie, Arli$$, Ally McBeal, NYPD Blue, ER, CSI, Men of a Certain Age and Grey’s Anatomy among others.
At one point she gave up her career to become a full-time mom and even turned down the lead in a John Frankenheimer-directed film. She made her Broadway debut in 1953 in Sing Till Tomorrow and started her screen career with a role on Goodyear Television Playhouse in 1955. Ryan's final onscreen credit came in Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply (2016). The actress is survived by sons Michael and Sean, along with grandchildren Dylan Penn, Hopper Penn — the daughter and son, respectively, of Sean and ex-wife Robin Wright as well as Liam Penn, Michael's son.
Actress Eileen Ryan, who was known as the widow of Leo Penn and mother of actors Sean Penn and Christopher Penn and musician Michael Penn, has died at the age of 94.https://t.co/zqZ4Z5PURC
— Metro (@MetroUK) October 10, 2022
References:
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/10/entertainment/eileen-ryan-death/index.html
https://people.com/movies/actress-eileen-ryan-sean-penn-mom-dead-at-94/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/eileen-ryan-dead-sean-penn-1235238292/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images (L) Photo by Joe Scarnici (R) Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez
