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Eileen Ryan

1927 – 2022

American actress

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About Eileen Ryan

Lived 1927 – 2022 (aged 94). Eileen Ryan was an American actor, television actor and film actor.

Eileen Ryan (; October 16, 1927 – October 9, 2022) was an American actress. The wife of actor and director Leo Penn, she was the mother of actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn, and of singer Michael Penn.

Life and career Ryan was born in the Bronx on October 16, 1927. Her father, William, was Italian American and worked as a lawyer and a dentist; her mother, Rose Isabel (née Ryan), was Irish American and employed as a nurse, with her maiden name later chosen by Eileen to be part of her stage name. Ryan studied at New York University, graduating with a bachelor's degree. She began to reduce her involvement in acting in order to look after her young family, which later relocated to the West Coast. During the 1960s and 1970s, Ryan periodically had small roles in television shows, such as The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, and others directed by her husband Leo Penn. She subsequently featured as the mother of Sean Penn's character in Judgment in Berlin (1988), which was directed by her husband. Two years later, she went back to the stage in the play Remembrance, acting alongside her husband in a production by Sean Penn at the Odyssey Theater. Her final role was in the 2016 film Rules Don't Apply. They met the year before while she was performing in The Iceman Cometh at the Circle in the Square Theatre. They remained married for over 40 years until his death in 1998.

Filmography

Film

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
New York University

Family & relationships

Spouse
Leo Penn

People in Eileen Ryan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Eileen Ryan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Eileen Ryan?

American actress (1927–2022)

When was Eileen Ryan born?

Eileen Ryan was born on 16 October 1927 in New York City.

When did Eileen Ryan die?

Eileen Ryan died on 9 October 2022 in Malibu.

What was Eileen Ryan's occupation?

Eileen Ryan was an actor, television actor and film actor.

What nationality was Eileen Ryan?

Eileen Ryan was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Eileen Ryan

· Wikidata: Q438537

· DBpedia: Eileen Ryan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Eileen Ryan. https://biography.guide/eileen-ryan/

MLA: "Eileen Ryan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/eileen-ryan/.

Chicago: "Eileen Ryan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/eileen-ryan/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-27 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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