Actor, director. Born on August 17, 1960, in Burbank, California. Intense, gifted performer whose accomplishments as a movie player were often overshadowed by his reputation as a spoiled brat and his penchant for violent outbursts off-screen. The son of TV and film director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan, he skipped college and joined the Group Repertory Theater of Los Angeles as an apprentice directly after graduating from Santa Monica High School. He made his professional debut in 1979 as a guest performer in an episode of the TV series "Barnaby Jones" and his first film appearance in 1981, in Taps. From the start he stuck audiences as different, an actor with a natural gift and estimable range whose intense personality shone through even in mediocre vehicles. But Penn's reputation as Hollywood's bad boy continued to plague his career, especially after his 1985 marriage to flamboyant singer-actress Madonna. The constant press attention surrounding the star marriage led him to fits of temper and public brawling. In 1987 he served a six-month jail term for assault. After the stormy on-again-off-again marriage ended in divorce in 1989, Penn married actress Robin Wright and seemed to have gained peace of mind. In 1991, while prematurely announcing his retirement with the Indian Runner, a raw and rambling drama about two brothers of conflicting outlooks and temperaments. Penn's brother, Christopher Penn, is also a film actor.
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