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Eileen Ryan, an actress known for her roles in films like Parenthood, Magnolia and more, has died. She was 94.
Ryan, who was the mother of actor Sean Penn, died at her home on Sunday (Oct. 9), according to a statement from Penn’s publicist obtained by CNN. Her death comes a week before she would have turned 95.
Ryan’s career in film and television spanned decades and began in 1955, when she first appeared on TV in Goodyear Playhouse. She went on to book roles in series like The Twilight Zone, Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie before taking a break between 1974 and 1986, when she returned to the industry to work on the film At Close Range.
More film roles followed for Ryan, who also appeared in Judgement in Berlin, Parenthood and Benny & Joon before landing one of her most well-known roles as Mary in 1999’s Magnolia, a Paul Thomas Anderson drama that earned three Oscar nominations.
Her credits over the years also included ER, NYPD Blue, Ally McBeal and CSI. Ryan also collaborated frequently with son Sean. According to Deadline, she appeared in multiple projects alongside him, including I Am Sam and At Close Range, which also featured her son Chris Penn.
Ryan’s most recent credit was 2016’s Rules Don’t Apply, in which she played Frank’s Grandmother.
Ryan’s personal and professional life were intertwined through the entertainment industry; two years after her TV debut in 1955, Ryan met director Leo Penn while rehearsing for the play The Iceman Cometh in New York City, according to CNN. The couple wed months after meeting in 1957, and stayed together until Leo’s 1998 death.
Together, they shared three children: Sean, plus musician and “No Myth” singer Michael Penn, and Chris, who died in 2006.
Michael honored his mom on Twitter Monday, where he shared a photo of Ryan with the caption, “We lost mom yesterday 💔.”
