Actor Chris Penn, the younger brother of Sean Penn, was found dead at his home yesterday (Jan 24) in the Santa Monica area. He was 40.

Police were called to the actor's condo by an unnamed source and when they responded, his body was found inside.

At this point, the police do not suspect foul play, but an autopsy has been ordered to find out the cause of death.

As an actor, he amassed quite a body of work in films such as "Footloose," "Rush Hour" and "Starsky and Hutch." He's also appeared in several television guest spots, including roles on "Entourage" and "Will & Grace." But quite possibly his most popular role with fans was as Nice Guy Eddie Cabot in Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs."

Penn's current film, "The Darwin Awards" was set to premier at the Sundance Festival this week. He also had two other films in post-production, "King of Sorrow" and "Aftermath."

Through his publicist, his brother Sean issued a statement that "the Penn family would appreciate the media's respect of their privacy during this difficult time."

Our condolences go out to the Penn family.

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