Biography
Leo Penn (also credited as Leo Z. Penn) was an American television director and actor. Born on 27 August 1921 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, he died on 5 September 1998 in Santa Monica, California. He began as an actor, appearing in films and on stage, but was blacklisted in the 1950s after refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He later turned to directing.
Penn directed episodes of numerous series, including The Fugitive (1963), Star Trek (1966), Columbo, Little House on the Prairie, Starsky & Hutch, Kojak, Hawaii Five-O, Magnum, P.I. and Matlock. He also directed the feature films A Man Called Adam (1966) and Judgment in Berlin (1988). He received an Emmy Award for directing a Columbo episode.
He was the father of actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn and musician Michael Penn, and was married to actress Eileen Ryan.
