San Andreas actor found dead

His character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas may have met a semicomic end in the Las Venturas desert, but there was nothing funny about the real-life passing of actor Chris Penn. Penn, 40, was found dead in an apartment in the seaside Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica early this morning. Police told the Reuters news service that they did not suspect foul play.

Penn, the younger brother of Oscar winner Sean Penn, was a veteran character actor. His roles in such films as Resevoir Dogs, True Romance, Rush Hour, and Starsky & Hutch made him a familiar face to moviegoers. Gamers knew him from GTA: San Andreas as the voice of corrupt Los Santos Police Officer Eddie Pulaski, the accomplice of game villain Officer Frank Tenpenny, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson.

Penn's death is the second San Andreas-related tragedy this week. Over the weekend, a massive fire damaged some offices of Take-Two Interactive, owner of Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar Games.