Eileen Ryan - wikipedia Eileen Ryan Eileen Ryan With Howard Duff in `` A World of Difference '' from The Twilight Zone, 1960. Eileen Annucci ( 1928 - 10 - 16 ) October 16, 1928 ( age 89 ) New York City, New York, U.S. Occupation Actress Years active 1955 -- present Spouse ( s ) Leo Penn ( m. 1957 ; his death 1998 ) Children Michael Penn Sean Penn Chris Penn Relatives Dylan Penn ( granddaughter ) Eileen Ryan ( née Annucci ; born October 16, 1928 ) is an American actress who has appeared in a number of movies and TV series. She is the widow of actor and director Leo Penn, and mother of actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn and singer Michael Penn. Contents 1 Life and career 2 Filmography 2.1 Film 2.2 Television 3 References 4 External links Life and career Ryan was born Eileen Annucci in New York City, the daughter of Rose Isabel ( née Ryan ), a nurse, and Amerigo Giuseppe Annucci, a dentist. Ryan 's mother was an Irish American native of Plattsburgh, New York, and her father was Italian American. She was married to Leo Penn, an actor and active union member, who was blacklisted, from 1957. They were married until his death in 1998. Ryan appeared with her sons Sean and Chris in the 1986 film At Close Range, as their grandmother. She also made an appearance in The Crossing Guard, which Sean directed. While Madonna was married to Sean, she told the press `` My mother - in - law is the only woman I 've ever met whom I find truly intimidating. '' On Broadway, Ryan portrayed Evie in Sing Till Tomorrow ( 1953 ) and Lorraine in Comes a Day ( 1958 ). Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1957 Three in One Mrs. Johnson Segment : `` The Load of Wood '' 1986 At Close Range Grandma Judgment in Berlin Gerta X 1989 Winter People Annie Wright 1989 Parenthood Marilyn Buckman 1991 Indian Runner, The The Indian Runner Mrs. Baker 1993 Benny & Joon Mrs. Smail 1995 Crossing Guard, The The Crossing Guard Woman in Shop 1999 Anywhere but Here Lillian 1999 Magnolia Mary 2001 Pledge, The The Pledge Jean 2001 I Am Sam Estelle 2002 Eight Legged Freaks Gladys Assassination of Richard Nixon, The The Assassination of Richard Nixon Marie 's mother 2005 Ulli Lommel 's Zodiac Killer Venice Beach victim Video 2005 Feast Grandma 2006 All the King 's Men Lily Littlepaugh 2009 Give ' em Hell Malone Gloria 2009 Mother and Child Nora Venus & Vegas Estelle 2011 Collaborator Betty 2016 Rules Do n't Apply Frank 's Grandmother Television Year Title Role Notes 1955 Goodyear Television Playhouse Alma `` Mr. Dorothy Allen '' 1957 Westinghouse Studio One Betsy Fuller `` The Defender : Parts 1 & 2 '' 1959 Deadline Betty `` Massacre '' 1959 DuPont Show of the Month `` The Human Comedy '' 1959 Alcoa Presents : One Step Beyond Mrs. Horvath `` Make Me Not a Witch '' 1960 Twilight Zone, The The Twilight Zone Nora Reagan `` A World of Difference '' 1960 Robert Herridge Theater, The The Robert Herridge Theater `` With Glory and Honor '' 1960 Detectives, The The Detectives Mrs. Sharman `` Little Girl Lost '' 1961 Detectives, The The Detectives Mrs. Coil `` Song of the Guilty Heart '' 1961 Shotgun Slade Janet Milford `` A Grave at San Gallo '' 1961 DuPont Show with June Allyson, The The DuPont Show with June Allyson Miss Spencer `` The Man Who Wanted Everything Perfect '' 1961 Asphalt Jungle, The The Asphalt Jungle Anna Ashmond `` The Last Way Out '' 1961 Outlaws Ruth Lopez `` No Luck on Friday '' 1961 Adventures in Paradise Alice `` Survival '' 1961 Bonanza Amanda Gates `` Land Grab '' 1962 Bonanza Abigail Jones `` The Wooing of Abigail Jones '' 1962 Ben Casey Laura Walton `` Give My Hands an Epitaph '' 1962 Tales of Wells Fargo Lorry `` End of a Minor God '' 1972 Bonanza Emily `` First Love '' 1973 Marcus Welby, M.D. Shirley Cooper `` Catch a Ring That Is n't There '' 1973 Cannon `` Press Pass to the Slammer '' Little House on the Prairie Mrs. Kennedy `` The Voice of Tinker Jones '' 1986 CBS Schoolbreak Special Bag Lady `` Babies Having Babies '' Christine Cromwell `` Only the Good Die Young '' Matlock Lily Wyckoff `` The Picture : Part 2 '' 1993 It 's Nothing Personal TV film ER Barbara Dean `` True Lies '' NYPD Blue Mrs. Treet `` He 's Not Guilty, He 's My Brother '' 1999 Ally McBeal Bria Tolson `` In Dreams '' 2000 Arliss Maddie Crowley `` Last Call '' 2001 Providence Eleanor Walters `` Big Night '' 2001 CSI : Crime Scene Investigation Mrs. Rose Bennett `` To Halve and to Hold '' 2003 Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire, The The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire `` Tough Love '' 2005 Without a Trace Maura O'Connell `` Transitions '' 2007 Nine, The The Nine Mrs. Cavanaugh `` Legacy '' 2011 Men of a Certain Age `` And Then the Bill Comes '' 2011 Private Practice Marion `` Something Old, Something New '' 2011 Prime Suspect Susan Whitney `` Bitch '' 2014 Grey 's Anatomy Marjorie Reed `` Puzzle with a Piece Missing '' 2014 Getting On Mrs. Roth `` No Such Thing as Idealized Genitalia '' References ^ Jump up to : Kelly, Richard T. Sean Penn : His Life and Times. Canongate U.S. 2004. ISBN 1 - 84195 - 623 - 6. Jump up ^ Stange, Ellen Silver ( 2016 ). New York State of Fame. Page Publishing Inc. ISBN 9781682890264. Retrieved 8 April 2018. Jump up ^ Mills, Nancy ( July 5, 1986 ). `` Never - Retiring Eileen Ryan Is out of Retirement ''. The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. p. Part IV - 9. Retrieved April 8, 2018 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Eileen Ryan ''. Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018. External links Eileen Ryan on IMDb GND : 1061813215 ISNI : 0000 0000 5387 5100 LCCN : no2004044086 VIAF : 48937794 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eileen_Ryan&oldid=839542190 '' Categories : 1928 births 20th - century American actresses 21st - century American actresses Actresses from New York City Actresses of Italian descent American film actresses American television actresses American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent American Roman Catholics Living people Hidden categories : Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2013 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia تۆرکجه Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano Nederlands Polski Português Suomi 3 more Edit links This page was last edited on 4 May 2018, at 03 : 17 ( UTC ). 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Question: who did eileen ryan play on little house on the prairie
Answer: Mrs. Kennedy