Eileen Ryan, born Eileen Annucci on October 16, 1927, in the Bronx, New York City, was an accomplished American actress. Her father, William Annucci, was Italian American and worked as a lawyer and dentist, while her mother, Rose Isabel Ryan, was Irish American and employed as a nurse.

Eileen Ryan chose her stage name by combining her first name with her mother's maiden name. She studied at New York University, graduating with a bachelor's degree.

She made her Broadway debut in 1953 with the play "Sing Till Tomorrow" and followed it up with another production, "Comes a Day," in 1958. However, she reduced her involvement in acting to take care of her young family, which later relocated to the West Coast.

During the 1960s and 1970s, she periodically appeared in television shows such as "The Twilight Zone" and "Bonanza," many of which were directed by her husband, Leo Penn. She  resumed acting more frequently in 1986, appearing with her sons Sean and Chris in "At Close Range" as the brothers' grandmother.

Eileen Ryan married actor and director Leo Penn in 1957, and they remained married for over 40 years until his death in 1998. Together, they had three children: Michael, Sean, and Chris. Tragically, Chris predeceased her in 2006.

Eileen Ryan passed away on October 9, 2022, at her home in Malibu, California, at the age of 94.

Throughout her career, she appeared in numerous films and television shows. Some of her notable works include "Judgment in Berlin" (1988), "Parenthood" (1989), "Winter People" (1989), "Eight Legged Freaks" (2002), and "Rules Don't Apply" (2016).

She also made appearances on TV shows like "Little House on the Prairie," "Matlock," "ER," "NYPD Blue," "Ally McBeal," "Without a Trace," and "Grey's Anatomy".