Sean Penn's brother heartbreak

Sep 15, 2006, 15:47 GMT

Sean Penn has spoken publicly for the first time about losing his brother Chris - comparing it to "losing an arm".

Chris Penn died in January this year of natural causes aged 40, however, large quantities of Valium, morphine, marijuana and codeine were found in his blood.

Sean has now revealed his heartbreak over his brother's death, he told US chat show host Larry King last night (14.09.06): "We were very close. It's a piece of you. I'm one of three, so I'm either my right, left arm or the centre at various times, and each was the other, so I intermittently have lost my right arm, the left arm or my centre, but that's life and people go through that.

"It was a natural death. But a natural death brought on by some hard living."

Sean, who stars in upcoming movie 'All the Kings Men' with Jude Law and Kate Winslet, also praised his brother's acting ability. Chris starred in a host of Hollywood movies, including 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Footloose'.

Sean said: "I think he was a size of soul that nobody else had, and this isn't a brother talking. All you need to do is watch the ironically titled 'The Funeral' that my brother Christopher was in. It's a piece of work that always inspired in me. I mean, he had talent and was a person that not many other people can be."

(C) BANG Media International