Joseph Edward Penny, Jr., credited as Joe Penny (born June 24, 1956, in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

) is an actor best known for his role as Nick Ryder on the detective series Riptide

Riptide (TV series)

Riptide is a TV detective series that ran on NBC from 1983 to 1986, starring Perry King, Joe Penny, and Thom Bray. Riptide was created by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell, and produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions. The main theme was composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter...

from 1984 to 1986 and for his role as Jake Styles in the CBS television series Jake and the Fatman

Jake and the Fatman

Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series...

from 1987 to 1992.

Early life

Penny was born in London, England to an American father and an Italian mother. He was raised in Marietta, Georgia (U.S. state). After his parents divorced, he moved to California with his mother.

He attended Marina High School

Marina High School

Marina High School is a secondary school located in the northwest corner of Huntington Beach, California which first began operating in 1963. Marina is part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District, which includes several other area high schools. The school is located on Springdale Street...

 in Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach, California

Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, where he played football and basketball. Throughout his high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 years, he maintained a low profile. He consistently avoided picture day. In each yearbook published during his enrollment at Marina High School, he is listed as "missing in action."

Career

Starting with a minor role on Forever Fernwood in 1977, the busy actor has appeared in numerous TV movies and has made many guest appearances on television shows including Touched by an Angel

Touched by an Angel

Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...

, T. J. Hooker

T. J. Hooker

T.J. Hooker is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982 on ABC and ran on the network until May 4, 1985...

, Vega$

Vega$

Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...

, Matt Houston

Matt Houston

Matt Houston is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1982 to 1985. Created by Lawrence Gordon, the series was produced by Aaron Spelling.-Synopsis:...

, Lou Grant

Lou Grant (TV series)

Lou Grant is an American television drama series starring Ed Asner in the titular role as a newspaper editor. Unusual in American television, this drama series was a spinoff from a sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Aired from 1977 to 1982, Lou Grant won 13 Emmy Awards, including "Outstanding Drama...

, CHiPs

CHiPs

CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...

, Flamingo Road, The Sopranos

The Sopranos

The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...

, Diagnosis: Murder

Diagnosis: Murder

Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...

, Walker, Texas Ranger

Walker, Texas Ranger

Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...

, 7th Heaven

7th Heaven

7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...

, Tucker's Witch

Tucker's Witch

Tucker's Witch is a 12-episode comedy-detective series which aired on CBS television from October 6, 1982, to November 10, 1982, and again sporadically from March 31 to June 9, 1983...

, Boomtown and CSI

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...

. He briefly dated Stepfanie Kramer

Stepfanie Kramer

Stepfanie Kramer is an American actress, writer, and singer/songwriter. She is probably best known for her role as the tough-minded detective, "Sgt...

 after she guest-starred on an episode of Riptide

Riptide

A riptide is a dangerous ocean current.Riptide or Rip Tide may also refer to:* Rip Tide, a Doctor Who novella* Riptide , by Douglas Preston and Lincon Child* Riptide , short story anthologies...

.

He co-starred with Lea Thompson

Lea Thompson

Lea Katherine Thompson is an American actress and director. She is best known for her 1990s NBC situation comedy Caroline in the City and her portrayal of Lorraine Baines McFly, Marty McFly's mother, in the Back to the Future trilogy...

 in the mystery series Jane Doe

Jane Doe (television film series)

Jane Doe is the name of a series of two-hour TV movies appearing regularly on the Hallmark Channel. In it, Lea Thompson stars as Cathy Davis, a soccer mom, who is secretly Jane Doe, an agent for the Central Security Agency. Episodes focus on her efforts to keep her lives separate while solving...

on the Hallmark Channel

Hallmark Channel

The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...

.

External links