Sydney Penny

Last updated

Sydney Penny
Born
Sydney Margaret Penny

August 7, 1971 (1971-08-07) (age 53)
OccupationActress
Years active1979–present
Known for
Spouse
Robert Powers
(m. 1995;died 2024)
Children1
Parents
Relatives Greg Penny (half-brother) [1]
Website www.sydneypenny.net OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Sydney Margaret Penny (born August 7, 1971) is an American actress. She began her career as a child performer appearing in made-for-television movies. She made her big screen debut in the Western film Pale Rider directed by Clint Eastwood. She received total six Young Artist Awards nominations, winning two for playing Young Meggie Cleary in the miniseries The Thorn Birds (1983), and for Pale Rider. Penny also starred in the sitcom The New Gidget (1986–1988), and played Bernadette Soubirous in the French drama film Bernadette (1988) and its sequel The Passion of Bernadette (1990) both directed by Jean Delannoy.

Contents

Penny starred as B.J. Walker during the final season of NBC soap opera Santa Barbara (1992–1993), receiving Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series nomination. She later joined the cast of ABC soap opera All My Children (1993–1997, 2002-05, 2008) playing the role of Julia Santos Keefer receiving Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nomination in 1995. She also starred in the drama series Hyperion Bay (1998–1999) and Largo Winch (2001–2003).

Life and career

Penny was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and raised in Chatsworth, California, the daughter of former Western Swing bandleader and comedian Hank Penny and his wife, Shari. [2] She began performing when she was three years old singing "My Little Pony" during her father's concert. [2] She made her screen debut playing the supporting role in the made-for-television movie The Night Rider (1979) starring David Selby, Kim Cattrall and Hildy Brooks. She performed as Lucy Van Pelt in the 1981 television special It's Magic, Charlie Brown and also that year appeared in the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated television movie Through the Magic Pyramid. [2] She played Tessa Dahl in the television film The Patricia Neal Story (1981) starring Glenda Jackson and Peg Adams in The Capture of Grizzly Adams (1982). At the 4th Youth in Film Awards, Penny received two Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television nominations for this performances, as well one Best Young Actress in a Television Special nomination for The Circle Family. [3] She later guest-starred on Fame , T. J. Hooker , St. Elsewhere and The Twilight Zone .

In 1983, Penny played Young Meggie Cleary in the miniseries The Thorn Birds . For her performance she won Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television at the 5th Youth in Film Awards. [4] In 1985, she starred as Megan Wheeler in the Western film Pale Rider directed by Clint Eastwood, released on June 26, 1985. [5] For this performance she was awarded a Young Artist Award for Exceptional Performance By a Young Actress - Motion Picture at the 7th Youth in Film Awards in December 1985. [6] The following year, Penny went to star in the science fiction family film Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star distributed by Tri-Star Pictures. She starred as Danielle 'Dani' Collins-Griffin in the syndicated sitcom The New Gidget from 1986 to 1988. She later played the role of Bernadette Soubirous in the French drama film Bernadette (1988) and its sequel The Passion of Bernadette (1990) both directed by Jean Delannoy. She starred alongside Sophia Loren in the Italian drama film Running Away (1989), and opposite Malcolm McDowell in the Switzerland-filmed thriller film In the Eye of the Snake (1990). [7] [8] In 1991 she appeared in the made-for-television horror film Child of Darkness, Child of Light .

In 1992, Penny made her daytime television debut playing the role of B.J. Walker in the NBC soap opera, Santa Barbara appearing on show to its finale in 1993. For her performance, she received Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series nomination. [9] She played the role of Julia Santos Keefer on the ABC soap opera All My Children , from 1993 to 1996, with guest appearances in 1997 and 2002 and returned to the show in 2005. Penny left the show in May 2008 when Julia was killed off. She received Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nomination in 1995. [10] She returned to film starring in independent productions Hearts Adrift (1996), Enchanted (1998) and The Pawn. From 1998 to 1999, Penny starred alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar in the WB drama series, Hyperion Bay . In 1999 she took the role of Meg Cummings in the NBC soap opera Sunset Beach replacing Susan Ward for one month during her filming the movie The In Crowd . The serial's creator, Aaron Spelling, was impressed with Penny's portrayal of Meg so he cast her in another series he created. She had a recurring role as Josie Oliver during the final season of Beverly Hills, 90210 . [11]

From 2001 to 2003, Penny starred in the internationally-produced action adventure series, Largo Winch . In August 2003, she was cast as Samantha Kelly on The Bold and the Beautiful . [12] The character never caught on and Penny was bumped to recurring status in late 2004. She last appeared on April 26, 2005, and rejoined All My Children a few months later. She stayed with the show for an additional three years. Since leaving daytime television, Penny guest-starred on Drop Dead Diva and Pretty Little Liars . [13] She starred in the number of movies for Hallmark Channel and Lifetime, notable Hidden Places (2006), The Wife He Met Online (2012) and Killer Crush (2015).

Personal life

In 1995, Penny married producer Robert Powers (1965-2024) [14] , and has lived in Wilmington, North Carolina since 2005. [15] They had a child in 2007. [16] Powers died on December 31, 2024, aged 59.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 The Last Leaf Susan
1985 Pale Rider Megan Wheeler Young Artist Award for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress - Motion Picture
1986 Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star Robyn
1988Bernadette Bernadette Soubirous
1989 Running Away Rosetta
1990 La Passion de Bernadette Bernadette Soubirous
1990In the Eye of the SnakeMalika
1996Hearts AdriftMax Deerfield
1998EnchantedNatalie Ross
1999The PawnMegan
2012 Little Red Wagon Ashley Lagare
2012Ambush At Dark CanyonMadeleine Donovan
2013The Perfect SummerAlyssa
2013 Heart of the Country CandaceAlso producer
2016 Heritage Falls Heather Fitzpatrick
2017Mountain TopJudge Coberg
2022BirdiesSarah
2022The DishwasherShort film, also writer and director

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979The Night RiderMelissa HollisterTelevision film
1981The Big Stuffed DogLilyTelevision film
1981 It's Magic, Charlie Brown Lucy Van Pelt (voice)Television special
1981Dear TeacherGloriaPilot
1981Through the Magic PyramidPrincess AnkelsenTelevision film
1981 The Patricia Neal Story Tessa Dahl Television film
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television
1982 The Capture of Grizzly Adams Peg AdamsTelevision film
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television
1982The Circle FamilyTelevision film
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Television Special
1982 Fame Susan MarshallEpisode: "Beginnings"
1983 T.J. Hooker Katie CoatsEpisode: "The Mumbler"
1983 The Thorn Birds Young Meggie ClearyMiniseries
Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television
1983Two Kinds of LoveElizabethTelevision film
1983 St. Elsewhere Melissa GreelyEpisode: "AIDS & Comfort"
1984 Silver Spoons BillieEpisode: "Changes"
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress - Guest in a Television Series
1984Getting PhysicalRamonaTelevision film
1985The Fourth Wise ManShameirTelevision film
1985 Half Nelson Episode: "The Beverly Hills Princess"
1985Heart's IslandTommy Jean BaylorPilot
1986News at ElevenMelissa KenleyTelevision film
1986 The Twilight Zone Mary MilettiEpisode: "Shadow Play/Grace Note"
1986-1988 The New Gidget Danielle 'Dani' Collins-GriffinSeries regular, 44 episodes
1988 A Year in the Life MeganEpisode: "The Go-Between"
1990 Super Force Melanie LemaysEpisode: "The Gauntlet"
1991 Child of Darkness, Child of Light Margaret GallagherTelevision film
1992 Jack's Place Jennifer SimpsonEpisode: "Forever"
1992–1993 Santa Barbara B.J. WalkerSeries regular
Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Female Newcomer
1993–1997, 2002, 2005–2008 All My Children Julia Santos Keefer Series regular
Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Romance (1996)
Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1995)
Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress (1995)
1998 Love Boat: The Next Wave Juliette TitlebaumEpisode: "I Can't Get No Satisfaction"
1998–1999 Hyperion Bay Jennifer WorthSeries regular, 17 episodes
1999 Sunset Beach Meg Cummings 40 episodes
2000 Beverly Hills, 90210 Josie Oliver4 episodes
2001–2003 Largo Winch Joy ArdenSeries regular, 39 episodes
2003–2005 The Bold and the Beautiful Samantha Kelly Series regular
2005 McBride: The Doctor Is Out... Really Out Daphne BlakeTelevision film
2006 Hidden Places Eliza Monteclaire WyattTelevision film
2010The Wish ListChloeTelevision film
2011 Days of Our Lives Dr. Liv Norman7 episodes
2011 Drop Dead Diva Ms. KritzerEpisode: "Closure"
2012The Wife He Met OnlineGeorgiaTelevision film
2014–2015 Pretty Little Liars Leona VanderwaalEpisodes: "Taking This One to the Grave" and "Through a Glass, Darkly"
2015Killer CrushGabyTelevision film

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References

  1. "producer Greg Penny". Studio Expresso. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2020 via www.studioexpresso.com. The son of famous pop singer Sue Thompson and musician / songwriter / producer Hank Penny, Greg was raised ...
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  14. Michelle Parkerton (January 3, 2025). "Sydney Penny Mourns the Death of Her Husband, Robert Powers". Soaps in Depth.
  15. "CoastLine: Sydney Penny on her new production company, dodging child actor perils, and why creativity is everything". WHQR. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
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