Joseph Edward Penny, Jr., credited as Joe Penny is an actor best known for his roles as Nick Ryder on the detective series Riptide from 1984–86, and as Jake Styles in the CBS television series Jake and the Fatman from 1987-92.
Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife, Bloody Birthday, Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops 2, Whisper Kill, Family of Cops 3, Reign of the Gargoyles, Our Winning Season, Betrayed at 17, The Red Phone: Manhunt, The Little Unicorn, Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star, Terror in the Night, Gangst...
TV Shows
Jane Doe, Jake and the Fatman, Riptide, The Gangster Chronicles, Forever Fernwood
Star Sign
Cancer
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Fact
1
Suffered from seasickness while filming the Riptide (1984) TV series.
Dark, hunky 'tough guy' actor who studied under Lee Strasberg and went on to play heroes and mobsters in mini-movies in the 80s. Best known for his series work with William Conrad in Jake and the Fatman (1987).
4
Played football during high school in Huntington Beach, California. Odd jobs before acting including washing postal trucks, crew foreman, and dishwasher.
5
Born in England to an American father and an Italian mother, lived in Georgia as a baby but later moved to California, where he has lived since.
6
While Joe is a graduate of Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California, Class of 1974, he was never a high-profile student. No extra-curricular activities (drama productions, etc), and he ducked every student picture day after his freshman year. You'll find him listed as "missing in action" in every MHS yearbook published after 1971.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Last Night Inn
2016
Sam
Betrayed at 17
2011
TV Movie
John Taylor
Cold Case
2009-2010
TV Series
Hank Butler
CSI: Miami
2008
TV Series
Travis Drake
Days of Our Lives
2008
TV Series
Martino Vitali
Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder
2008
TV Movie
Frank Darnell
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2007
TV Series
Jack Oakley
Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss
2007
Video
Frank Darnell
Reign of the Gargoyles
2007
TV Movie
Gus
Jane Doe: Ties That Bind
2007
TV Movie
Frank Darnell
Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall
2006
TV Movie
Frank Darnell
Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well
2006
TV Movie
Frank Darnell
Threshold
2005
TV Series
Robert Sprague
Jane Doe: The Wrong Face
2005
TV Movie
Frank Darnell
Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part
2005
TV Movie
Frank Darnell
Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't
2005
TV Movie
Frank Darnell
Jane Doe: Vanishing Act
2005
TV Movie
Frank Darnell
7th Heaven
2003
TV Series
Nick
Red Phone 2
2003
TV Movie
Darrow
The Little Unicorn
2002
Tiny
The Red Phone: Manhunt
2002
TV Movie
Jack Darrow
Boomtown
2002
TV Series
Les Van Buren
Two Against Time
2002
TV Movie
George Tomich
Scope
2001
TV Series
Host
Jack of Hearts
2000
Arden Cook
The Prophet's Game
2000
Walter Motter
Chicken Soup for the Soul
2000
TV Series
David
The Sopranos
2000
TV Series
Victor Musto
Walker, Texas Ranger
1999
TV Series
Sonny Tantero
Twice in a Lifetime
1999
TV Series
Flash Jericho / David Lazarus
BitterSweet
1999
Video
Carl Peckato
Family of Cops III: Under Suspicion
1999
TV Movie
Ben Fein
Diagnosis Murder
1998
TV Series
Det. Reggie Ackroyd
Stranger in My Home
1997
TV Movie
Ned Covington
Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops II
1997
TV Movie
Ben Fein
She Woke Up Pregnant
1996
TV Movie
Dr. Roger Nolton
Double Jeopardy
1996
TV Movie
John Dubroski
Touched by an Angel
1995
TV Series
Zack Bennett
Young at Heart
1995
TV Movie
Mike
The Disappearance of Vonnie
1994
TV Movie
Ron Rickman
Terror in the Night
1994
TV Movie
Lonnie
The Danger of Love: The Carolyn Warmus Story
1992
TV Movie
Michael Carlin
Jake and the Fatman
1987-1992
TV Series
Jake Styles
Matlock
1986-1990
TV Series
Paul Baron
The Operation
1990
TV Movie
Dr. Ed Betters
A Whisper Kills
1988
TV Movie
Dan Walker
Roses Are for the Rich
1987
TV Movie
Lloyd Murphy
Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife
1987
TV Movie
Edward Moran
The Twilight Zone
1986
TV Series
Ricky Frost
Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star
1986
TV Movie
Robert McCay
Riptide
1984-1986
TV Series
Nick Ryder
T.J. Hooker
1983
TV Series
Miles Dickson
Matt Houston
1983
TV Series
Eric Jason
Lottery!
1983
TV Series
Savage in the Orient
1983
TV Movie
Peter Savage
Archie Bunker's Place
1983
TV Series
Rick Baxter
Tucker's Witch
1983
TV Series
Justin St. Peter
Lifepod
1981
Simmons
Gangster Wars
1981
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel
S.O.B.
1981
Officer Phil Buchwald
Bloody Birthday
1981
Mr. Harding
Vega$
1981
TV Series
Nickie Andreas
Flamingo Road
1981
TV Series
Nick Walker
The Gangster Chronicles
1981
TV Mini-Series
Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel
The Gossip Columnist
1980
TV Movie
Paul Cameron
Paris
1980
TV Series
Mike Fitz
Lou Grant
1979
TV Series
Dave Tynan
Samurai
1979
TV Movie
Lee Cantrell
The Girls in the Office
1979
TV Movie
Beau Galloway
Mother, Juggs & Speed
1978
TV Short
Speed
Deathmoon
1978
TV Movie
Rick Bladen
Our Winning Season
1978
Dean Berger
CHiPs
1978
TV Series
Officer Brent Delaney
Forever Fernwood
1977
TV Series
Sal DiVito
Delta County, U.S.A.
1977
TV Movie
Joe Ed
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
TV Series
Brandon
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Riptide
1984
TV Series performer - 2 episodes
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Whatever Happened To?
2010
TV Series
Himself
Intimate Portrait
1999-2001
TV Series documentary
Himself / Narrator
Vicki!
1992
TV Series
Himself
What About Me? I'm Only 3!
1992
TV Movie
Himself
One on One with John Tesh
1991
TV Series
Himself
The Chuck Woolery Show
1991
TV Series
Himself
Ford Super Model of the World 1991
1991
TV Movie
Himself - Host
The Arsenio Hall Show
1990
TV Series
Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1989
TV Series
Himself
The Pat Sajak Show
1989
TV Series
Himself
CBS All-American Thanksgiving Day Parade
1987
TV Special
Himself
Star's Table
1986
TV Series
Himself
The Richard Lewis 'I'm in Pain' Concert
1985
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Witness
The NBC All Star Hour
1985
TV Movie
Himself
Our Time
1985
TV Series
Himself
Today
1985
TV Series
Himself
Hour Magazine
1985
TV Series
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1993
TV Prize
Aftonbladet TV Prize, Sweden
Best Foreign TV Personality - Male (Bästa utländska man)