# Joe Penny

Joseph Edward Penny Jr. (born June 24, 1956) is a retired American actor best known for his roles as Nick Ryder on the detective series Riptide from 1984 to 1986, and as Jake Styles in the CBS television series Jake and the Fatman from 1987 to 1992.

## Biography
### Early life

Penny was born in Uxbridge, London to an American father, Joseph Edward Penny Sr., and an Italian mother, Anne Teresa Rita Cox. He was brought up in Marietta, Georgia, United States. After his parents divorced, he moved to California with his mother. He attended Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California, where he played football and basketball.

### Career

Starting with a minor role on Forever Fernwood in 1977, Penny has appeared in numerous TV films and television series, including in major roles on Riptide and Jake and the Fatman. He has also made many guest appearances on television shows including Touched by an Angel, T. J. Hooker, Vega$, Matt Houston, Lou Grant, CHiPs, Flamingo Road, The Sopranos, Diagnosis: Murder, Matlock, Walker, Texas Ranger, Archie Bunker's Place, 7th Heaven, Tucker's Witch, Boomtown, The Gangster Chronicles, and CSI. In 2005, he co-starred with Lea Thompson in the mystery series Jane Doe on the Hallmark Channel.

## Filmography
### Feature films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Our Winning Season | Dean Berger | |
| 1981 | Bloody Birthday | Mr. Harding | |
| 1981 | S.O.B. | Officer Phil Buchwald | |
| 1981 | Gangster Wars | Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel | |
| 1981 | Lifepod | G.W. Simmons | |
| 1999 | BitterSweet | Carl Peckato | Direct-to-video |
| 1999 | Jack of Hearts | Arden Cook | |
| 2000 | The Prophet's Game | Walter Motter | |
| 2001 | The Little Unicorn | Tiny | Direct-to-video |
| 2016 | The Last Night Inn | Sam | |

### Television films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | Delta County, U.S.A. | Joe Ed | |
| 1978 | Deathmoon | Rick Bladen | |
| 1979 | The Girls in the Office | Beau Galloway | |
| 1980 | The Gossip Columnist | Paul Cameron | |
| 1986 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star | Robert McCay | |
| 1987 | Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife | Edward Moran | |
| 1987 | Roses Are for the Rich | Lloyd Murphy | |
| 1988 | A Whisper Kills | Dan Walker | |
| 1990 | The Operation | Dr. Ed Betters | |
| 1992 | The Danger of Love: The Carolyn Warmus Story | Michael Carlin | |
| 1994 | Terror in the Night | Lonnie Carter | |
| 1994 | The Disappearance of Vonnie | Ron Rickman | |
| 1995 | Young at Heart | Michael Garaventi | |
| 1996 | Double Jeopardy | John Dubroski | |
| 1996 | She Woke Up Pregnant | Dr. Roger Nolton | |
| 1997 | Family of Cops II | Ben Fein | |
| 1997 | Stranger in My Home | Ned Covington | |
| 1999 | Family of Cops III: Under Suspicion | Ben Fein | |
| 2002 | Two Against Time | George Tomich | |
| 2002 | The Red Phone: Manhunt | Jack Darrow | |
| 2003 | The Red Phone: Checkmate | Jack Darrow | |
| 2005 | Vanishing Act | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2005 | Now You See It, Now You Don't | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2005 | Til Death Do Us Part | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2005 | The Wrong Face | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2006 | Yes, I Remember It Well | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2006 | The Harder They Fall | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2007 | Ties That Bind | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2007 | Reign of the Gargoyles | Major John Gustafson | |
| 2007 | How To Fire Your Boss | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2008 | Eye of the Beholder | Frank Darnell | Jane Doe (film series) |
| 2011 | Betrayed at 17 | John Taylor | |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Brandon | Episode: "The Mystery of Pirate's Cove" |
| 1977 | Forever Fernwood | Sal DiVito | 8 episodes |
| 1978 | CHiPs | Officer Brent Delaney | Episode: "Flashback!" |
| 1978 | Mother, Juggs & Speed | Speed | TV pilot episode |
| 1979 | Samurai | Lee Cantrell | TV pilot episode |
| 1979 | Lou Grant | Dave Tynan | Episode: "Cop" |
| 1980 | Paris | Mike Fitz | Episode: "Fitz's Boys" |
| 1980 | Homefront | Rocco Spinelli | TV pilot episode |
| 1981 | The Gangster Chronicles | Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel | 13 episodes |
| 1981 | Flamingo Road | Nick Walker | Episode: "The Hostages" (Parts 1 & 2) |
| 1981 | Vega$ | Nickie Andreas | Episode: "The Andreas Addiction" |
| 1983 | Tucker's Witch | Justin St. Peter | Episode: "Dye Job" |
| 1983 | Archie Bunker's Place | Rick Baxter | Episode: "I'm Torn Here" |
| 1983 | Savage: In the Orient | Det. Peter Savage | TV pilot episode |
| 1983 | Lottery! | Douglas Matson | Episode: "Denver: Following Through" |
| 1983 | Matt Houston | Eric Jason | Episode: "The Centerfold Murders" |
| 1983 | T.J. Hooker | Miles Dickson | Episode: "The Cheerleader Murder" |
| 1984–1986 | Riptide | Nick Ryder | 56 episodes |
| 1986–1990 | Matlock | Paul Baron | 3 episodes |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Ricky Frost | Episode: "The Convict's Piano" |
| 1987–1992 | Jake and the Fatman | Det. Jake Styles | 106 episodes |
| 1995 | Touched by an Angel | Zack Bennett | Episode: "Trust" |
| 1998 | Diagnosis: Murder | Det. Reggie Ackroyd | Episode: "The Last Resort" |
| 1999 | Twice in a Lifetime | Flash Jericho / David Lazarus | Episode: "Blood Brothers" |
| 1999 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Sonny Tantero | Episode: "Suspicious Minds" |
| 2000 | Chicken Soup for the Soul | David | Episode: "The Surprise" |
| 2000 | The Sopranos | Victor Musto | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Boomtown | Les Van Buren | Episode: "Insured by Smith & Wesson" |
| 2003 | 7th Heaven | Nick | Episode: "Baggage" |
| 2005 | Threshold | Robert Sprague | Episode: "Shock" |
| 2007 | Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss | Frank | Hallmark Movie |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Jack Oakley | Episode: "The Good, the Bad and the Dominatrix" |
| 2008 | Days of Our Lives | Martino Vitali | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | CSI: Miami | Travis Drake | Episode: "Wrecking Crew" |
| 2009–2010 | Cold Case | Hank Butler | 3 episodes |