Joe Penny Married, Wife, Children, Net Worth, Is He Gay?

Quick Facts

Joseph Edward Penny Jr. popularly known by the stage name Joe Penny is an Italian/English-born American actor who starred as Nick Ryder on the detective TV series Riptide which aired on NBC from January 1984 to  August 1986. He also appeared as Jake Styles on CBS’ 1987 TV series – Jake and the Fatman.

Penny was born on 24th June 1956 in Uxbridge, London to an American father and an Italian mother. He spent part of his early years in Marietta, Georgia before moving over to California with his mom after his parents got a divorce. He has one brother, six sisters and three half-sisters.

Penny attended Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. While in school, he played basketball and football. Owing to this, many imagined he would end up as a sportsman. This didn’t happen as Joe pursued a career in acting.

The Beginning of His Acting Career

Before Penny went fully into acting, he did several odd jobs which included washing postal trucks, serving as a crew foreman and washing dishes.

Haven studied acting under the Lee Strasberg, Joe Penny began his career at the age of 21, appearing on minor roles before his major breakthrough came in 1984 when he starred in Riptide and subsequently in Jake and the Fatman. It is said that he was sick of the sea during the filming of Riptide.

Joe has remained active in the industry ever since. In 2005, he starred on Hallmark Channel mystery series Jane Doe alongside Lea Thompson and as Sam in 2016’s film The Last Night Inn.

Between 1977 and 2005, Penny has made guest appearances on several TV series and shows like Matt Houston, Touched by an Angel, The Gangster Chronicles, CSI, Flamingo Road, Tucker’s Witch, Boomtown, The Sopranos, Texas Ranger, 7th Heaven, Archie Bunker’s Place and lots more.

Asked in an interview about the best acting advice he has ever received and how he applied it, Joe disclosed that it was to know his job and not fake it and that as simple as it sounds, applying it has helped it tremendously. He added that those who gave him the advice were Robert Mitchum, William Holden, and Lee Marvin.

Also See: 

Net Worth – How Rich Is Joe Penny?

Since the man became popular, it is common to come across people wondering how large the wealth he has accumulated from his acting endeavours is. This has led to the quoting of different figures as the value of his wealth by various sources.

Now, irrespective of the fact that details of his earnings and investment portfolio are unknown, it has been widely assumed that the actor is worth $500,000.

Is He Gay? 

Rumours about Penny being gay made headlines back in the days when he was unmarried and wasn’t linked to anyone romantically. The gossips and speculations about his sexual orientation ended after he got into a relationship and eventually got married to his heartthrob over a decade ago.

So, no, Penny is not gay and his sexual orientation is straight.

 Married, Wife and Children

Penny married Cindy M. in 2004. After being together for a long time, the couple tied the knot in a private ceremony attended by few friends and family members. Penny and Cindy are really very private people, they are rarely seen in public except during red carpet events. Not so much information is available about his wife.

Although the couple is yet to have any child(ren), they are very happy together as their marriage has been free of scandals, rumours of divorce and extra-marital affairs.

Before his marriage to Cindy, Penny was romantically linked to Melissa Gilbert but it turned out to be nothing more than the on-screen matchup. Joe and Melissa only starred as a couple in the 1987 crime drama film – Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife.

Apart from Melissa, his other on-screen matchups include Kim Zimmer in The Disappearance of Vonnie, Kathleen Quinlan in The Operation, Jenny Robertson in The Danger of Love: The Carolyn Warmus Story and Brittany Murphy in Double Jeopardy.

Quick Facts About Mr Penny

Full Name: Joseph Edward Penny Jr.

Date of Birth: 24 June 1956

Place of Birth: Uxbridge, London

Nationality: American

Zodiac Sign: Cancer.

Ethnicity: American- Italian

Education: Marina High School

Marital Status: Married

Spouse: Cindy M. Penny

Children: None

Hair Colour: Dark brown

Eye Colour: Blue-green

Body measurement: Unknown

Height: 6’0  (1.83 meters)

Weight:  86 kg

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.