Joseph Edward Penny Jr. is an English-born 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 television series Jake and the Fatman from 1987 to 1992. Starting with a minor role on Forever Fernwood in 1977, Penny has appeared in numerous TV films and television series, including 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

• 2011Betrayed at 17 — John Taylor
• 2008Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder — Frank Darnell
• 2007Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss — Frank Darnell
• 2007Jane Doe: Ties That Bind — Frank Darnell
• 2007Reign of the Gargoyles — Gus
• 2006Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall — Frank Darnell
• 2006Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well — Frank Darnell
• 2005Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't — Frank Darnell
• 2005Jane Doe: The Wrong Face — Frank Darnell
• 2005Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part — Frank Darnell
• 2005Jane Doe: Vanishing Act — Frank Darnell
• Threshold
• 2004The Red Phone: Checkmate — Darrow
• Cold Case — Hank Butler
• Boomtown — Les Van Buren
• CSI: Miami — Travis Drake
• 2002The Little Unicorn — Tiny
• 2002Two Against Time — George Tomich
• 2001The Red Phone: Manhunt — Jack Darrow
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Jack Oakley
• 2000Jack of Hearts — Arden Cook
• 2000The Prophet's Game — Walter Motter
• 1999BitterSweet — Carl Peckato
• Chicken Soup for the Soul
• 1999Family of Cops III: Under Suspicion — Ben Fein
• The Sopranos — Victor Musto
• Twice in a Lifetime — Flash Jericho / David Lazarus
• 1997Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops II — Ben Fein
• 1997Stranger in My Home — Ned Covington
• 7th Heaven — Nick
• 1996Double Jeopardy — John Dubroski
• 1996She Woke Up Pregnant — Dr. Roger Nolton
• 1995Young at Heart — Mike
• 1994Terror in the Night — Lonnie
• 1994The Disappearance of Vonnie — Ron Rickman
• Touched by an Angel — Zack Bennett
• Diagnosis: Murder — Det. Tanis Archer
• Walker, Texas Ranger — Sonny Tantero
• 1992The Danger of Love: The Carolyn Warmus Story — Michael Carlin
• 1990The Operation — Ed Betters
• 1988Whisper Kill — Dan Walker
• 1987Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife — Edward Moran
• Jake and the Fatman — Jake Styles
• 1987Roses Are for the Rich — Lloyd Murphy
• Roses Are for the Rich — Lloyd Murphy
• Matlock — Paul Baron
• 1986Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star — Robert McCay
• 1985The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
• The Twilight Zone
• Riptide — Nick Ryder
• Lottery!
• Matt Houston — Eric Jason
• T. J. Hooker — Miles Dickson
• Tucker's Witch
• 1981Bloody Birthday — Mr. Harding
• Flamingo Road
• 1981Gangster Wars — Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel
• 1981Lifepod — Simmons
• 1981S.O.B. — Officer Phil Buchwald
• The Gangster Chronicles — Ben Siegel
• 1980The Gossip Columnist — Paul Cameron
• Archie Bunker's Place
• Paris
• 1979Samurai — Lee Cantrell
• 1979The Girls in the Office — Beau Galloway
• 1978Deathmoon — Rick Bladen
• 1978Our Winning Season — Dean Berger
• Vega$
• CHiPs — Officer Brent Delaney
• 1977Delta County, USA — Joe Ed
• Forever Fernwood
• Lou Grant
• The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries

Appearances as themselves (1)

• 1985Richard Lewis: I'm In Pain — Self