Sydney Penny
ON SOAP OPERA DIGEST AND WEEKLY ONLINE
SOAP STAR STATS
Sydney Penny (ex-Julia, AMC)
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— ABC
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Vital Statistics
- Birthdate:
- August 7
- Years on Show:
- 1993-96; 2002; 2005-2008
- Marital Status:
- Wed artist Robert Powers on September 30, 1995
- Children:
- Gave birth to son, Chasen August Powers on May 31, 2007
- Siblings:
- Has two older brothers, Greg and Bill, and two older sisters, Patricia and Sandra
- Awards:
- For AMC, she took home a 1996 Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Romance (with Keith Hamilton Cobb, ex-Noah). She has been nominated for two Daytime Emmys: in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress as AMC's Julia, and in 1993 as Outstanding Younger Actress for B.J. on SANTA BARBARA
THE 411
The youngest of five children born to country music performers Shari and Hank Penny (Hank passed away in 1992), Sydney Penny was born in Nashville and brought up outside of L.A. She made her stage debut at the age of 3, spontaneously performing in the middle of her father's act. By the age of 10, she was a full-fledged, working actress; one of her earliest projects was the smash-hit miniseries THE THORN BIRDS, with Richard Chamberlain.
Penny launched her daytime career on SANTA BARBARA in 1992, playing the on-screen daughter of Kim Zimmer (ex-Jodie; Reva, GUIDING LIGHT) and A Martinez (Cruz) and the love interest of Warren, played by Jack Wagner (Nick, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL). The actress earned an Emmy nod for her portrayal of B.J. Walker, a sexual abuse survivor. After SB was canceled, AMC enticed her to move to New York by creating the role of Julia for her. She didn't relocate alone — her now-hubby, Robert Powers, whom she met when he was working as a coordinating producer on SB, moved with her. (One of her relatives through her marriage to Powers is none other than original AS THE WORLD TURNS cast member Helen Wagner, Nancy.)
The interracial romance between Latina Julia (Penny, by the way, is French, Scottish, Irish, English and Cherokee) and African-American Noah gave Penny her first genuine taste of soap superstardom. But after three years in Pine Valley, Penny felt an itch to do new projects and exited the show in 1996. When she and Powers moved back to California, stints in prime-time (she was a regular on the short-lived HYPERION BAY and had a recurring role on BEVERLY HILLS, 90210) and on the internationally syndicated LARGO WINCH followed. She returned to her soap roots in 1999, pinch-hitting for Susan Ward as Meg on SUNSET BEACH for several months while Ward was filming a movie.
Although AMC hoped to lure Penny back to the show in 2002, when on-screen sister Eva La Rue returned as Maria, she turned them down, as she and Powers were renovating their L.A. home (although she did put in a two-day appearance). BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL made her an offer she couldn't refuse, and she remained there for a while before deciding in 2005 that the timing was right for a longer-term commitment to AMC. So, she and Powers sold their home and relocated back to New York, where Penny enjoys sampling different restaurants and museums, as well as playing tennis. Also on her list of goals? Mastering the trapeze.
ET CETERA
—Penny credits yoga with deepening her voice.
—Penny's middle name is Margaret.
—Her first kiss was with Rick Schroder, in a scene from TWO KINDS OF LOVE.
—She speaks Spanish, French and Italian.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Other Soap Roles
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL (Samantha Kelly, 2003-05)
BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 (Josie, 2000)
SUNSET BEACH (Meg Cummings, 1999, temporary replacement for Susan Ward)
HYPERION BAY (Jennifer, 1998)
SANTA BARBARA (B.J. Walker, 1992-93)
TV Roles
LARGO WINCH (Joy, 2001)
THE LOVE BOAT: THE NEXT WAVE (Juliette, 1998)
HEARTS ADRIFT (Maxine, 1996)
CHILDREN OF DARKNESS, CHILD OF LIGHT (Margaret, 1991)
LA CIOCIARA (Rosetta, 1988)
THE NEW GIDGET (Dani, 1986-88)
NEWS AT ELEVEN (Melissa, 1986)
THE TWILIGHT ZONE (Mary, 1986)
THE FOURTH WISE MAN (Shameir, 1985)
GETTING PHYSICAL (Ramona, 1984)
ST. ELSEWHERE (Melissa, 1983)
TWO KINDS OF LOVE (Elizabeth, 1983)
T.J. HOOKER (Katie, 1983)
THE THORN BIRDS (Young Meggie, 1983)
THE CAPTURE OF GRIZZLY ADAMS (Peg, 1982)
FAME (Susan, 1982)
THE PATRICIA NEAL STORY (Tessa, 1981)
THROUGH THE MAGIC PYRAMID (Princess Ankelsen, 1981)
DEAR TEACHER (Gloria, 1981)
THE BIG STUFFED DOG (Lily, 1981)
THE NIGHT RIDER (Melissa, 1979)
Film Roles
Enchanted (Natalie, 1998)
The Pawn (Megan, 1998)
Pale Rider (Megan, 1985)
MEMORABLE QUOTES
"It was very emotional yesterday, with people saying, 'Welcome home.'" — on her return to the AMC studios, Soap Opera Digest, 8/2/05
"I crave progress, growth and change like some people crave chocolate." — Digest, 10/19/99
"I think you ... get to a point where you're belittling the experience, trivializing it for sensationalism." — on the number of female characters on daytime who are raped, Soap Opera Weekly, 10/8/96
