Joe Penny

The Detective of the Pink Helicopter

Joe Penny was born in London but grew up with the sun of Georgia and California on his skin. He didn't seek the spotlight out of some divine calling. His entry into the industry was actually the result of an imposing physique mixed with a kind of magnetic indifference that matched what casting directors wanted in the 1970s.

He studied with Lee Strasberg in New York. That training gave him a technical foundation many of his contemporaries lacked. Before becoming a familiar face on television, he had to pay his dues in minor roles in forgotten productions and commercials.

Then came the chance to play a mobster.

In 1981, he played Benjamin Siegel in The Gangster Chronicles. It was demanding work. Penny managed to capture the contained violence of a real criminal without falling into the caricature of the neighborhood thug. But the series did not have the commercial run it had hoped for and was canceled after a single season.

'80s television needed heroes with open shirts. In 1984, the premiere of Riptide launched him to massive stardom alongside Perry King and Thom Bray. He played Nick Ryder, a Vietnam veteran turned private detective who operated from a boat at the King Harbor docks.

The series ran for three seasons and 56 episodes. It was the engine that allowed him to negotiate six-figure contracts at a time when cable had not yet dominated the market. But Penny didn't want to be just the handsome guy in the office. He was looking for something with more dramatic weight.

Audiences adored him.

Hawaii and the Pounds of William Conrad

In 1987, he accepted the role of Jake Styles in Jake and the Fatman. The chemistry with William Conrad was odd, but it worked because they represented opposite sides of the law. They filmed in Hawaii for a time and then returned to California for budget and production logistics reasons.

Penny suffered health problems during the filming of this series. He suddenly lost a lot of weight, and the tabloids began speculating about serious illnesses. These were simply rumors. In reality, the pace of work was exhausting, and the actor was getting barely four hours of sleep a day to keep up with CBS's filming schedule.

After the series ended in 1992, his workload slowed down. It was not a free fall. He simply decided he didn't need to be on every magazine cover. During the 1990s, he appeared in suspense TV movies and brief guest spots in shows such as Touched by an Angel and Walker, Texas Ranger.

In 2005, he regained visibility thanks to the Jane Doe movie series. He shared the screen with Lea Thompson, playing Frank Darnell. These were productions designed for quick viewing on the Hallmark channel, but they kept a loyal audience that remembered his glory years in prime time.

The industry changed, and he adapted without making a fuss.

Because the studio system no longer sought that kind of classic leading man, Penny found refuge in episodic roles on procedural franchises. In 2007 he appeared in CSI: Miami, and in 2008 he took part in CSI: NY, playing characters who leaned into his maturity and stern gaze.

His last credited appearance in a long-running production was in 2010 on Days of Our Lives. He played a character named Martino Vitali for fewer than ten episodes. Since then, his public appearances have been scarce and almost always tied to conventions for classic TV fans.

In 2016, he appeared in the short film The Last Night at Grandma’s House. It was a minor project that barely received commercial distribution outside the independent festival circuit. He currently lives away from the major Los Angeles studios and maintains his residence in Southern California.