Sydney Penny

Biography

Sydney Penny is probably best known for playing "Julia Santos" on ABC Television's daytime drama, All My Children (1970). She made her first appearance on the soap opera in September 1993. She received critical acclaim for her performance as young "Meggie" in the hit ABC miniseries, The Thorn Birds (1983). She played the popular role of "B.J. Walker" in the daytime serial, Santa Barbara (1984), and earned herself an Emmy nomination. In 1995, Sydney received an Emmy nomination for her work on All My Children (1970) and a Soap Opera Award nomination. Sydney's entrance into show business came early. Her parents, country and western entertainers Hank Penny and Shari Penny, took their daughter to many of their performances. On one occasion -- and without prompting -- Sydney, just three-and-a-half years old, jumped up on stage and sang her own composition, "My Little Pony". Three years later, Sydney landed her first paying gig -- a toy commercial. Sydney's long list of credits include a co-starring role in the syndicated television series, The New Gidget (1986) and roles in the movies, Pale Rider (1985), with Clint Eastwood; Running Away (1989) (a/k/a "Running Away") with Sophia Loren, and the French film, Bernadette (1988). In addition, she has made guest appearances on a variety of prime-time shows, including the short-lived Jack's Place (1992), The Twilight Zone (1985), and St. Elsewhere (1982). Off camera, Sydney enjoys horseback riding, cooking and has "a passion for anything to do with the era of the 1930s and 1940s".