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    Joe Penny headshot

    Joe Penny

    Actor·Born 1956·Active 2005–2008
    View on IMDbView on TMDB

    Career at a glance

    8Hallmark films

    Audience rating6.2 / 10

    across 8 rated films

    Weirdness3.5 / 10

    Mostly standard issue

    Best reviewed

    Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder6.3

    Joe Penny did not float between projects so much as settle into one. All eight of his films here are the same job, a tight run from 2005 to 2008 with the exact same faces every time. William R. Moses, Zack Shada, Lea Thompson and Jessy Schram each share all eight with him, which makes this a true ensemble rather than a string of one-off gigs. The work lives in the big city, never under any holiday snow, and it plays things straight rather than chasing the strange. The high points are the Jane Doe mysteries, with Eye of the Beholder and The Wrong Face both landing at 6.3, a hair above his 6.2 average. If you like a familiar cast solving a case in town, this is a steady little corner of the catalog to sink into.

    Follow & about Joe

    From
    London
    Joseph Edward Penny Jr. is a retired American actor best known for his roles as Nick Ryder on Riptide from 1984 to 1986, and as Jake Styles in Jake and the Fatman from 1987 to 1992.
    From Wikipedia

    Joe’s signature

    Across 8 films, Joe usually plays a police officer and is usually set in the big city.

    • the big city5 films
    • a police officer4 films
    • mistaken identity3 films

    8 films

    Joe has shared more Hallmark sets with Lea Thompson than with anyone else.

    8 films, one enduring on-screen pairing.

    Known for

    Jane Doe: Vanishing Act poster
    Jane Doe: Vanishing Act6.1

    as Frank Darnell · 2005

    Weirdness 3/10

    Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part poster
    Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part6.2

    as Frank Darnell · 2005

    Weirdness 3/10

    Jane Doe: The Wrong Face poster
    Jane Doe: The Wrong Face6.3

    as Frank Darnell · 2005

    Weirdness 4/10

    Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well poster
    Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well6.1

    as Frank Darnell · 2006

    Weirdness 3/10

    Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss poster
    Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss6.2

    as Frank Darnell · 2007

    Weirdness 7/10

    Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder poster
    Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder6.3

    as Frank Darnell · 2008

    Weirdness 3/10

    On-screen partners

    Lea Thompson headshot
    On-screen couple

    Joe’s most frequent on-screen partner is Lea Thompson, with 8 films together — top-billed alongside each other in 6 of them.

    • Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder (2008)·
    • Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss (2007)·
    • Jane Doe: Ties That Bind (2007)·
    • Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall (2006)·
    • Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well (2006)·
    • Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part (2005)·
    • Jane Doe: The Wrong Face (2005)·
    • Jane Doe: Vanishing Act (2005)
    • Jessy Schram8
    • William R. Moses8
    • Zack Shada8

    Recurring roles

    Joe is a recurring face in Jane Doe.

    • Jane Doe8 films

    All 8 movies

    Newest first

    2000s

    8 films
    • 2008Jane Doe: Eye of the BeholderActor as Frank Darnell · Misunderstanding6.3Weird 3/10
    • 2007Jane Doe: How to Fire Your BossActor as Frank Darnell · Big City6.2Weird 7/10
    • 2007Jane Doe: Ties That BindActor as Frank Darnell · Big City6.0Weird 3/10
    • 2006Jane Doe: The Harder They FallActor as Frank Darnell · Big City6.3Weird 2/10
    • 2006Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It WellActor as Frank Darnell · Big City6.1Weird 3/10
    • 2005Jane Doe: The Wrong FaceActor as Frank Darnell · Big City6.3Weird 4/10
    • 2005Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us PartActor as Frank Darnell · Big City6.2Weird 3/10
    • 2005Jane Doe: Vanishing ActActor as Frank Darnell · Suburb6.1Weird 3/10

    Joe’s standouts

    • Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder poster
      Highest ratedJane Doe: Eye of the Beholder (2008)

      Best-reviewed of the 8, at 6.3/10

      6.3
    • Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss poster
      WeirdestJane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss (2007)

      The strangest of the bunch — 7/10 on our weirdness scale

      6.2

    In pictures

    A quick look at Joe’s Hallmark run — headshot and the posters fans know best.

    • Joe Penny headshotJoe Penny
    • Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder poster
    • Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss poster
    • Jane Doe: Ties That Bind poster
    • Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall poster
    • Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well poster
    • Jane Doe: The Wrong Face poster
    • Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part poster
    • Jane Doe: Vanishing Act poster

    Joe’s creative circle

    Most directed by

    • James A. Contner3 films
    • Armand Mastroianni2 films
    • Lea Thompson2 films

    Most written by

    • Dean Hargrove8 films
    • Ethlie Ann Vare5 films
    • Stephen Niver5 films
    • Adam Armus2 films
    • Nora Kay Foster2 films

    Who Joe works with

    The cast and crew Joe keeps ending up on set with — the regular faces you’ll recognise from one film to the next.

    Joe Penny's most frequent co-stars, sized by shared filmsJessy Schram: 8 films togetherJessy Schram8 filmsLea Thompson: 8 films togetherLea Thompson8 filmsWilliam R. Moses: 8 films togetherWilliam R. Moses8 filmsZack Shada: 8 films togetherZack Shada8 films

    Movies by year

    Joe Penny Hallmark movies by release year32005220062200712008

    Ratings profile

    Average 6.2 across 8 rated movies — each dot is one film.

    Rating distribution for this filmography1510mean 6.2Jane Doe: Ties That Bind: 6.0Jane Doe: Yes, I Remember It Well: 6.1Jane Doe: Vanishing Act: 6.1Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss: 6.2Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part: 6.2Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder: 6.3Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall: 6.3Jane Doe: The Wrong Face: 6.3

    People also ask

    How many Hallmark movies has Joe Penny been in?
    We have 8 Hallmark movies on file for Joe Penny, spanning 2005–2008.
    What kind of Hallmark movies is Joe Penny known for?
    Joe is best known for romances set in the big city, often with mistaken identity.
    What is Joe Penny's highest-rated Hallmark movie?
    Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder (2008) is Joe's best-reviewed Hallmark film, with a 6.3/10 audience rating.
    What is Joe Penny's most popular Hallmark movie?
    Jane Doe: Vanishing Act (2005) has more audience votes than any other Joe Penny Hallmark film, so it's the one most people have actually seen.
    Who does Joe Penny usually star with?
    Joe's most frequent on-screen partner is Lea Thompson — the two have led 8 films together as a Hallmark romantic pairing.
    Is Joe Penny still making Hallmark movies?
    The newest Joe Hallmark credit we have is from 2008; nothing later has turned up yet.
    What was Joe Penny's first Hallmark movie?
    The earliest Joe Hallmark title we have is Jane Doe: Vanishing Act (2005).
    Where is Joe Penny from?
    Joe is from London.
    What does Joe Penny do in Hallmark movies?
    Joe Penny works on Hallmark films as actor.

    Data & sources

    Joe’s filmography, credits and ratings are compiled from IMDb, TMDB and Wikipedia, then checked and tidied by the Talking Hallmark team. Last updated June 2026.

    Catalogue curated by Alanna of Talking Hallmark. About the project

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