Sydney Penny

Sydney Penny is an American actress who started as a child performer in made-for-television movies and later became known for soap opera roles. Born in Nashville and raised in Chatsworth, California, she first sang at a concert given by her father, bandleader and comedian Hank Penny. Her early television work included The Night Rider (1979), and she won a Young Artist Award for her portrayal of Young Meggie Cleary in The Thorn Birds (1983). She made her big screen debut as Megan Wheeler in Clint Eastwood's Western Pale Rider (1985), earning another Young Artist Award. Penny starred in the sitcom The New Gidget from 1986 to 1988, played Bernadette Soubirous in Bernadette (1988) and The Passion of Bernadette (1990), and appeared on Santa Barbara and All My Children, receiving Daytime Emmy nominations for both. Later series included Hyperion Bay and Largo Winch, along with guest roles on Pretty Little Liars and Drop Dead Diva.