The Tragic Death Of Actor Bob Penny

Actor Bob Penny tragically died on December 25 at age 87, adding another name to the list of celebrity deaths that fans are mourning in 2022. No cause of death was given in his obituary published by AL.com, which listed his place of residence as Huntsville, Alabama.

Penny was a character actor capable of leaving a big impression on viewers with little material. In the late '80s, he began landing bit roles in television series and movies including "Mississippi Burning," "Fried Green Tomatoes," and "My Cousin Vinny." He's also credited as a "crony" in the 1994 Tom Hanks classic "Forrest Gump," and in the 2002 romantic comedy "Sweet Home Alabama," his attorney character, Wallace Buford, played an important role in the film's climatic wedding scene. On Facebook, many fans remembered how he interrupted the event to inform Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) that she hadn't signed her divorce papers from her previous marriage. "All I can hear is 'Miss Carmichael! Miss Carmichael!'" wrote one fan. "Poor guy had to chase down Reese for days," another message read.

In 2008, Penny told AL.com that his acting career began with a commercial for a department store. At the recommendation of a friend, he sought more acting work through a talent agency in Atlanta, and he eventually graduated from ads to film. "I was really lucky. I had these very small roles, but they sure helped pay the mortgage," he said. By the time he appeared in "Forrest Gump," he'd already retired from a different career.

For two decades before Bob Penny's acting career took off, he was employed in a different profession. According to his AL.com obituary, he worked as a professor, teaching poetry and prose at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. While Penny did spend part of his early life in sweet home Alabama, he also lived in North Carolina before pursuing higher education and returning to Alabama to teach. He was honored with the Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Excellence on Classroom Teaching in 1974, and he penned an award-winning book of poetry titled "Prologues to Home."

Penny left quite the impression on some of his students, who remembered him fondly on Facebook. "I took one of his classes and enjoyed it tremendously. Dr. Penny was a funny and kind instructor. He kept everyone interested in his class. Never a dull moment," read one message. "He was such a fun and unique college professor to have for a class," another person wrote. "He was my favorite professor during college."

Penny also performed on the stage, entertaining audiences at the Birmingham Festival Theatre in productions such as "The Odd Couple." Theater board chairwoman Rhonda Erbrick told KARE 11 that he was a consummate professional who put his utmost effort into his performances, adding, "[He] is and was always an actor and a joy to be around."