Prentice Penny (born December 1, 1973) is an American producer, writer and director. He is best known as the showrunner for the HBO series Insecure. He is the writer and director of the Netflix film Uncorked, and the creator and host of Upscale with Prentice Penny. He is also known as a writer and producer of the series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Hustle, and Scrubs.
Prentice Penny | |
|---|---|
 Prentice Penny in 2017 | |
| Born | December 1, 1973 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2005 - Present |
| Parent | Brenda J. Penny[1] |
Early life
editPenny grew up in the Windsor Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles.[2] His father ran a furniture business started by his grandfather in Compton.[3] His mother, Brenda J. Penny, is a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.[1] He graduated in 1995 from the University of Southern California's screenwriting program, where he was a member of the African American Cinema Association.[4][5] He worked as a substitute teacher before getting his first writing job in television.[6]
Career
editPenny began his professional career as a writer's trainee on the show Girlfriends where he eventually became a staff writer.[7] He moved on to work as a writer and co-producer on the series Do Not Disturb, where he was the only Black writer.[8] He co-produced the series Scrubs before gaining his first producer credit on the series Breaking In. In 2013 he joined The Hustle as executive producer, then joined Brooklyn Nine-Nine as a co-executive producer and writer. In 2017 he created, produced and starred in the series Upscale with Prentice Penny, a lifestyle series focusing on conscious consumption.[6] In 2016 he became the showrunner for HBO's Insecure, a role he has maintained for all of its seasons. In 2020 Insecure was nominated for eight Emmy Awards for its fourth season, including for Outstanding Comedy Series.[9]
In March 2020, his first feature film Uncorked, a father/son story of an African-American man attempting to become a sommelier, premiered on Netflix.[10]
As of July 2020, Penny had several new projects in the works. He will be partnering with Chernin Entertainment and Netflix to direct a holiday film, the idea for which came from Penny and his wife. He said, "When my wife Tasha and I came up with the idea, we felt that African-American movies centered around Christmas never got to play in the same ‘magical’ sandbox that traditionally white movies do, like The Santa Clause or Elf. We wanted to see images of ourselves portrayed in this genre and create a movie that black families could enjoy having themselves represented in for generations." He is also working with HBO to develop two new series: The Untamed, a culturally diverse epic fantasy based on a series of comic books set in the Asunda universe; and queens, a show set in New York City and focusing on the lives of immigrant women.[11]
In 2021, Penny partnered with comedian Sam Jay to create PAUSE with Sam Jay for HBO, where he serves as executive producer. It was renewed in 2021 for a second season.[12] It is confirmed that Penny will have an overall deal with Onyx Collective.[13]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Uncorked | Director/Writer |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | See It Loud: The History Of Black Television | commentator | |
| 2021 | PAUSE with Sam Jay | Executive Producer | |
| 2016-2021 | Insecure | Executive Producer | |
| 2017 | Upscale with Prentice Penny | Executive Producer | |
| 2013-2015 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Consulting Producer | co-executive producer - 21 episodes, 2013 - 2014 |
| 2013 | The Hustle | Executive Producer | writer - 1 episode |
| 2011-2013 | Happy Endings | Producer | writer - 6 episodes |
| 2009-2010 | Scrubs | Co-Producer | writer - 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Do Not Disturb | Co-Producer | writer - 1 episode |
| 2005-2008 | Girlfriends | Writer | writer - 6 episodes |
Personal life
editPenny is married to attorney Tasha Penny, whom he met in college at the University of Southern California. They have three children.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b Gardner, Chris (12 February 2021). "Twitter Users Go Wild as 'Insecure' Showrunner Prentice Penny Reveals Mother as Judge in Britney Spears Conservatorship". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ Kimble, Julian (March 27, 2020). "How to Stay Black and Still Win In Hollywood, According to Director Prentice Penny". Medium.
- ^ Benardello, Karen (April 19, 2020). "Interview: Prentice Penny Talks Uncorked (Exclusive)".
- ^ Krieger, Diane (3 March 2016). "The USC Clique Makes Hollywood Feel Like Home". USC News.
- ^ Bahrap, Lindsey (March 29, 2020). "Prentice Penny puts a fresh spin on wine films in 'Uncorked'".
- ^ a b Saraiya, Sonia (March 20, 2017). "'Insecure' Showrunner Prentice Penny on Being in Front of the Camera for His Unscripted Series 'Upscale'".
- ^ "SECRET-KEEPING WITH PRENTICE PENNY". The Scribist.
- ^ "Exclusive: Insecure Showrunner Prentice Penny On Directing His First Feature 'Uncorked'". March 31, 2020.
- ^ "After Emmys nod, 'Insecure' showrunner calls for Hollywood to step up representation". KCRW. 8 August 2020.
- ^ Nemiroff, Perri (March 27, 2020). "'Uncorked': Prentice Penny Explains Why He Almost Wrote a Story About Opera Instead of Wine". Collider.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2020-07-16). "Prentice Penny Sets Next Directorial Feature With Netflix & Chernin Entertainment". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "'Pause with Sam Jay' Renewed for Season 2". July 29, 2021.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (2021-08-02). "Prentice Penny Inks Multi-Year Overall Deal With Disney's Onyx Collective". Variety. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- ^ Porter, Lauren (2017-03-30). "3 Reasons 'Insecure' Showrunner Prentice Penny And His Wife's Love Story Wins". Essence. Retrieved 2020-09-02.