Bob Penny

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama actor who played small roles in movies including “Forrest Gump” and “Sweet Home Alabama” has died at age 87.

He played a bumbling, small-town lawyer in “Sweet Home Alabama,” and had roles in “My Cousin Vinny” and “Mississippi Burning.” An obituary from Laughlin Service Funeral Home in Huntsville says Penny died on Christmas Day. (AP) — An Alabama actor who played small roles in movies including “Forrest Gump” and “Sweet Home Alabama” has died at age 87. He acted in some commercials on the side, which led to small parts in movies and TV shows after Penny retired from teaching in 1990.

Dr. Robert "Bob" Lynn Penny, an actor who played roles in "My Cousin Vinny" and "Mississippi Burning," died Sunday in Alabama at the age of 87.

She added that Penny "is and was always an actor and a joy to be around." Prior to acting, he spent three decades as an English professor and taught poetry at the University of Alabama. "I was really lucky. [TV commercials](https://www.foxnews.com/category/entertainment/genres/commercials) for a local department store and for a United Way campaign in Atlanta. ["Fried Green Tomatoes,"](https://www.foxnews.com/category/entertainment/movies) "When Will I Be Loved," "Mississippi Burning," "My Cousin Vinny" and "The Legend of Bagger Vance," as well as seven episodes of the TV series "In the Heat of the Night." [character actor](https://www.foxnews.com/category/entertainment/celebrity-news) with roles in "Forrest Gump" and "Sweet Home Alabama," died Sunday.

The college professor-turned-actor died in Huntsville, Alabama on Christmas Day.

His most recent credit was a recurring role on the series Still the King in 2016. He retired from academia in 1990, after 32 years in the classroom, and turned toward his passion for performing. Penny spent three decades as an English professor, teaching Poetry and Prose at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Bob Penny, a bit actor who appeared in 'Sweet Home Alabama' and 'Forrest Gump', has died at age 87.

One wrote, “I am still proud to say I knew Bob, and I will always remember to look for him sitting on that bench watching Tom Hanks run by,” in reference to his appearance in Forrest Gump. The actor worked as a college professor at the University of Alabama where he taught poetry and prose for 21 years. [My Cousin Vinny](https://decider.com/movie/my-cousin-vinny/), [Forrest Gump](https://decider.com/movie/forrest-gump/), and [Fly Away Home](https://decider.com/movie/fly-away-home/).

An Alabama man that appeared in more than 30 movies and TV series and worked as a professor at UAB died on Christmas day at the age of 87.

He was a resident at Thrive Assisted Living in Huntsville. Penny spent his early childhood in Jacksonville, Alabama, where his father was a Presbyterian minister. After retiring from UAB in 1990, he found himself in small roles on the big screen.

Actor Bob Penny, who scored minor roles in the films "Forrest Gump" and "Sweet Home Alabama," has died.

He played a “crony” in “Forrest Gump,” and a bumbling, small-town lawyer in “Sweet Home Alabama." He also landed a role in the TV series “In the Heat of the Night.” Penny was a bit part actor in dozens of films and TV shows during his long career stretching back to the '80s.

Bob Penny, an Alabama college professor and actor who performed small roles in movies including “Forrest Gump” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” has died at age 87.

Character actor Bob Penny, who had roles in box-office hits "Forrest Gump," "Sweet Home Alabama," and "My Cousin Vinny" died on Christmas Day at the age of ...

Penny’s on-screen credits include more than 30 movie and television roles, and while his parts were often small, some of the projects were anything but. But he’d established himself in a very different role decades prior to that. [Laughlin Service Funeral Home](https://www.laughlinservice.com/obituaries/Dr-Robert-Bob-Lynn-Penny?obId=26760614#/obituaryInfo), Penny got his start as an educator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he taught Poetry and Prose for 21 years.

Bob Penny was a poet and professor who after retirement appeared in movies including Forrest Gump, Sweet Home Alabama and My Cousin Vinny.

Penny, born in Anniston, AL, grew up in North Carolina before returning to Alabama where he taught poetry and prose at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for 21 years. No cause of death was given. [Bob Penny](https://deadline.com/tag/bob-penny/), a poet and professor who after retirement appeared in small parts in movies including [Forrest Gump](https://deadline.com/tag/forrest-gump/), [Sweet Home Alabama](https://deadline.com/tag/sweet-home-alabama/) and My Cousin Vinny and in the TV series [In the Heat of the Night](https://deadline.com/tag/in-the-heat-of-the-night/), died December 25 in Huntsville, AL.

Actor Bob Penny, who had roles in 'Sweet Home Alabama' and 'Forrest Gump,' died on Christmas Day.

[on her Facebook page](http://niece Meghan Penny wrote on her Facebook page.). He was my confidant and mentor; my laughter companion and best friend. In 1990, the university offered Penny a job as a full-time professor in Theater and English but he declined, instead deciding to retire from teaching. [My Cousin Vinny](https://people.com/movies/my-cousin-vinny-where-are-they-now/) with [Joe Pesci](https://people.com/movies/joe-pesci-reflects-on-making-home-alone-2-with-macaulay-culkin-as-movie-turns-30/) and [Marisa Tomei](https://people.com/tag/marisa-tomei/). In 2002's Sweet Home Alabama starring Reese Witherspoon, he played small-town lawyer Wallace Buford. The actor, poet and teacher is survived by his brother William Earl Penny and sister Jean Marion You, along with six nieces and one nephew.

Dr. Robert "Bob" Lynn Penny, an actor who played roles in "My Cousin Vinny" and "Mississippi Burning," died Sunday in Alabama at the age of 87.

She added that Penny "is and was always an actor and a joy to be around." (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Getty Images) Prior to acting, he spent three decades as an English professor and taught poetry at the University of Alabama. "I was really lucky. ["Fried Green Tomatoes,"](https://www.foxnews.com/category/entertainment/movies) "When Will I Be Loved," "Mississippi Burning," "My Cousin Vinny" and "The Legend of Bagger Vance," as well as seven episodes of the TV series "In the Heat of the Night." [character actor](https://www.foxnews.com/category/entertainment/celebrity-news) with roles in "Forrest Gump" and "Sweet Home Alabama," died Sunday.