Jonathan Lindsay Penner (born March 5, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, writer and producer known for starring in The Last Supper and the television series Rude Awakening and The Naked Truth, as well as for appearing on the television show Survivor.
Penner was born in New York City.He is related to Seinfeld star Jason Alexander, who's married to Daena Title - the cousin of Penner's wife, Stacy Title.
Penner has starred on three television series: Grapevine, The Naked Truth and Rude Awakening and guest-starred in Seinfeld, CSI, CSI: NY, The Tick, Melrose Place, LateLine, Arrested Development, and The Nanny, where he appeared in several episodes as Danny Imperiali, whose firing and dumping of fiance Fran Fine kicked off the entire series.
Penner has appeared in many films, with featured roles in The Last Supper and Down Periscope. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1994 for the short film Down on the Waterfront, which he co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in.
In addition to his acting credits, Penner was a contestant on Survivor: Cook Islands and currently holds the Survivor record of the most votes against on a single season. During the following season, Survivor: Fiji, he blogged at CBS's Survivors Strike Back. He also participated in Survivor: Micronesia. The series began airing in February 2008.
Penner was a contestant on Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006. He was one of the original five members of the Rarotonga Tribe (Raro). In episode three, the four tribes evenly divided into two new mixed tribes, just Aitutaki and Rarotonga. Penner found himself on Aitutaki (Aitu). While a member of Aitu, he became part of a voting bloc/coalition that consisted of Yul Kwon, Candice Woodcock, Becky Lee and Sundra Oakley. This alliance lasted until episode eight when the members of Aitu and Raro were offered a chance to mutiny by joining the opposing tribe. Penner, along with Woodcock, chose to leave Aitu for Raro, the only two survivors to accept the offer. He was the fourteenth person voted out, finishing in seventh place. Jonathan humbly voted for Yul in the final tribal council.
Penner was a contestant on Survivor: Micronesia, the sixteenth season of Survivor, which began airing on February 7, 2008. He was one of ten returning favorites on the Malakal tribe and later switched to Airai. He was removed from the game during the sixth episode, due to a life-threatening infection in his injured knee. The Survivor medics stated that he had no choice but to be evacuated from the game.
