Bob Penny, Bumbling Lawyer in ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ Dies at 87

The Alabama college professor landed several small roles in TV and films including “Forrest Gump”

bob penny
Courtesy of McCray Agency via Instagram

Dr. Robert “Bob” Lynn Penny, who appeared in films such as “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Forrest Gump,” died on Dec. 25 of unknown causes. He was 87.

The college professor and stage and screen actor passed away in Huntsville, Alabama according to an obituary posted by Laughlin Funeral Home and Crematory.

Throughout his 25-year acting career, Penny scored small but memorable roles in a number of high-profile films. Early on, he played Curtis Foy in 1988’s “Mississippi Burning,” headlined by Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe. He appeared in back-to-back hits as a bailiff in “Fried Green Tomatoes” and as Juror #2 in “My Cousin Vinny,” followed by “Forrest Gump” a few years later.

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