The Bridges family? They’re practically Hollywood royalty. It all started with Betty Alice Bridges, a late actress, director, and acting coach, alongside her husband, James Bridges Sr., who was Hollywood’s one of the earlier black talent agents. Together, they built the groundwork for a family legacy that’s tough to overlook.
Take Penelope ‘Penny’ Bae Bridges, for example. As Betty’s eldest granddaughter, she has been in the limelight from a young age. With a dad, Jimmy Bridges, who’s not just an actor but also a director, and a mom, Barbara Bridges, who starred in A Devil Disguised (1997), it seems like Penny, 36, was destined for the entertainment world.
The story continues with Penelope’s uncle, Todd Bridges, and aunt, Verda Bridges, who are also big names in Hollywood. Unfortunately, in August 2024, the family faced a tough loss with the passing of Betty at the age of 83. She spent her final days at her son Todd’s home.
Now, with such a rich family history, it’s no surprise that Penny has made a name for herself too. Here are some interesting facts about her.
She Began Acting at 5
Starting young was practically a family tradition, and Penny didn’t miss a beat. Making her acting debut at just five years old, she quickly captured hearts as Jasmine Jordan in Space Jam (1996), which is the highest-grossing basketball movie ever.
Riding the wave of her initial success, she quickly became a familiar face in other hit movies and TV shows. She’s especially recognized for her role in True Crime (1999), which earned her a nomination for the Young Artist Award in 2000. Along with that, her notable works include Nothing to Lose (1997), Boy Meets World (1998), and The Color of Love: Jacey’s World (2000).
When Sports Called, She Left Acting Behind
Amid her thriving acting career, Penny chose to step back during her high school years, feeling she was missing out on those once-in-a-lifetime teenage moments. More than anything, this child actor loved sports and really wanted to commit to her high school volleyball team, something that was tough to balance with constant auditions.
During a Space Jam cast reunion on the YouTube channel Prime Nostalgia, on July 9, 2021, Penny opened up about her decision to step away from acting. She shared,
…I played volleyball. It became really hard to do both. You know acting, you up and leave to go to an audition and I just kind of wanted to play sports and do my thing.
Later, on November 6, 2021, in an interview with REALPOLITIK, she elaborated further:
I stopped acting…um…my senior year of high school mostly because I felt like I was missing out on a lot of stuffs that normal teenagers got to go through.
Now, looking back, she acknowledges some regrets about leaving the acting industry. She didn’t fully appreciate the importance of acting in her life until she no longer had it.
She is Now An Oil Painter and Has Other Pursuits Too
After leaving the entertainment industry, Penny, a graduate of the Art Institute of California-North Hollywood, found her passion for art in the mid-2010s and hasn’t looked back. She regularly shares her impressive artwork on her social media.
Formerly the owner and artist at The Berkshire Pine, she now works as a fine artist under Penny Bae Art, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
In addition to her artistic endeavors, Penny is also a certified yoga instructor, having completed her 200-hour training at Radiance Yoga. On top of that, she’s an environmentalist with a background in Environmental Sciences from Berkshire Community College.
She Has a Baby With Her Ex-Boyfriend and Is Happily Engaged Now
Back in 2008, Penny was in a relationship with her then-bf, Kevin Thomas. At just 19, she welcomed their son, Elijah Daniel Bridges, born on February 23, 2009. However, Kevin stepped out of the picture early on, failing to take on his parental responsibilities, leaving Penny to raise their son on her own during her young adulthood.
Years later, on October 11, 2023, she shared on Instagram how that past relationship was toxic and really took a toll on her health.
Everything changed when Penny met her fiancé, Andre Lynch, who also has a child from a previous relationship. Andre’s support helped her move past her toxic past and focus on herself, leading to her losing 15 pounds in just eight months.
They have been together since 2023 and are happily co-parenting their two children. She doesn’t shy away from sharing her fiancé’s loving side on her Instagram. On June 27, she posted on Instagram how he surprised her with a brunch for her yoga teacher training graduation, writing, “No one has ever done anything like that for me.”
