Daytime fans who miss actress Sydney Penny on their screens will be thrilled to learn that she's currently creating a short film. The Tennessee native -- known for playing All My Children's Julia Santos, Days of our Lives' Dr. Liv Norman, and The Bold and the Beautiful's Samantha Kelly -- launched a fundraising campaign for The Dishwasher, with the goal of helping students in her town learn about filmmaking.
On a Go Fund Me page for the film, Penny explains that she is hoping to give students in the film program at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina, the opportunity to experience working on a real film set with real film professionals. She has been a member of the school's Film Program Technical Advisory Board since 2014.
"Since NC drastically scaled back its film incentive program, there have been few opportunities for students to gain experience on set," she explains on the page. "We are fortunate to have a dedicated core of professionals who are willing to give their time and talent to make this short film, The Dishwasher, with the goal of creating and teaching art."
Penny goes on to explain that she is hoping to raise $6,950 to pay for costs like equipment rentals, props, costumes, sound mixing, and music.
"It would be wonderful to receive the funds to produce this well, but also so great to know you are supporting the efforts of our students and the pros giving their time to the next generation of visual storytellers," she writes. "When we wrap, we can show tangible proof of the contribution each of these students, their teachers and mentors -- as well as all of you who support us -- have made."
Penny also includes a video of herself further explaining why she's so passionate about raising funds to help the film students at Cape Fear Community College.
Penny got her start in soap operas playing the role of B.J. Walker on Santa Barbara from 1992 to 1993. She went on to play All My Children character Julia Santos from 1993 to 1996, and again from 2005 to 2008, with a few guest-starring appearances in between. Her other soap credits include Sunset Beach's Meg Cummings in 1999, B&B's Samantha Kelly from 2003 to 2005, and DAYS' Dr. Liv Norman in 2011.
As for what brought Penny to Wilmington, NC, she explains that she fell in love with the town's warmth and hospitality during a visit and decided to move there when she made a full-time return to AMC.
"We moved here in 2005. I was returning to All My Children, which shot in New York. We didn't want to be bi-coastal, so we sold our house in L.A. and bought a house here to fix up, since that is one of our crazier hobbies," she tells Encore Pub. "When the house was finished and our son was starting school, we decided to stay, rather than go back to the West Coast."
In addition to continuing to act and working with the Film Program Technical Advisory Board of Cape Fear Community College, Penny owns a Wilmingham restaurant with her husband, Robert Powers, called Jester's Café.
For more information on the GoFundMe campaign, visit gofundme.com/f/the-dishwasher-short-film
What do you think about Sydney Penny raising funds for a short film to help the students at Cape Fear Community College? How much do you miss seeing the actress on a soap opera? Which of her daytime roles was your favorite? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
