| Penny Pingleton | |
|---|---|
 The 1988 and the 2007 Penny | |
|
Name: |
Penny "Lou" Pingleton |
|
Gender: |
Female |
|
Family: |
Prudence Pingleton (1988) |
|
Friends: |
Tracy Turnblad |
|
Enemies: |
Amber Von Tussle (formerly) |
|
Relationships: |
Seaweed J. Stubbs (boyfriend) |
|
Appearences: |
|
|
Portrayed by: |
Leslie Ann Powers (1988) |
Penny Lou Pingleton is a character in the 1988 film Hairspray and its 2007 remake. Penny is Tracy's best friend, and her only friend until she meets Link and Seaweed.
Personality and Role
Penny is a nerdy, socially-awkward teenage girl whose only friend in the world is Tracy Turnblad. Both girls share a deep interest in the Corny Collins show, where they are seen rushing over to Tracy's house to watch in both films.
In the 1988 film, she tries to audition for the Corny Collins Show, but it denied due to her social-awkwardness. In the 2007 remake, she attends the record hop with Tracy, and in both films, she is seen rushing over to the Turnblad residence to show Tracy's parents their daughter's debut on the Corny Collins Show.
After Tracy becomes an overnight sensation in Baltimore, she is introduced to Seaweed, one of Tracy's black friends, and the two are smitten instantly.
Penny is also at the mercy of her racist, religiously-devout mother, who tries by all means to keep her away from blacks, even going to the extreme of locking her in her bedroom, and in the 2007 film, ties her to her bed.
However, Seaweed comes to the rescue, and the two realize their love for each other, and in both films, it is implied that Penny would no longer return to her mother.
In the 1988 film, Penny and Seaweed join in the dancing, but are interrupted when the bomb inside of Velma Von Tussle's wig explodes prematurely. As the film draws to a close, the two share a kiss as Tracy wins the Miss Auto Show 1963 competition
In the 2007 film, she and Seaweed join in the finale "You Can't Stop the Beat" on the Corny Collins Show, and watch on as Seaweed's younger sister Little Inez is crowned "Miss Teenage Hairspray 1962" and as Tracy and Link cement their new relationship with a kiss.
Actresses
Penny was played by actress Leslie Ann Powers in the 1988 film, and in the 2007 remake, she was played by actress Amanda Bynes. Now in the 2016 live version, she is played by Ariana Grande