Portrait of Jonathan Penner

Jonathan Penner

Oh, please, Jeff. Survivor 13, E9

Played on

78 days played

Game record

Vote alignment72%of 18 ballots

57th percentile of 423 castaways

Immunity record1career immunity win

77th percentile of 751 castaways

Idol impact1of 1 idol play canceled a vote

Too few idol plays to rank

Occupation at casting Writer Hometown Los Angeles, California

Played with 53 castaways across 3 seasons See every connection ↓

Penner has shared a beach with fifty-three castaways, more than all but fifteen players in the show's history.

Biography

Jonathan Penner was one of Survivor's sharpest and most articulate players, a screenwriter and actor whose self-aware confessionals made him a standout across three seasons. He debuted on Survivor: Cook Islands (Season 13), returned for Survivor: Micronesia (Season 16), and played his strongest game on Survivor: Philippines (Season 25), where he reached the final stretch as a genuine threat.

Known for his willingness to break from alliances, his openly strategic mind and his gift for narrating the game as he played it, Penner was a producer's dream and a fan favorite.

Though the million always eluded him, Jonathan Penner remains a recurring character of Survivor's late-2000s era, remembered for making even his eliminations compelling television.

Get to know Jonathan Penner

Born in New York City, New York The hometown on their cast bio, Los Angeles, California, is where they were living when they were picked for the show.

Jonathan Penner's own answers from the pre-game cast profile CBS published before the season aired.

Claim to fame
My Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film for "Down on the Waterfront" which I co-wrote and co-produced with my wife, and also co-starred with Jason Alexander and Edward Asner.
Pet peeves
Stupidity, meanness and slow drivers in the passing lanes.
Inspiration
My kids. My daughter is hilarious and actually looks up to me, and my son is smarter and more athletic than I am already. Wanting to make them proud is why I always do my best.
Why they wanted to play
The money. I have nothing more to prove or accomplish but winning.

Alliances fans have named

Survivor never names an alliance on screen. These names, and who counts as a member, are how the fan community records the game rather than an official record of it.

Birthplace, pre-game profile and alliance facts adapted from Survivor Fandom and Wikipedia, retrieved 2026-07-21. Licensed CC BY-SA.

Fan poll Players

Survivor Hall of Fame: is Jonathan Penner in or out?

Tap to vote and see what fans think

Seasons

Season Result Days Tribes Votes against Confessionals
Cook Islands Season 13, 2006 14th voted out Rarotonga Aitutaki Aitutonga 15 49
Micronesia Season 16, 2008 Medically evacuated Malakal Airai 0 14
Philippines Season 25, 2012 11th voted out Kalabaw Dangrayne 9 49

The vote that ended Jonathan Penner's best run

Six of the seven ballots named Jonathan Penner on day 33 of Survivor 13: Cook Islands, a 6-1 vote.

Yul Kwon, Oscar Lusth, Rebekah Lee, Sundra Oakley, Adam Gentry and Parvati Shallow

Jonathan Penner voted for Adam Gentry.

Castaway network

Jonathan Penner’s connections

The strongest overlaps are surfaced first; every castmate is organized by season below.

53
castaway connections
31
tribemates
2
repeat castmates
3
winners

Connections worth exploring

Repeat pairings, other-show overlaps, tribe overlap, winners and Survivor veterans rise to the top.

Survivor 13 & 16

Parvati Shallow

4 Survivor seasons

2 seasons together Shared a tribe Winner

Survivor 13

Yul Kwon

2 Survivor seasons

Shared a tribe Winner

Every castaway, by season

Open a season for the complete cast list and the context behind each connection.

Cook Islands Season 13, 2006 19 castaways 2 winners 4 returning players View cast

Explore the full Cook Islands cast →

Micronesia Season 16, 2008 19 castaways 1 winner 10 returning players View cast

Explore the full Micronesia cast →

Philippines Season 25, 2012 17 castaways 1 winner 5 returning players View cast

Explore the full Philippines cast →

Explore Jonathan Penner in the graph → Find a path from Jonathan Penner Show me another castaway