---
name: "Matthew Penn"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/matthew-penn"
fi1m_id: "matthew-penn"
imdb_id: "nm0671992"
tmdb_id: 123895
wikidata_id: "Q6791068"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "1 January 1901"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "director"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-07T04:05:47.755721+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Matthew Penn

## Identity

Matthew Penn

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/matthew-penn
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** matthew-penn
- **IMDb ID:** nm0671992
- **TMDB ID:** 123895
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6791068
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Penn, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6791068, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0671992/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/123895

Director. Born 1 January 1901.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 1 January 1901
- **Active:** 1990–2013
- **Frequently works with:** [Andy Wolk](https://film.one/person/andy-wolk.md), [Nick Gomez](https://film.one/person/nick-gomez.md), [Allen Coulter](https://film.one/person/allen-coulter.md), [Constantine Makris](https://film.one/person/constantine-makris.md), [Dan Attias](https://film.one/person/dan-attias.md), [Daniel Sackheim](https://film.one/person/daniel-sackheim.md), [David Platt](https://film.one/person/david-platt.md), [David Shore](https://film.one/person/david-shore.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as director, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 83 (3), 2000s 78 (2), 2010s 79 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 82 to 78 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Crime 4, Comedy 1, Mystery 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Penn, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6791068, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0671992/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/123895

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Damages*](https://film.one/tv/damages.md) (78), [*House*](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md) (78)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Sopranos*](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md) (94)
- **Netflix:** [*Orange Is the New Black*](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md) (79)
- **Hulu:** [*Law & Order*](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Matthew Penn is an American television and theatre director and producer. Born in 1959, he is the son of film director Arthur Penn and actress Peggy Maurer. He studied at Wesleyan University and began his career in theatre as an actor and director before moving into television.

Penn has directed episodes of numerous series, including *The Sopranos* (1999), *Law & Order*, *House* (2004), *NYPD Blue*, *Damages*, *The Closer*, *Blue Bloods* (2010), *Gossip Girl* (2007), *Orange Is the New Black* (2013) and *Queen of the South* (2016). He served as executive producer on *Law & Order* from 2003 to 2007 and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for directing its 200th episode. He is co-artistic director of the Berkshire Playwrights Lab.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, directormatthewpenn.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Orange Is the New Black* (2013), Fi1m 79, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md)
- *Damages* (2007), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *House* (2004), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md)
- *The Sopranos* (1999), Fi1m 94, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md)
- *NYPD Blue* (1993), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/nypd-blue.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), Fi1m 72, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)

## Complete filmography (32)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Art of Television: les réalisateurs de séries* (2018), series, Actor
- *Queen of the South* (2016), series, Director
- *Orange Is the New Black* (2013), series, Director — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md)
- *Pan Am* (2011), series, Director
- *Unforgettable* (2011), series, Director
- *Fairly Legal* (2011), series, Director
- *Blue Bloods* (2010), series, Director
- *Detroit 1-8-7* (2010), series, Director
- *Rizzoli & Isles* (2010), series, Director
- *Royal Pains* (2009), series, Director
- *In Plain Sight* (2008), series, Director
- *New Amsterdam* (2008), series, Director
- *Women's Murder Club* (2007), series, Director
- *Private Practice* (2007), series, Director
- *Gossip Girl* (2007), series, Director
- *Damages* (2007), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *The Closer* (2005), series, Director
- *House* (2004), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md)
- *Law & Order: Corruption Empire* (2003), Director
- *The Education of Max Bickford* (2001), series, Director
- *The Sopranos* (1999), series, Director — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md)
- *C-16: FBI* (1997), series, Director
- *Brooklyn South* (1997), series, Director
- *Prince Street* (1997), series, Director
- *Swift Justice* (1996), series, Director
- *New York News* (1995), series, Director
- *NYPD Blue* (1993), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/nypd-blue.md)
- *Delta Force 3: The Killing Game* (1991), as Richard
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Alex Brody · Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Playing for Keeps* (1986), as Spikes
- *Dream Lover* (1986), as Billy
- *Hellfire* (1983), First Assistant Director

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/matthew-penn