Penelope Milford (born 1948 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an Academy Award nominated American film, stage, and television actress.

An alumnus of the Chicago/New York theatrical scene (as original cast member of the Broadway hit musical Shenandoah), American actress Penelope Milford struck paydirt with her first film Coming Home (1978). Playing Viola Munson, the best friend of Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda), Penelope was nominated for an Academy Award. She did not win, but the strength of Coming Home, Ms. Milford was cast in a major TV biography, Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris (1979), the tale of a real-life singer's recovery from a brain-surgery induced coma. The highlight of this production was the final scene, wherein the real Kathy Morris replaced Milford in the final concert scene, proof of her total recovery; Milford's performance had been so authentic that the switch was all but imperceptible. Few of Milford's subsequent films did her talent justice: the outgoing blonde actress was seen in pedestrian roles in such pedestrian pictures as Take This Job and Shove It (1981). Endless Love (1981), and The Golden Seal (1984), she also appeared in the 1989 cult film Heathers.

Sister of Kim Milford

She made her feature film debut in Norman Mailer's "Maidstone" (1970).

She co-wrote and co-starred in "The Second Hottest Show In Town," an improvisational revue in which all the actors and actresses appeared totally nude on-stage, with playwright Jonathan Stuart. Her first major film role was in Ken Russell's bio-pic "Valentino" (1977), in which she had a sex scene with star Rudolph Valentino that featured full-frontal nudity.

Graduate of New Trier High School, Winnetka, Illinois. Other New Trier graduates include Ralph Bellamy, Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, Hugh O'Brien, Ann-Margret, Bruce Dern, Virginia Madsen, Adam Baldwin and Liz Phair