With the much-awaited Hollywood Bowl staging of Rent fast approaching, our next spotlight features actor, model, singer and dancer Collins Pennie.

A native of New York City, Collins got his professional acting start on the daytime soap, As The World Turns, on CBS in 2002. He followed this with guest appearances on other TV shows like Law and Order and Without A Trace. He has also guest-starred in CSI: Miami and Shark.

Collins was most recently seen on the big screen in 2009’s Fame, playing intense drama student, Malik Washburn. He is also featured in three tracks on the film’s soundtrack. Before Fame, he appeared in Half Nelson (2006), Prom Night (2008) with Brittany Snow and Scott Porter, and Fired Up (2009). He can also be seen in this year’s Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming.

In between his TV appearances and film work, Collins signed as a model with the Ford agency and was part of Calvin Klein’s 2004 ck one fragrance campaign.

These days, Collins is a series regular on TNT’s Hawthorne, playing Marcus Leeds alongside Jada Pinkett Smith. He will next be seen in Rent at the Hollywood Bowl playing the man who declares Bohemia dead, Benjamin (Benny) Coffin III.