• CBS pre-Ep1 "Jonathan Penner" ad (8/29/12)
• CBS pre-Philippines "Meet Jonathan" video (YouTube)
• "Jonathan Penner Tribute" by SuperJude
• "Jonathan Penner Forced to Leave the Game" (excerpt from S16, YouTube)

• Official CBS Survivor: Philippines bio page
• Gordon Holmes's pre-Philippines interview with Jonathan for XfinityTV
• CBS bios for Cook Islands and Micronesia.
• Follow Jonathan Penner on: facebook; twitter.

Images from the preview, pre-game interviews, and other circa-Ep1 Philippines footage:

Vidcap gallery: Click on thumbnails to expand; use arrow keys to navigate between enlarged pics.

From MSN.com's Meet the Cast gallery (by Minh Nguyen):

"Jonathan says: 'Third time's the charm. I actually think I'm going to win now. The first two times, certainly I wanted to win. But I didn't think I would win.'

Jeff Probst says: 'If you're a Survivor fan, you know he's one of my all-time favorites. He's a great instigator. He lips off. He fights back, and he's contrary -- all the things you want out of a contestant.'"

Excerpts from his CBS.com Survivor: Philippines bio page:

"Personal 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. 
Inspiration in Life: 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.
Pet Peeves: Stupidity, meanness and slow drivers in the passing lanes. 
3 Words to Describe You: Happy, prickly and funny. 
If You Could Have 3 Things on The Island What Would They Be and Why? A good book to read, a blank book to write in and if I can count her as a thing, my wife. If not, I’ll bring a pen. 
Reason for Being on Survivor: The money. I have nothing more to prove or accomplish but winning. 
Why You Think You’ll 'Survive' Survivor: Experience is the biggie, but I also bring humor and I’m a team player. 
Why You Think You Will Be the Sole Survivor: Third time is a charm! If I can get past the first three or four votes I’m going all the way. Seriously!"

From his EW.com pre-game interview, by Dalton Ross:

"Jonathan Penner, also 50, did play the game without being evacuated back in Survivor: Cook Islands, but then in his second outing (Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs Favorites), he was forced out by an infected knee. As for his approach this time around, it involved lots of bulking up. 'I’ve been eating like a horse intentionally for this show,' Penner told EW.com before the game began. 'Some of these guys come out and they want to look all buffed out for the beginning of the show. I’m going to come out looking like a fat slob, because 39 days is a lot of weight to lose. If I lose a pound a day I’m going to be my fighting weight. I’ll be 170 pounds. Right now I’m coming in at a chart-topping 210 — chubby.'"

Summary of evidence for Jonathan Penner being on Survivor: Philippines.

- DanieuBleau at Survivor Skills (3/13/12): "There are going to be returnees [on S25]. The contestants began flying out to location yesterday to be part of the show, and at least one of them flew out of Los Angeles."

- Polonium at Sucks (3/19/12, jokingly?): "Two returnees: Two returnees: Mike Skupin; Russell Swan"

- SuperJude (indirectly) at Sucks (4/16/12): "It's Russell Swan, Mike Skupin and Jonathan Penner, like we'd originally heard. It's three tribes, with one returnee on each. The rest are newbies."

- (5/13/12) The official Survivor: Philippines preview video (vidcaps here) mentioned the return of three previously medically evacuated players, and showed Jonathan (along with people not on S25).

Who is Jonathan Penner?

From his most-recent CBS bio (for Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites): "A native of New York, Jonathan Penner is a writer/producer for film and television. He and his wife, Stacy, have developed numerous projects including 'The Last Supper,' 'The Lone Ranger,' 'Let the Devil Wear Black' and the 1994 Oscar-nominated for Best Short Film, Live Action, 'Down On The Waterfront' (which he co-produced, co-wrote and starred in with Jason Alexander, Ed Asner and Mike Starr).

   He also worked as an actor and had a series regular role on Grapevine, on CBS, The Naked Truth and Rude Awakening. He also made guest-starring appearances in various series including CSI and The Nanny, both on CBS, as well as Seinfeld and Arrested Development. Additionally, he is a producer/writer/director. 
   Penner attended the prestigious Phillips Andover prep school in Andover, Massachusetts, and went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. 
   Penner enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, theater, moves and track/field. 
   Penner currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife of 16 years, director Stacy Title, and their two children, Cooper and Ava. They have one bunny, Angel Cake, and two lizards, Mozilla and Luna. His birth date is March 5, 1962."