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Penelope Wilton
ActorBorn June 3, 1946 (79 years)
Dame Penelope Alice Wilton DBE(born 3 June 1946) is an English actress. She was formerly married to fellow actor Sir Ian Holm, and as she has not remarried, she retains her married style of Lady Holm.
Wilton is known for starring opposite Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–1989), playing Homily in The Borrowers (1992) and The Return of the Borrowers(1993), and for her role as the widowed Isobel Crawley in the ITV drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015). She also played the recurring role of Harriet Jones in Doctor Who (2005–2008) and Anne in Ricky Gervais' Netflix dark comedy After Life.
Wilton has had an extensive career on stage, receiving six Olivier Award nominations. She was nominated for Man and Superman (1981), The Secret Rapture (1988), The Deep Blue Sea(1994), John Gabriel Borkman (2008) and The Chalk Garden (2009) before winning the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Actress for Taken at Midnight. Her film appearances include Clockwise (1986), Cry Freedom (1987), Blame It on the Bellboy (1992), Calendar Girls (2003), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Match Point (2005), Pride & Prejudice (2005), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), The Girl (2012), The BFG (2016) and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Penelope Wilton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Wilton is known for starring opposite Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–1989), playing Homily in The Borrowers (1992) and The Return of the Borrowers(1993), and for her role as the widowed Isobel Crawley in the ITV drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015). She also played the recurring role of Harriet Jones in Doctor Who (2005–2008) and Anne in Ricky Gervais' Netflix dark comedy After Life.
Wilton has had an extensive career on stage, receiving six Olivier Award nominations. She was nominated for Man and Superman (1981), The Secret Rapture (1988), The Deep Blue Sea(1994), John Gabriel Borkman (2008) and The Chalk Garden (2009) before winning the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Actress for Taken at Midnight. Her film appearances include Clockwise (1986), Cry Freedom (1987), Blame It on the Bellboy (1992), Calendar Girls (2003), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Match Point (2005), Pride & Prejudice (2005), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), The Girl (2012), The BFG (2016) and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Penelope Wilton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Featured Videos
Filmography
| 2025 | Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale · as Isobel Crawley |
| 2024 | Dead Hot (TV Series) · as Francine |
| 2023 | Murder is Easy · as Miss Pinkerton |
| 2023 | Murder Is Easy (TV Series) · as Miss Pinkerton |
| 2023 | The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry · as Maureen Fry |
| 2022 | Downton Abbey: A New Era · as Isobel Merton |
| 2021 | Operation Mincemeat · as Hester Leggett |
| 2020 | Summerland · as Older Alice |
| 2019 | Eternal Beauty · as Vivian |
| 2019 | Downton Abbey · as Isobel Merton |
| 2019 | After Life (TV Series) · as Anne |
| 2018 | The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society · as Amelia Maugery |
| 2017 | Zoo · as Denise Austin |
| 2016 | Brief Encounters (TV Series) · as Pauline |
| 2016 | The BFG · as The Queen |
| 2015 | The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel · as Jean Ainslie |
| 2014 | Text Santa 2014 · as Isobel Crawley (segment "downton Abbey") |
| 2014 | Belle: The Story · as Lady Mary Murray |
| 2014 | Belle: The History Behind the Painting · as Lady Mary Murray |
| 2013 | Fifty Years on Stage · as Delia |
| 2013 | Belle · as Lady Mary Murray |
| 2012 | The Girl · as Peggy Robertson |
| 2012 | |
| 2011 | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel · as Jean Ainslie |
| 2011 | South Riding (TV Series) · as Mrs Beddows |
| 2010 | Downton Abbey (TV Series) · as Isobel Merton |
| 2009 | Margot · as B.q. |
| 2008 | The Passion (TV Series) · as Mary |
| 2008 | What Lies Beneath · as Harriet Jones Mp |
| 2007 | Half Broken Things · as Jean |
| 2007 | Five Days: Making Five Days · as Barbara Poole |
| 2007 | Five Days: Revised Final Episode · as Barbara Poole |
| 2007 | Celebration · as Julie |
| 2007 | Five Days (TV Series) · as Barbara Poole |
| 2006 | The History Boys · as Mrs. Bibby |
| 2006 | The Stately Homes of Pride & Prejudice: Chatsworth House · as Mrs. Gardiner |
| 2005 | Match Point · as Eleanor Hewett |
| 2005 | Pride & Prejudice · as Mrs. Gardiner |
| 2005 | Doctor Who (2005) (TV Series) · as Harriet Jones |
| 2005 | Falling · as Daisy Langrish |
| 2004 | Agatha Christie's Marple (TV Series) · as Carrie Louise Serrocold |
| 2004 | Shaun of the Dead · as Barbara |
| 2004 | 'Calendar Girls': The Naked Truth · as Ruth |
| 2003 | Calendar Girls · as Ruth |
| 2003 | Comedy Connections (TV Series) |
| 2003 | Lucky Jim · as Celia Welch |
| 2001 | Iris · as Janet Stone |
| 2001 | Bob and Rose (TV Series) · as Monica Gossage |
| 2001 | Victoria & Albert · as Princess Mary Louise Victoria |
| 2001 | Victoria & Albert (TV Series) · as Duchess Of Kent |
| 2001 | The Whistle-Blower · as Heather Graham |
| 2000 | Victoria Wood: With All the Trimmings · as Mrs. Cratchit |
| 2000 | |
| 1999 | Wives and Daughters (TV Series) · as Mrs. Hamley |
| 1999 | Tom's Midnight Garden · as Aunt Melbourne |
| 1999 | The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka: The Mystery of Chopin · as Delfina / Paulina |
| 1998 | Alice Through the Looking Glass · as White Queen |
| 1995 | Carrington · as Lady Ottoline Morrell |
| 1995 | Kavanagh Q.C. (TV Series) · as Barbara Watkins |
| 1994 | The Deep Blue Sea · as Hester Collyer |
| 1993 | The Return of the Borrowers (TV Series) · as Homily |
| 1993 | The Secret Rapture · as Marion French |
| 1992 | The Borrowers (TV Series) · as Homily |
| 1992 | Blame It on the Bellboy · as Patricia Fulford |
| 1991 | Performance (TV Series) · as Beth |
| 1988 | Talking Heads (TV Series) · as Rosemary |
| 1987 | Cry Freedom · as Wendy Woods |
| 1986 | |
| 1985 | C.A.T.S. Eyes (TV Series) |
| 1984 | Singleton's Pluck · as Alice Singleton |
| 1984 | Ever Decreasing Circles (TV Series) |
| 1983 | The Tale of Beatrix Potter · as Beatrix Potter |
| 1982 | King Lear · as Regan |
| 1982 | Wogan (TV Series) · as Ann Bryce |
| 1981 | Country · as Virginia Carlion |
| 1981 | The French Lieutenant's Woman · as Sonia |
| 1981 | Othello · as Desdemona |
| 1977 | The Norman Conquests (TV Series) · as Annie |
| 1977 | BBC2 Play of the Week (TV Series) · as Journalist |
| 1977 | Joseph Andrews · as Mrs. Wilton |
| 1972 | Country Matters (TV Series) · as Rachel Sullens |
| 1970 | Play for Today (TV Series) · as Virginia Carlion |
| 1965 | Jackanory (TV Series) · as Storyteller |
| 1965 | Play of the Month (TV Series) · as Regan |
| 1965 | Thirty-Minute Theatre (TV Series) · as Lucy |