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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.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Match Point
  • Clockwise
  • My Family
  • Eternal Beauty
  • Kavanagh Q.C.

Known For

  • Match Point
  • The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
  • The BFG
  • After Life
  • Operation Mincemeat
  • Clockwise
  • Cry Freedom
  • Belle
  • Iris
  • Summerland
  • The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
  • Calendar Girls
  • The Girl
  • Ever Decreasing Circles
  • Murder Is Easy
  • Five Days
  • Carrington
  • South Riding
  • Eternal Beauty
  • Half Broken Things
  • The Borrowers
  • Blame It on the Bellboy
  • Alice Through the Looking Glass
  • The Passion

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
    2022
    Downton Abbey: A New Era · as Isobel Merton
    2021
    Operation Mincemeat · as Hester Leggett
    2020
    Summerland · as Older Alice
    2019
    2019
    Downton Abbey · as Isobel Merton
    2019
    After Life (TV Series) · as Anne
    2018
    2017
    Zoo · as Denise Austin
    2016
    Brief Encounters (TV Series) · as Pauline
    2016
    The BFG · as The Queen
    2015
    2014
    Text Santa 2014 · as Isobel Crawley (segment "downton Abbey")
    2014
    Belle: The Story · as Lady Mary Murray
    2014
    2013
    2013
    Belle · as Lady Mary Murray
    2012
    The Girl · as Peggy Robertson
    2012
    2011
    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
    2007
    Five Days: Making Five Days · as Barbara Poole
    2007
    2007
    Celebration · as Julie
    2007
    Five Days (TV Series) · as Barbara Poole
    2006
    The History Boys · as Mrs. Bibby
    2006
    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
    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
    2000
    My Family (TV Series) · as Rosemary
    1999
    Wives and Daughters (TV Series) · as Mrs. Hamley
    1999
    Tom's Midnight Garden · as Aunt Melbourne
    1999
    1998
    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
    Clockwise · as Pat Garden
    1985
    C.A.T.S. Eyes (TV Series)
    1984
    Singleton's Pluck · as Alice Singleton
    1984
    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
    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

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