Penelope Wilton
Penelope Wilton
Biography
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.
Known For
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
86
Gender
Female
Birthday
1946-06-03 (79 years old)
Place of Birth
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Acting

2025

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale as Isobel Crawley

2022

Operation Mincemeat as Hester Leggett

2022

Downton Abbey: A New Era as Isobel Merton

2020

Eternal Beauty as Vivian

2019

After Life as Anne

2019

Downton Abbey as Isobel Merton

2018

Zoo as Denise Austin

2016

The BFG as The Queen

2013

Belle as Lady Mary Murray

2012

The Girl as Peggy Robertson

2012

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as Jean Ainslie

2010

Downton Abbey as Isobel Merton

2007

Celebration as Julie

2007

Half Broken Things as Jean

2005

Doctor Who as Not available

2005

Doctor Who as Harriet Jones

2005

Pride & Prejudice as Mrs. Gardiner

2005

Match Point as Eleanor Hewett

2004

Shaun of the Dead as Barbara

2001

Victoria & Albert as Princess Mary Louise Victoria

2001

Iris as Janet Stone

2000

Rockaby as Old Woman

1999

Tom's Midnight Garden as Aunt Melbourne

1995

Kavanagh Q.C. as Barbara Watkins

1995

Carrington as Lady Ottoline Morrell

1993

The Secret Rapture as Marion French

1992

Blame It on the Bellboy as Patricia Fulford

1991

Performance as Beth

1991

Performance as Hester Collyer

1987

Cry Freedom as Wendy Woods

1986

Clockwise as Pat Garden

1984

Laughterhouse as Alice Singleton

1982

King Lear as Regan

1981

Othello as Desdemona

1978

An Audience with... as Self

1970

Play for Today as Virginia Carlion

1965

BBC Play of the Month as Regan

NaN

Fing! as Not available

NaN

Visitation as Not available

2024

Dead Hot as Francine

2023

Murder Is Easy as Miss Pinkerton

2020

Summerland as Older Alice

2016

Brief Encounters as Pauline

2011

South Riding as Mrs Beddows

2009

Margot as B.Q.

2008

The Passion as Mary

2007

Five Days as Barbara Poole

2006

The History Boys as Mrs. Bibby

2005

Falling as Daisy Langrish

2003

Comedy Connections as Not available

2003

Calendar Girls as Ruth

2003

Lucky Jim as Celia Welch

2001

The Whistle-Blower as Heather Graham

2001

Bob & Rose as Monica Gossage

1999

The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka as Delfina / Paulina

1999

Wives and Daughters as Mrs. Hamley

1998

Talking Heads 2 as Not available

1995

Landscape as Beth

1994

The Deep Blue Sea as Hester Collyer

1992

The Borrowers as Homily

1992

Screaming as Not available

1988

Talking Heads as Rosemary

1985

C.A.T.S. Eyes as Not available

1984

Ever Decreasing Circles as Not available

1983

The Tale of Beatrix Potter as Beatrix Potter

1982

The Tale of Beatrix Potter as Beatrix Potter

1981

Country as Virginia Carlion

1980

Pasmore as Helen

1977

Able's Will as Journalist

1977

The Norman Conquests as Annie

1977

Joseph Andrews as Mrs. Wilton

1975

King Lear as Regan

1972

Mrs. Warren's Profession as Vivie Warren