About

Known credits:
82
Birthday:
1946-06-03
Place of birth:
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Website:
N/A

Penelope Wilton

Overview

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

Acting

2025 Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Actor Isobel Crawley N/A
N/A
2024 Dead Hot Actor Francine 69
Fair
2023 Murder Is Easy Actor Miss Pinkerton 67
Fair
2023 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Actor Maureen Fry 60
Fair
2022 Judi Dench: Our National Treasure Actor Self 59
Average
2022 Downton Abbey: A New Era Actor Isobel Merton 65
Fair
2022 Operation Mincemeat Actor Hester Leggett 62
Fair
2020 Eternal Beauty Actor Vivian 58
Average
2020 Summerland Actor Older Alice 63
Fair
2019 Downton Abbey Actor Isobel Merton 67
Fair
2019 After Life Actor Anne 78
Good
2018 Zoo Actor Denise Austin 60
Fair
2018 The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society Actor Amelia Maugery 69
Fair
2017 Brexit Shorts: The End Actor Helen 59
Average
2016 Brief Encounters Actor Pauline 68
Fair
2016 The BFG Actor The Queen 62
Fair
2016 All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film Actor Narrator (voice) N/A
N/A
2015 Downton Abbey: The Finale Actor Isobel Crawley N/A
N/A
2015 The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Actor Jean Ainslie 61
Fair
2014 Downton Abbey: A Moorland Holiday Actor Isobel Crawley 60
Fair
2013 Downton Abbey: The London Season Actor Isobel Crawley N/A
N/A
2013 National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage Actor Delia 58
Average
2013 Belle Actor Lady Mary Murray 66
Fair
2012 Downton Abbey: A Journey to the Highlands Actor Isobel Crawley N/A
N/A
2012 The Girl Actor Peggy Robertson 59
Average
2012 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Actor Jean Ainslie 66
Fair
2011 Downton Abbey: Christmas at Downton Abbey Actor Isobel Crawley 60
Fair
2011 South Riding Actor Mrs Beddows 68
Fair
2010 Downton Abbey Actor Isobel Merton 80
Very good
2010 Harold Pinter: A Celebration Actor Self N/A
N/A
2009 Margot Actor B.Q. 59
Average
2008 The Passion Actor Mary 66
Fair
2007 Half Broken Things Actor Jean 58
Average
2007 Celebration Actor Julie 58
Average
2007 Five Days Actor Barbara Poole 65
Fair
2006 The History Boys Actor Mrs. Bibby 61
Fair
2005 Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion Actor Harriet Jones N/A
N/A
2005 Doctor Who - L'Invasion de Noël Actor Harriet Jones N/A
N/A
2005 Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion Actor Harriet Jones 65
Fair
2005 Match Point Actor Eleanor Hewett 72
Good
2005 Pride & Prejudice Actor Mrs. Gardiner 79
Good
2005 Falling Actor Daisy Langrish 58
Average
2004 Shaun of the Dead Actor Barbara 74
Good
2003 Calendar Girls Actor Ruth 61
Fair
2003 Lucky Jim Actor Celia Welch N/A
N/A
2001 Iris Actor Janet Stone 60
Fair
2001 Bob & Rose Actor Monica Gossage 68
Fair
2001 Victoria & Albert Actor Princess Mary Louise Victoria 59
Average
2001 The Whistle-Blower Actor Heather Graham 59
Average
2000 Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings Actor Mrs. Cratchit 59
Average
2000 Rockaby Actor Old Woman 58
Average
1999 Wives and Daughters Actor Mrs. Hamley 70
Good
1999 Tom's Midnight Garden Actor Aunt Melbourne 58
Average
1999 The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka Actor Delfina / Paulina N/A
N/A
1998 Alice Through the Looking Glass Actor White Queen 57
Average
1998 Talking Heads 2 Actor 58
Average
1995 Landscape Actor Beth 59
Average
1995 Carrington Actor Lady Ottoline Morrell 59
Average
1994 The Deep Blue Sea Actor Hester Collyer 58
Average
1993 The Return of the Borrowers Actor Homily 69
Fair
1993 The Secret Rapture Actor Marion French 58
Average
1992 The Borrowers Actor Homily 68
Fair
1992 Screaming Actor N/A
N/A
1992 Blame It on the Bellboy Actor Patricia Fulford 58
Average
1987 Cry Freedom Actor Wendy Woods 62
Fair
1986 Clockwise Actor Pat Garden 59
Average
1984 Laughterhouse Actor Alice Singleton 59
Average
1984 Ever Decreasing Circles Actor 70
Good
1983 The Tale of Beatrix Potter Actor Beatrix Potter N/A
N/A
1982 The Tale of Beatrix Potter Actor Beatrix Potter N/A
N/A
1982 King Lear Actor Regan 58
Average
1981 Country Actor Virginia Carlion N/A
N/A
1981 Othello Actor Desdemona 58
Average
1981 The French Lieutenant's Woman Actor Sonia 60
Fair
1980 Pasmore Actor Helen N/A
N/A
1977 Able's Will Actor Journalist N/A
N/A
1977 The Norman Conquests Actor Annie 69
Fair
1977 Joseph Andrews Actor Mrs. Wilton 58
Average
1975 King Lear Actor Regan N/A
N/A
1972 Mrs. Warren's Profession Actor Vivie Warren N/A
N/A
Visitation Actor N/A
N/A
Fing! Actor N/A
N/A