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Penelope Wilton

Acting 79 years old Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK ★ 1.9
Born: June 3, 1946

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.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Doctor Who
Doctor Who 2005
Doctor Who
Doctor Who Harriet Jones 2005
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey Isobel Merton 2010
BBC Play of the Month
BBC Play of the Month Regan 1965
Pride & Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice Mrs. Gardiner 2005

Filmography

Acting Credits (90)

Fing!
Fing! 2026
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Isobel Merton 2025
Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale
Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale Self 2025
Dead Hot
Dead Hot Francine 2024
Murder Is Easy
Murder Is Easy Miss Pinkerton 2023
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Maureen Fry 2023
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure Self 2022
Remembers…
Remembers… 2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Downton Abbey: A New Era Isobel Merton 2022
Operation Mincemeat
Operation Mincemeat Hester Leggett 2022
Eternal Beauty
Eternal Beauty Vivian 2020
Summerland
Summerland Older Alice 2020
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey Isobel Merton 2019
After Life
After Life Anne 2019
Zoo
Zoo Denise Austin 2018
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society Amelia Maugery 2018
Brexit Shorts: The End
Brexit Shorts: The End Helen 2017
Brief Encounters
Brief Encounters Pauline 2016
The BFG
The BFG The Queen 2016
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film Narrator (voice) 2016
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Jean Ainslie 2015
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage Delia 2013
Belle
Belle Lady Mary Murray 2013
The Girl
The Girl Peggy Robertson 2012
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Jean Ainslie 2012
South Riding
South Riding Mrs Beddows 2011
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey Isobel Merton 2010
Harold Pinter: A Celebration
Harold Pinter: A Celebration Self 2010
Margot
Margot B.Q. 2009
The Passion
The Passion Mary 2008
Half Broken Things
Half Broken Things Jean 2007
Celebration
Celebration Julie 2007
Five Days
Five Days Barbara Poole 2007
The History Boys
The History Boys Mrs. Bibby 2006
Match Point
Match Point Eleanor Hewett 2005
Pride & Prejudice
Pride & Prejudice Mrs. Gardiner 2005
Doctor Who
Doctor Who 2005
Doctor Who
Doctor Who Harriet Jones 2005
Falling
Falling Daisy Langrish 2005
Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead Barbara 2004
Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls Ruth 2003
Comedy Connections
Comedy Connections 2003
Lucky Jim
Lucky Jim Celia Welch 2003
Iris
Iris Janet Stone 2001
Bob & Rose
Bob & Rose Monica Gossage 2001
Victoria & Albert
Victoria & Albert Princess Mary Louise Victoria 2001
The Whistle-Blower
The Whistle-Blower Heather Graham 2001
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings Mrs. Cratchit 2000
Rockaby
Rockaby Old Woman 2000
Wives and Daughters
Wives and Daughters Mrs Hamley 1999
Tom's Midnight Garden
Tom's Midnight Garden Aunt Melbourne 1999
The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka
The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka Delfina / Paulina 1999
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Alice Through the Looking Glass White Queen 1998
Talking Heads 2
Talking Heads 2 1998
Landscape
Landscape Beth 1995
Carrington
Carrington Lady Ottoline Morrell 1995
Kavanagh Q.C.
Kavanagh Q.C. Barbara Watkins 1995
The Deep Blue Sea
The Deep Blue Sea Hester Collyer 1994
The Return of the Borrowers
The Return of the Borrowers Homily 1993
The Secret Rapture
The Secret Rapture Marion French 1993
The Borrowers
The Borrowers Homily 1992
Screaming
Screaming 1992
Blame It on the Bellboy
Blame It on the Bellboy Patricia Fulford 1992
Performance
Performance Beth 1991
Performance
Performance Hester Collyer 1991
Talking Heads
Talking Heads Rosemary 1988
Cry Freedom
Cry Freedom Wendy Woods 1987
Clockwise
Clockwise Pat Garden 1986
C.A.T.S. Eyes
C.A.T.S. Eyes 1985
Laughterhouse
Laughterhouse Alice Singleton 1984
Ever Decreasing Circles
Ever Decreasing Circles 1984
The Tale of Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter 1983
The Tale of Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter 1982
King Lear
King Lear Regan 1982
Country
Country Virginia Carlion 1981
Othello
Othello Desdemona 1981
The French Lieutenant's Woman
The French Lieutenant's Woman Sonia 1981
Pasmore
Pasmore Helen 1980
An Audience with...
An Audience with... Self 1978
Able's Will
Able's Will Journalist 1977
The Norman Conquests
The Norman Conquests Annie 1977
Joseph Andrews
Joseph Andrews Mrs. Wilton 1977
King Lear
King Lear Regan 1975
Mrs. Warren's Profession
Mrs. Warren's Profession Vivie Warren 1972
The Sullens Sisters
The Sullens Sisters Rachel Sullens 1972
Country Matters
Country Matters Rachel Sullens 1972
Play for Today
Play for Today Virginia Carlion 1970
BBC Play of the Month
BBC Play of the Month Regan 1965
Visitation
Visitation
Mavis Eccleston
Mavis Eccleston Mavis Eccleston

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