Penelope Wilton

Penelope Wilton

Birthdate
June 3, 1946 (78 years old)
Place of Birth
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Known For
Acting

Details

Birthdate
June 3, 1946 (78 years old)
Place of Birth
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Known For
Acting

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).

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Penelope Wilton's LGBTQ+ Titles

Summerland
Summerland
Older Alice
Carrington
Carrington
Lady Ottoline Morrell
The History Boys
The History Boys
Mrs. Bibby

Acting (86)

Visitation
Fing !
FING!
2025
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale as Isobel Crawley
2024
Dead Hot as Francine (6 episodes)
2023
Murder Is Easy as Miss Pinkerton (2 episodes)
2023
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry as Maureen Fry
2022
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure as Self
2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era as Isobel Merton
2022
Operation Mincemeat as Hester Leggett
2020
Eternal Beauty as Vivian
2020
Summerland as Older Alice
2019
Downton Abbey as Isobel Merton
2019
After Life as Anne (18 episodes)
2018
Zoo as Denise Austin
2018
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society as Amelia Maugery
2017
Brexit Shorts: The End as Helen
2016
Brief Encounters as Pauline (6 episodes)
2016
The BFG as The Queen
2016
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film as Narrator (voice)
2015
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as Jean Ainslie
2013
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage as Delia
2013
Belle as Lady Mary Murray
2012
The Girl as Peggy Robertson
2012
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as Jean Ainslie
2011
South Riding as Mrs Beddows (3 episodes)
2010
Downton Abbey as Isobel Merton (47 episodes)
2010
Harold Pinter: A Celebration as Self
2009
Margot as B.Q.
2008
The Passion as Mary (6 episodes)
2007
Half Broken Things as Jean
2007
Celebration as Julie
2007
Five Days as Barbara Poole (10 episodes)
2006
The History Boys as Mrs. Bibby
2005
Match Point as Eleanor Hewett
2005
Pride & Prejudice as Mrs. Gardiner
2005
Doctor Who (2 episodes)
2005
Doctor Who as Harriet Jones (3 episodes)
2005
Falling as Daisy Langrish
2004
Shaun of the Dead as Barbara
2003
Calendar Girls as Ruth
2003
Comedy Connections (1 episode)
2003
Lucky Jim as Celia Welch
2001
Iris as Janet Stone
2001
Bob & Rose as Monica Gossage (6 episodes)
2001
Victoria & Albert as Princess Mary Louise Victoria
2001
The Whistle-Blower as Heather Graham
2000
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings as Mrs. Cratchit
2000
Rockaby as Old Woman
1999
Wives and Daughters as Mrs. Hamley (6 episodes)
1999
Tom's Midnight Garden as Aunt Melbourne
1999
The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka as Delfina / Paulina
1998
Alice Through the Looking Glass as White Queen
1998
Talking Heads 2
1995
Landscape as Beth
1995
Carrington as Lady Ottoline Morrell
1995
Kavanagh Q.C. as Barbara Watkins (1 episode)
1994
The Deep Blue Sea as Hester Collyer
1993
The Return of the Borrowers as Homily (6 episodes)
1993
The Secret Rapture as Marion French
1992
The Borrowers as Homily (12 episodes)
1992
Screaming (8 episodes)
1992
Blame It on the Bellboy as Patricia Fulford
1991
Performance as Beth (1 episode)
1988
Talking Heads as Rosemary (1 episode)
1987
Cry Freedom as Wendy Woods
1986
Clockwise as Pat Garden
1985
C.A.T.S. Eyes (1 episode)
1984
Laughterhouse as Alice Singleton
1984
Ever Decreasing Circles (26 episodes)
1983
The Tale of Beatrix Potter as Beatrix Potter
1982
The Tale of Beatrix Potter as Beatrix Potter (1 episode)
1982
King Lear as Regan
1981
Country as Virginia Carlion
1981
Othello as Desdemona
1981
The French Lieutenant's Woman as Sonia
1980
Pasmore as Helen
1978
The BBC Television Shakespeare (2 episodes)
1978
An Audience with... as Self (1 episode)
1977
The Norman Conquests as Annie (3 episodes)
1977
Able's Will as Journalist
1977
Joseph Andrews as Mrs. Wilton
1975
Arena as Self - Narrator (1 episode)
1975
King Lear as Regan
1972
Mrs. Warren's Profession as Vivie Warren
1970
Play for Today as Virginia Carlion (1 episode)