Quick Facts
Born:
1946-06-03
Birthplace:
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Credits:
89 Total Roles
Penelope Wilton
Acting
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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.
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
Shaun of the Dead
Barbara
Pride & Prejudice
Mrs. Gardiner
Match Point
Eleanor Hewett
The BFG
The Queen
Doctor Who
Self
Doctor Who
Harriet Jones
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jean Ainslie
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
Amelia Maugery
Full Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fing! MOVIE | Self |
| 2025 | Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale MOVIE | Isobel Merton |
| 2025 | Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale MOVIE | Self |
| 2024 | Dead Hot TV | Francine |
| 2023 | Murder Is Easy TV | Miss Pinkerton |
| 2023 | The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry MOVIE | Maureen Fry |
| 2022 | Judi Dench: Our National Treasure MOVIE | Self |
| 2022 | Remembers… TV | Self |
| 2022 | Downton Abbey: A New Era MOVIE | Isobel Merton |
| 2022 | Operation Mincemeat MOVIE | Hester Leggett |