Person
Penelope Wilton
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
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 marri…
IMDbKnown for
Popular titles
Photos
More stills of Penelope Wilton
Biography
A closer look
Read full 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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2027
FING!
Movie
-
2025
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Movie Isobel Merton
-
2025
Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale
Movie Self
-
2024
Dead Hot
TV show Francine
-
2023
Murder Is Easy
TV show Miss Pinkerton
-
2023
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Movie Maureen Fry
-
2022
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure
Movie Self
-
2022
Remembers…
TV show
-
2022
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Movie Isobel Merton
-
2022
Operation Mincemeat
Movie Hester Leggett
-
2020
Eternal Beauty
Movie Vivian
-
2020
Summerland
Movie Older Alice
-
2019
Downton Abbey
Movie Isobel Merton
-
2019
After Life
TV show Anne
-
2018
Zoo
Movie Denise Austin
-
2018
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
Movie Amelia Maugery
More credits
-
2017
Brexit Shorts: The End
Movie Helen
-
2016
Brief Encounters
TV show Pauline
-
2016
The BFG
Movie The Queen
-
2016
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film
Movie Narrator (voice)
-
2015
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Movie Jean Ainslie
-
2013
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
Movie Delia
-
2013
Belle
Movie Lady Mary Murray
-
2012
The Girl
Movie Peggy Robertson
-
2012
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Movie Jean Ainslie
-
2011
South Riding
TV show Mrs Beddows
-
2010
Downton Abbey
TV show Isobel Merton
-
2010
Harold Pinter: A Celebration
Movie Self
-
2009
Margot
Movie B.Q.
-
2008
The Passion
TV show Mary
-
2007
Half Broken Things
Movie Jean
-
2007
Celebration
Movie Julie
-
2007
Five Days
TV show Barbara Poole
-
2006
The History Boys
Movie Mrs. Bibby
-
2005
Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion
Movie Harriet Jones
-
2005
Match Point
Movie Eleanor Hewett
-
2005
Pride & Prejudice
Movie Mrs. Gardiner
-
2005
Doctor Who
TV show
-
2005
Falling
Movie Daisy Langrish
-
2004
Agatha Christie's Marple
TV show Carrie Louise Serrocold
