Penelope Wilton
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1946-06-03 (78 years old)
Place of Birth
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Penelope Wilton
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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Known For
Acting
(2025)
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
as Isobel Crawley
(2023)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
as Maureen Fry
(2022)
Downton Abbey: A New Era
as Isobel Merton
(2022)
Operation Mincemeat
as Hester Leggett
(2022)
(2020)
Summerland
as Older Alice
(2020)
Eternal Beauty
as Vivian
(2019)
Downton Abbey
as Isobel Merton
(2018)
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
as Amelia Maugery
(2018)
Zoo
as Denise Austin
(2017)
Brexit Shorts: The End
as Helen
(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)
Belle
as Lady Mary Murray
(2013)
(2012)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
as Jean Ainslie
(2012)
The Girl
as Peggy Robertson
(2010)
Harold Pinter: A Celebration
as Self
(2009)
Margot
as B.Q.
(2007)
Celebration
as Julie
(2007)
Half Broken Things
as Jean
(2006)
The History Boys
as Mrs. Bibby
(2005)
Pride & Prejudice
as Mrs. Gardiner
(2005)
Match Point
as Eleanor Hewett
(2005)
Falling
as Daisy Langrish
(2004)
Shaun of the Dead
as Barbara
(2003)
Calendar Girls
as Ruth
(2003)
Lucky Jim
as Celia Welch
(2001)
Iris
as Janet Stone
(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)
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)
(1995)
Carrington
as Lady Ottoline Morrell
(1995)
Landscape
as Beth
(1994)
The Deep Blue Sea
as Hester Collyer
(1993)
The Secret Rapture
as Marion French
(1992)
Blame It on the Bellboy
as Patricia Fulford
(1987)
Cry Freedom
as Wendy Woods
(1986)
Clockwise
as Pat Garden
(1984)
Laughterhouse
as Alice Singleton
(1983)
The Tale of Beatrix Potter
as Beatrix Potter
(1982)
King Lear
as Regan
(1981)
The French Lieutenant's Woman
as Sonia
(1981)
Country
as Virginia Carlion
(1981)
Othello
as Desdemona
(1980)
Pasmore
as Helen
(1977)
Joseph Andrews
as Mrs. Wilton
(1977)
Able's Will
as Journalist
(1975)
King Lear
as Regan
(1972)
Mrs. Warren's Profession
as Vivie Warren