CineScope
Penelope Wilton picture

Penelope Wilton

Acting
Known For

79 Years Old

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.

Born

Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK on 3rd June 1946

All Credits

The BBC Television Shakespeare Image
The BBC Television Shakespeare
Desdemona
The BBC Television Shakespeare Image
The BBC Television Shakespeare
Regan
Doctor Who Image
Doctor Who
Harriet Jones
Doctor Who Image
Doctor Who
BBC Play of the Month Image
BBC Play of the Month
Regan
Downton Abbey Image
Downton Abbey
Isobel Merton
An Audience with... Image
An Audience with...
Self
Play for Today Image
Play for Today
Virginia Carlion
Five Days Image
Five Days
Barbara Poole
Kavanagh Q.C. Image
Kavanagh Q.C.
Barbara Watkins
After Life Image
After Life
Anne
C.A.T.S. Eyes Image
C.A.T.S. Eyes
Ever Decreasing Circles Image
Ever Decreasing Circles
Performance Image
Performance
Hester Collyer
Performance Image
Performance
Beth
Murder Is Easy Image
Murder Is Easy
Miss Pinkerton
Wives and Daughters Image
Wives and Daughters
Mrs. Hamley
South Riding Image
South Riding
Mrs Beddows
Comedy Connections Image
Comedy Connections
Pride & Prejudice Image
Pride & Prejudice
Mrs. Gardiner
Bob & Rose Image
Bob & Rose
Monica Gossage
The Borrowers Image
The Borrowers
Homily
Shaun of the Dead Image
Shaun of the Dead
Barbara
Screaming Image
Screaming
The Tale of Beatrix Potter Image
The Tale of Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter
The BFG Image
The BFG
The Queen
No Image
The Return of the Borrowers
Homily
Downton Abbey Image
Downton Abbey
Isobel Merton
Match Point Image
Match Point
Eleanor Hewett
Downton Abbey: A New Era Image
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Isobel Merton
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Image
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Isobel Crawley
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society Image
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
Amelia Maugery
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Image
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jean Ainslie
The Norman Conquests Image
The Norman Conquests
Annie
Brief Encounters Image
Brief Encounters
Pauline
Operation Mincemeat Image
Operation Mincemeat
Hester Leggett
Iris Image
Iris
Janet Stone
Belle Image
Belle
Lady Mary Murray
Dead Hot Image
Dead Hot
Francine
The Passion Image
The Passion
Mary
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Image
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jean Ainslie
Summerland Image
Summerland
Older Alice
Cry Freedom Image
Cry Freedom
Wendy Woods
The French Lieutenant's Woman Image
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Sonia
The History Boys Image
The History Boys
Mrs. Bibby
Talking Heads Image
Talking Heads
Rosemary
Zoo Image
Zoo
Denise Austin
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Image
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Maureen Fry
Calendar Girls Image
Calendar Girls
Ruth
Clockwise Image
Clockwise
Pat Garden
Half Broken Things Image
Half Broken Things
Jean
Carrington Image
Carrington
Lady Ottoline Morrell
Eternal Beauty Image
Eternal Beauty
Vivian
Tom's Midnight Garden Image
Tom's Midnight Garden
Aunt Melbourne
Alice Through the Looking Glass Image
Alice Through the Looking Glass
White Queen
The Girl Image
The Girl
Peggy Robertson
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage Image
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
Delia
Othello Image
Othello
Desdemona
Blame It on the Bellboy Image
Blame It on the Bellboy
Patricia Fulford
Joseph Andrews Image
Joseph Andrews
Mrs. Wilton
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings Image
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings
Mrs. Cratchit
Victoria & Albert Image
Victoria & Albert
Princess Mary Louise Victoria
Margot Image
Margot
B.Q.
Pasmore Image
Pasmore
Helen
Country Image
Country
Virginia Carlion
Celebration Image
Celebration
Julie
King Lear Image
King Lear
Regan
Harold Pinter:  A Celebration Image
Harold Pinter: A Celebration
Self
Falling Image
Falling
Daisy Langrish
Laughterhouse Image
Laughterhouse
Alice Singleton
The Whistle-Blower Image
The Whistle-Blower
Heather Graham
No Image
Landscape
Beth
Talking Heads 2 Image
Talking Heads 2
No Image
Lucky Jim
Celia Welch
King Lear Image
King Lear
Regan
Mrs. Warren's Profession Image
Mrs. Warren's Profession
Vivie Warren
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure Image
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure
Self
The Deep Blue Sea Image
The Deep Blue Sea
Hester Collyer
No Image
Visitation
The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka Image
The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka
Delfina / Paulina
Rockaby Image
Rockaby
Old Woman
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film Image
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film
Narrator (voice)
The Tale of Beatrix Potter Image
The Tale of Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter
No Image
The Secret Rapture
Marion French
No Image
Fing!
Able's Will Image
Able's Will
Journalist
Brexit Shorts: The End Image
Brexit Shorts: The End
Helen