

Penelope Wilton
ActorDame 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).
More details at TMDB
KNOWN FOR
FILMOGRAPHY
ACTOR60

Fing!
2026

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
2025
Isobel Merton

Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale
2025
Self

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
2023
Maureen Fry

Judi Dench: Our National Treasure
2022
Self

Operation Mincemeat
2022
Hester Leggett

Downton Abbey: A New Era
2022
Isobel Merton

Summerland
2020
Older Alice

Eternal Beauty
2020
Vivian

Downton Abbey
2019
Isobel Merton

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
2018
Amelia Maugery

Zoo
2018
Denise Austin

Brexit Shorts: The End
2017
Helen

All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film
2016
Narrator (voice)

The BFG
2016
The Queen

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
2015
Jean Ainslie

Belle
2013
Lady Mary Murray

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
2013
Delia

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
2012
Jean Ainslie

The Girl
2012
Peggy Robertson

Harold Pinter: A Celebration
2010
Self

Margot
2009
B.Q.

Celebration
2007
Julie

Half Broken Things
2007
Jean

The History Boys
2006
Mrs. Bibby

Match Point
2005
Eleanor Hewett

Falling
2005
Daisy Langrish

Pride & Prejudice
2005
Mrs. Gardiner

Shaun of the Dead
2004
Barbara

Calendar Girls
2003
Ruth

Lucky Jim
2003
Celia Welch

Iris
2001
Janet Stone

Victoria & Albert
2001
Princess Mary Louise Victoria

The Whistle-Blower
2001
Heather Graham

Rockaby
2000
Old Woman

Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings
2000
Mrs. Cratchit

Tom's Midnight Garden
1999
Aunt Melbourne

The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka
1999
Delfina / Paulina

Alice Through the Looking Glass
1998
White Queen

Talking Heads 2
1998

Carrington
1995
Lady Ottoline Morrell
- Landscape
Landscape
1995
Beth

The Deep Blue Sea
1994
Hester Collyer
- The Secret Rapture
The Secret Rapture
1993
Marion French

Blame It on the Bellboy
1992
Patricia Fulford

Cry Freedom
1987
Wendy Woods

Clockwise
1986
Pat Garden

Laughterhouse
1984
Alice Singleton

The Tale of Beatrix Potter
1983
Beatrix Potter

King Lear
1982
Regan

The French Lieutenant's Woman
1981
Sonia

Country
1981
Virginia Carlion

Othello
1981
Desdemona

Pasmore
1980
Helen

Joseph Andrews
1977
Mrs. Wilton

Able's Will
1977
Journalist

King Lear
1975
Regan

Mrs. Warren's Profession
1972
Vivie Warren
- The Sullens Sisters
The Sullens Sisters
1972
Rachel Sullens

Visitation





