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Penelope Wilton

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.

  • Known ForActing
  • Born3 June 1946 (age 79)
  • Place of BirthScarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Penelope Wilton

Photos
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.

  • Known ForActing
  • Born3 June 1946 (age 79)
  • Place of BirthScarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
KNOWN FOR
PHOTOS
CREDITS
Poster
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
star
7.325
2025
Poster
Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale
star
-
2025
Poster
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
star
6.592
2023
Poster
Judi Dench: Our National Treasure
star
8.0
2022
Poster
Operation Mincemeat
star
6.509
2022
Poster
Downton Abbey: A New Era
star
7.219
2022
Poster
Summerland
star
7.527
2020
Poster
Eternal Beauty
star
6.178
2020
Poster
Downton Abbey
star
7.139
2019
Poster
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
star
7.415
2018
Poster
Zoo
star
6.7
2018
Poster
Brexit Shorts: The End
star
10.0
2017
Poster
All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film
star
-
2016
Poster
The BFG
star
6.283
2016
Poster
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
star
6.425
2015
Poster
Belle
star
7.114
2013
Poster
National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
star
6.2
2013
Poster
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
star
6.954
2012
Poster
The Girl
star
6.114
2012
Poster
Harold Pinter: A Celebration
star
-
2010
Poster
Margot
star
5.542
2009
Poster
Celebration
star
6.3
2007
Poster
Half Broken Things
star
6.8
2007
Poster
The History Boys
star
6.624
2006
Poster
Match Point
star
7.354
2005
Poster
Falling
star
7.2
2005
Poster
Pride & Prejudice
star
8.06
2005
Poster
Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion
star
-
2005
Poster
Shaun of the Dead
star
7.5
2004
Poster
Calendar Girls
star
6.534
2003
Poster
Lucky Jim
star
-
2003
Poster
Iris
star
6.399
2001
Poster
Victoria & Albert
star
7.6
2001
Poster
The Whistle-Blower
star
8.0
2001
Poster
Rockaby
star
4.8
2000
Poster
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings
star
6.5
2000
Poster
Tom's Midnight Garden
star
5.9
1999
Poster
The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka
star
-
1999
Poster
Alice Through the Looking Glass
star
5.104
1998
Poster
Talking Heads 2
star
7.0
1998
Poster
Carrington
star
6.142
1995
Poster
Landscape
star
10.0
1995
Poster
The Deep Blue Sea
star
1.0
1994
Poster
The Secret Rapture
star
3.75
1993
Poster
Blame It on the Bellboy
star
5.302
1992
Poster
Cry Freedom
star
7.0
1987
Poster
Clockwise
star
6.225
1986
Poster
Laughterhouse
star
5.0
1984
Poster
The Tale of Beatrix Potter
star
-
1983
Poster
King Lear
star
6.0
1982
Poster
The French Lieutenant's Woman
star
6.414
1981
Poster
Country
star
7.0
1981
Poster
Othello
star
6.2
1981
Poster
Pasmore
star
-
1980
Poster
Joseph Andrews
star
4.818
1977
Poster
Able's Will
star
-
1977
Poster
King Lear
star
-
1975
Poster
Mrs. Warren's Profession
star
-
1972