Skip to main content
Penelope Wilton

Penelope Wilton

Acting1946Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK

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.

Acting History

2026
2024
Dead Hot
TVas Francine6 eps
2023
2020
Summerland
as Older Alice
2019
Downton Abbey
as Isobel Merton
After Life
TVas Anne18 eps
2018
2016
2013
2012
The Girl
as Peggy Robertson
2011
South Riding
TVas Mrs Beddows
2010
Downton Abbey
TVas Isobel Merton47 eps
2009
Margot
as B.Q.
2008
The Passion
TVas Mary
2007
Celebration
as Julie
Five Days
TVas Barbara Poole
2006
The History Boys
as Mrs. Bibby
2005
Falling
as Daisy Langrish
Match Point
as Eleanor Hewett
Pride & Prejudice
as Mrs. Gardiner
Doctor Who
TVas Harriet Jones3 eps
2004
2001
Iris
as Janet Stone
Victoria & Albert
as Princess Mary Louise Victoria
The Whistle-Blower
as Heather Graham
Bob & Rose
TVas Monica Gossage
2000
1999
Tom's Midnight Garden
as Aunt Melbourne
Wives and Daughters
TVas Mrs. Hamley
Kavanagh Q.C.
TVas Barbara Watkins1 eps
1995
Landscape
as Beth
Carrington
as Lady Ottoline Morrell
1994
The Deep Blue Sea
as Hester Collyer
An Audience with...
TVas Self1 eps
Performance
TVas Hester Collyer1 eps
1993
1992
Blame It on the Bellboy
as Patricia Fulford
The Borrowers
TVas Homily
1988
Talking Heads
TVas Rosemary
1987
Cry Freedom
as Wendy Woods
1986
Clockwise
as Pat Garden
1983
1982
King Lear
as Regan
The Tale of Beatrix Potter
TVas Beatrix Potter
1981
Othello
as Desdemona
Country
as Virginia Carlion
Play for Today
TVas Virginia Carlion1 eps
1980
Pasmore
as Helen
1977
Joseph Andrews
as Mrs. Wilton
Able's Will
as Journalist
1975
King Lear
as Regan
BBC Play of the Month
TVas Regan1 eps
1972
The Sullens Sisters
as Rachel Sullens
Country Matters
TVas Rachel Sullens

Social Media

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
6/3/1946(79 years old)
Place of Birth
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK