Acting · Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK · Born June 3, 1946
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.
MovieFing!
2026
MovieDownton Abbey: The Grand Finale
2025
as Isobel Merton
MovieDownton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale
2025
as Self
TVDead Hot
2024
as Francine
TVMurder Is Easy
2023
as Miss Pinkerton
MovieThe Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
2023
as Maureen Fry
MovieJudi Dench: Our National Treasure
2022
as Self
TVRemembers…
2022
MovieDownton Abbey: A New Era
2022
as Isobel Merton
MovieOperation Mincemeat
2022
as Hester Leggett
MovieEternal Beauty
2020
as Vivian
MovieSummerland
2020
as Older Alice
MovieDownton Abbey
2019
as Isobel Merton
TVAfter Life
2019
as Anne
MovieZoo
2018
as Denise Austin
MovieThe Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
2018
as Amelia Maugery
MovieBrexit Shorts: The End
2017
as Helen
TVBrief Encounters
2016
as Pauline
MovieThe BFG
2016
as The Queen
MovieAll the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film
2016
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
2015
as Jean Ainslie
MovieNational Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage
2013
as Delia
MovieBelle
2013
as Lady Mary Murray
MovieThe Girl
2012
as Peggy Robertson
MovieThe Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
2012
as Jean Ainslie
TVSouth Riding
2011
as Mrs Beddows
TVDownton Abbey
2010
as Isobel Merton
MovieHarold Pinter: A Celebration
2010
as Self
MovieMargot
2009
as B.Q.
MovieThe Stolen Earth / Journey's End
2008
as Harriet Jones
TVThe Passion
2008
as Mary
MovieHalf Broken Things
2007
as Jean
MovieCelebration
2007
as Julie
TVFive Days
2007
as Barbara Poole
MovieThe History Boys
2006
as Mrs. Bibby
MovieMatch Point
2005
as Eleanor Hewett
MoviePride & Prejudice
2005
as Mrs. Gardiner
MovieDoctor Who: Aliens of London & World War Three
2005
as Harriet Jones
TVDoctor Who
2005
MovieFalling
2005
as Daisy Langrish
MovieShaun of the Dead
2004
as Barbara
MovieCalendar Girls
2003
as Ruth
TVComedy Connections
2003
MovieLucky Jim
2003
as Celia Welch
MovieIris
2001
as Janet Stone
TVBob & Rose
2001
as Monica Gossage
MovieVictoria & Albert
2001
as Princess Mary Louise Victoria
MovieThe Whistle-Blower
2001
as Heather Graham
MovieVictoria Wood with All the Trimmings
2000
as Mrs. Cratchit
MovieRockaby
2000
as Old Woman
TVWives and Daughters
1999
as Mrs Hamley
MovieTom's Midnight Garden
1999
as Aunt Melbourne
MovieThe Strange Case of Delfina Potocka
1999
as Delfina / Paulina
MovieAlice Through the Looking Glass
1998
as White Queen
MovieTalking Heads 2
1998
Landscape
1995
as Beth
MovieCarrington
1995
as Lady Ottoline Morrell
TVKavanagh Q.C.
1995
as Barbara Watkins
MovieThe Deep Blue Sea
1994
as Hester Collyer
The Return of the Borrowers
1993
as Homily
The Secret Rapture
1993
as Marion French
TVThe Borrowers
1992
as Homily
TVScreaming
1992
MovieBlame It on the Bellboy
1992
as Patricia Fulford
TVPerformance
1991
as Beth
4 Play
1989
as Julia
TVTalking Heads
1988
as Rosemary
MovieCry Freedom
1987
as Wendy Woods
MovieClockwise
1986
as Pat Garden
TVC.A.T.S. Eyes
1985
MovieLaughterhouse
1984
as Alice Singleton
TVEver Decreasing Circles
1984
MovieThe Tale of Beatrix Potter
1983
as Beatrix Potter
TVThe Tale of Beatrix Potter
1982
as Beatrix Potter
MovieKing Lear
1982
as Regan
MovieCountry
1981
as Virginia Carlion
MovieOthello
1981
as Desdemona
MovieThe French Lieutenant's Woman
1981
as Sonia
MoviePasmore
1980
as Helen
TVAn Audience with...
1978
as Self
MovieAble's Will
1977
as Journalist
TVThe Norman Conquests
1977
as Annie
MovieJoseph Andrews
1977
as Mrs. Wilton
MovieKing Lear
1975
as Regan
The Pearcross Girls
1973
as Anna Pearcross / Helen Charlesworth / Julia Pearcross / Lottie Merchant
MovieMrs. Warren's Profession
1972
as Vivie Warren
The Sullens Sisters
1972
as Rachel Sullens
TVCountry Matters
1972
as Rachel Sullens
TVPlay for Today
1970
as Virginia Carlion
TVBBC Play of the Month
1965
as Regan
MovieVisitation
Mavis Eccleston
as Mavis Eccleston
