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Penelope Wilton

Penelope Wilton

Acting

June 3, 1946 (80)Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK

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 for

Fing!2026

Fing!

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale2025

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Isobel Merton

Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale2025

Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale

Self

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry2023

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Maureen Fry

Judi Dench: Our National Treasure2022

Judi Dench: Our National Treasure

Self

Operation Mincemeat2022

Operation Mincemeat

Hester Leggett

Downton Abbey: A New Era2022

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Isobel Merton

Summerland2020

Summerland

Older Alice

Eternal Beauty2020

Eternal Beauty

Vivian

Downton Abbey2019

Downton Abbey

Isobel Merton

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society2018

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

Amelia Maugery

Zoo2018

Zoo

Denise Austin

Brexit Shorts: The End2017

Brexit Shorts: The End

Helen

All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film2016

All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film

Narrator (voice)

The BFG2016

The BFG

The Queen

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel2015

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Jean Ainslie

Belle2013

Belle

Lady Mary Murray

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage2013

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

Delia

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel2012

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Jean Ainslie

The Girl2012

The Girl

Peggy Robertson

Harold Pinter:  A Celebration2010

Harold Pinter: A Celebration

Self

Margot2009

Margot

B.Q.

Celebration2007

Celebration

Julie

Half Broken Things2007

Half Broken Things

Jean