Penelope Wilton
Biography
Dame Penelope Alice Wilton DBE is an English actress born on June 3, 1946, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. 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, playing Homily in The Borrowers and The Return of the Borrowers, and portraying the widowed Isobel Crawley in the ITV drama Downton Abbey. She also played the recurring role of Harriet Jones in Doctor Who and Anne in Ricky Gervais' Netflix dark comedy After Life. Wilton has had an extensive career on stage, receiving six Olivier Award nominations.
Career overview
Dame Penelope Alice Wilton DBE is an English actress born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, on June 3, 1946. She was formerly married to fellow actor Sir Ian Holm and retains her married style of Lady Holm. Wilton has an extensive career on stage and has earned six Olivier Award nominations.
In television, Wilton starred opposite Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles from 1984 to 1989. She also played Homily in The Borrowers in 1992 and The Return of the Borrowers in 1993. Her other notable television roles include the recurring character Harriet Jones in Doctor Who from 2005 to 2008 and the widowed Isobel Crawley in the ITV drama Downton Abbey from 2010 to 2015. Additionally, she played the role of Anne in Ricky Gervais' Netflix dark comedy After Life.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Fing! (2026)
- Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) as Isobel Merton
- Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale (2025) as Self
- Dead Hot (2024) as Francine
- Murder Is Easy (2023) as Miss Pinkerton
- The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023) as Maureen Fry
- Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) as Isobel Merton
- Remembers… (2022)
- Operation Mincemeat (2022) as Hester Leggett
- Judi Dench: Our National Treasure (2022) as Self
- Eternal Beauty (2020) as Vivian
- Summerland (2020) as Older Alice
- After Life (2019) as Anne
- Downton Abbey (2019) as Isobel Merton
- The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) as Amelia Maugery
- Zoo (2018) as Denise Austin
- Brexit Shorts: The End (2017) as Helen
- The BFG (2016) as The Queen
- Brief Encounters (2016) as Pauline
- All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film (2016) as Narrator (voice)
- The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) as Jean Ainslie
- Belle (2013) as Lady Mary Murray
- National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage (2013) as Delia
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) as Jean Ainslie
- The Girl (2012) as Peggy Robertson
- South Riding (2011) as Mrs Beddows
- Downton Abbey (2010) as Isobel Merton
- Harold Pinter: A Celebration (2010) as Self
- Margot (2009) as B.Q.
- The Passion (2008) as Mary
- The Stolen Earth / Journey's End (2008) as Harriet Jones
- Five Days (2007) as Barbara Poole
- Half Broken Things (2007) as Jean
- Celebration (2007) as Julie
- The History Boys (2006) as Mrs. Bibby
- Doctor Who (2005)
- Doctor Who (2005) as Harriet Jones
- Pride & Prejudice (2005) as Mrs. Gardiner
- Match Point (2005) as Eleanor Hewett
- Falling (2005) as Daisy Langrish
- Doctor Who: Aliens of London & World War Three (2005) as Harriet Jones
- Shaun of the Dead (2004) as Barbara
- Comedy Connections (2003)
- Calendar Girls (2003) as Ruth
- Lucky Jim (2003) as Celia Welch
- Bob & Rose (2001) as Monica Gossage
- Iris (2001) as Janet Stone
- Victoria & Albert (2001) as Princess Mary Louise Victoria
- The Whistle-Blower (2001) as Heather Graham
- Rockaby (2000) as Old Woman
- Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings (2000) as Mrs. Cratchit
- Wives and Daughters (1999) as Mrs Hamley
- Tom's Midnight Garden (1999) as Aunt Melbourne
- The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka (1999) as Delfina / Paulina
- Talking Heads 2 (1998)
- Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998) as White Queen
- Kavanagh Q.C. (1995) as Barbara Watkins
- Carrington (1995) as Lady Ottoline Morrell
- Landscape (1995) as Beth
- The Deep Blue Sea (1994) as Hester Collyer
- The Secret Rapture (1993) as Marion French
- The Return of the Borrowers (1993) as Homily
- The Borrowers (1992) as Homily
- Blame It on the Bellboy (1992) as Patricia Fulford
- Screaming (1992)
- Performance (1991) as Beth
- Performance (1991) as Hester Collyer
- 4 Play (1989) as Julia
- Talking Heads (1988) as Rosemary
- Cry Freedom (1987) as Wendy Woods
- Clockwise (1986) as Pat Garden
- C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985)
- Ever Decreasing Circles (1984)
- Laughterhouse (1984) as Alice Singleton
- The Tale of Beatrix Potter (1983) as Beatrix Potter
- King Lear (1982) as Regan
- The Tale of Beatrix Potter (1982) as Beatrix Potter
- Othello (1981) as Desdemona
- The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) as Sonia
- Country (1981) as Virginia Carlion
- Pasmore (1980) as Helen
- An Audience with... (1978) as Self
- Able's Will (1977) as Journalist
- Joseph Andrews (1977) as Mrs. Wilton
- The Norman Conquests (1977) as Annie
- King Lear (1975) as Regan
- The Pearcross Girls (1973) as Anna Pearcross / Helen Charlesworth / Julia Pearcross / Lottie Merchant
- Country Matters (1972) as Rachel Sullens
- The Sullens Sisters (1972) as Rachel Sullens
- Mrs. Warren's Profession (1972) as Vivie Warren
- Play for Today (1970) as Virginia Carlion
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Regan
- Mavis Eccleston as Mavis Eccleston
- Visitation