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).
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Acting
Movie
Shaun of the Dead
as Barbara
2004
Movie
Pride & Prejudice
as Mrs. Gardiner
2005
Movie
Match Point
as Eleanor Hewett
2005
Movie
The BFG
as The Queen
2016
TV
Doctor Who
2005
TV
Doctor Who
as Harriet Jones
2005
Movie
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
as Jean Ainslie
2012
Movie
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
as Amelia Maugery
2018
Movie
Downton Abbey
as Isobel Merton
2019
TV
Downton Abbey
as Isobel Merton
2010
TV
After Life
as Anne
2019
Movie
Operation Mincemeat
as Hester Leggett
2022
Movie
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
as Jean Ainslie
2015
Movie
Belle
as Lady Mary Murray
2013
Movie
Downton Abbey: A New Era
as Isobel Merton
2022
Movie
Calendar Girls
as Ruth
2003
Movie
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
as Isobel Merton
2025
Movie
The French Lieutenant's Woman
as Sonia
1981
Movie
Cry Freedom
as Wendy Woods
1987
Movie
Summerland
as Older Alice
2020
Movie
Clockwise
as Pat Garden
1986
Movie
Iris
as Janet Stone
2001
Movie
The History Boys
as Mrs. Bibby
2006
Movie
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
as Maureen Fry
2023