Penelope Wilton
One of the most respected English stage actresses of the late 20th century and beyond, Penelope Wilton also enjoyed a lengthy career as a film and television actress with appearances in "Cry Freedom" (1987), "Calendar Girls" (2003) and most notably, the hugely popular "Downton Abbey" (ITV/PBS, 2010-16) TV series. Frequently hailed for her versatility, which allowed her to move successfully between classical and modern drama, as well as for what critics often described as her "quintessential Englishness" - which translated into finely calibrated performances that allowed her to express layers of emotion through dialogue alone - Wilton came to be regarded as an "actress's actress," a performer who could deliver a memorable turn, no matter the material or author. The stage dominated her career for several decades before she began appearing in British TV and features, as well as the occasional international feature like "Shaun of the Dead" (2004) and "Match Point" (2005). But it was her turn as the steely, staunchly middle-class Isobel Crawley on "Downton" that brought Wilton international acclaim as the series drew in audiences around the globe in devoted numbers. "Downton" fans soon discovered what English theatergoers had known since the early 1970s - that Penelope Wilton represented the best that her country could offer as a performer.
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Penelope Wilton
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Downton Abbey 3 | Isobel Merton (Character) | - | 2025 |
74% |
|
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry | Maureen (Character) | - | 2023 |
86% |
|
Downton Abbey: A New Era | Isobel Merton (Character) | $43.3M | 2022 |
83% |
|
Operation Mincemeat | Hester Leggett (Character) | - | 2021 |
78% |
|
Summerland | Older Alice (Character) | $58.3K | 2020 |
79% |
|
Eternal Beauty | Vivian (Character) | - | 2019 |
84% |
|
Downton Abbey | Isobel Crawley (Character) | $96.8M | 2019 |
82% |
|
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | Amelia Maugery (Character) | - | 2018 |
88% |
|
Zoo | Denise Austin (Character) | - | 2017 |
74% |
|
The BFG | The Queen (Character) | $55.5M | 2016 |
67% |
|
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | Jean Ainslie (Character) | $33.0M | 2015 |
84% |
|
Belle | Lady Mary Murray (Character) | $10.7M | 2013 |
70% |
|
The Girl | Peggy Robertson (Character) | - | 2012 |
77% |
|
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | Jean Ainslie (Character) | $46.4M | 2011 |
No Score Yet |
|
Margot | B.Q (Character) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Marple: They Do It With Mirrors | Carrie Louise Serrocold (Character) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
Half Broken Things | Jean (Character) | - | 2007 |
66% |
|
The History Boys | Mrs. Bibby (Character) | $2.7M | 2006 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Falling | Daisy Langrish (Character) | - | 2005 |
77% |
|
Match Point | Eleanor Hewett (Character) | $23.1M | 2005 |
87% |
|
Pride & Prejudice | Mrs. Gardiner (Character) | $38.4M | 2005 |
92% |
|
Shaun of the Dead | Barbara (Character) | $14.1M | 2004 |
73% |
|
Calendar Girls | Ruth (Character) | $31.0M | 2003 |
No Score Yet |
|
Victoria & Albert | Princess Mary Louise Victoria (Character) | - | 2001 |
79% |
|
Iris | Janet Stone (Character) | $5.6M | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka: The Mystery of Chopin |
Delfina / |
- | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Alice Through the Looking Glass | White Queen (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Tom's Midnight Garden | Aunt Melbourne (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | This Could Be the Last Time | Marjorie (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Return of the Borrowers | Homily (Character) | - | 1996 |
54% |
|
Carrington | Lady Ottoline Morrell (Character) | $2.3M | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Borrowers | Homily (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Secret Rapture | Marion French (Character) | - | 1993 |
20% |
|
Blame It on the Bellboy | Patricia Fulford (Character) | $3.0M | 1992 |
73% |
|
Cry Freedom | Wendy Woods (Character) | $4.9M | 1987 |
80% |
|
Clockwise | Woman Teacher (Character) | $640.2K | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Singleton's Pluck | Alice Singleton (Character) | - | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laughter House | Alice Singleton (Character) | - | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Othello | Desdemona (Character) | - | 1981 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dead Hot | Francine (Character) | 2024 |
36% | 27% | Murder is Easy | Miss Pinkerton (Character) | 2023 |
88% | 93% | Downton Abbey | Isobel Crawley (Character) | 2010-2015 2023 |
71% | 86% | After Life | Anne (Character) | 2019-2020 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Brief Encounters | Pauline (Character) | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Great Performances | Guest | 2014 |
50% | No Score Yet | South Riding | Mrs Beddows (Character) | 2011 |
90% | 64% | Doctor Who | Harriet Jones (Guest Star) | 2005 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Passion | Unknown (Character) | 2008 |
78% | 17% | Five Days | Barbara Poole (Character) | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Masterpiece Theatre | Unknown (Character) | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Borrowers | Homily (Character) | 1992-1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ever Decreasing Circles | Ann Bryce (Character) | 1984 1986-1987 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | BBC Television Shakespeare | Regan (Character) | 1982 |