PBoxOpening PBox

PBoxLoading your next world

Everything you’re watching, reading and playing.

Explore

Home Discover Movies TV Shows Anime Reels Search Library Calendar

Your space

Collections Rankings Episode Ratings Stats Community Messages Notifications

More

Open the Box Games Trailer Feed Comics Books Providers What's New Settings Help

Find something new

Movies Discover Lists Library Help

Track your stories and discover where to watch. Pandora’s Box does not host movies or episodes. Artwork and catalogue data belong to their respective providers.

Privacy Cookies Terms Contact

© 2026 Pandora’s Box · Data by TMDB, AniList & more

Home Discover Search Library

Penelope Wilton

Cast & creator

Penelope Wilton

1946-06-03 (age 80) Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UKIMDb

Best known for Doctor Who, Doctor Who, Play for Today

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.

Also known as: Penelope Alice Wilton, Penelope Winton, Dame Penelope Alice Wilton

Movies

61

film credits

Series

34

television credits

Career

95

1965–2027 · acting roles

Credit score

6.8

average across scored titles

Signature credits

Known for

Ordered by popularity

Doctor Who

Doctor Who

Acting · 2005

Doctor Who

Doctor Who

Harriet Jones · 2005

Play for Today

Play for Today

Virginia Carlion · 1970

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey

Isobel Merton · 2010

BBC Play of the Month

BBC Play of the Month

Regan · 1965

Across film & television

Filmography (95)

Search filmography

Showing 95 of 95 credits

Doctor Who

Doctor Who

Doctor Who

Doctor Who

Harriet Jones

Play for Today

Play for Today

Virginia Carlion

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey

Isobel Merton

BBC Play of the Month

BBC Play of the Month

Regan

Agatha Christie's Marple

Agatha Christie's Marple

Carrie Louise Serrocold

An Audience with...

An Audience with...

Self

Pride & Prejudice

Pride & Prejudice

Mrs. Gardiner

Performance

Performance

Beth

Performance

Performance

Hester Collyer

Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead

Barbara

Kavanagh Q.C.

Kavanagh Q.C.

Barbara Watkins

The BFG

The BFG

The Queen

Remembers…

Remembers…

After Life

After Life

Anne

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Isobel Merton

Country Matters

Country Matters

Rachel Sullens

Match Point

Match Point

Eleanor Hewett

Five Days

Five Days

Barbara Poole

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey

Isobel Merton

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Isobel Merton

Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat

Hester Leggett

Comedy Connections

Comedy Connections

C.A.T.S. Eyes

C.A.T.S. Eyes

Wives and Daughters

Wives and Daughters

Mrs Hamley

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Jean Ainslie

Ever Decreasing Circles

Ever Decreasing Circles

Calendar Girls

Ruth

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Jean Ainslie

The Passion

The Passion

Mary

Murder Is Easy

Murder Is Easy

Miss Pinkerton

4 Play

Julia

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

Amelia Maugery

Bob & Rose

Bob & Rose

Monica Gossage

The Borrowers

The Borrowers

Homily

Cry Freedom

Cry Freedom

Wendy Woods

The French Lieutenant's Woman

The French Lieutenant's Woman

Sonia

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Maureen Fry

Iris

Iris

Janet Stone

South Riding

South Riding

Mrs Beddows

The History Boys

The History Boys

Mrs. Bibby

Talking Heads

Talking Heads

Rosemary

Brief Encounters

Brief Encounters

Pauline

Clockwise

Clockwise

Pat Garden

Belle

Belle

Lady Mary Murray

Summerland

Summerland

Older Alice

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Alice Through the Looking Glass

White Queen

Eternal Beauty

Eternal Beauty

Vivian

The Return of the Borrowers

Homily

The Girl

The Girl

Peggy Robertson

Dead Hot

Dead Hot

Francine

The Norman Conquests

The Norman Conquests

Annie

The Deep Blue Sea

The Deep Blue Sea

Hester Collyer

Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion

Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion

Harriet Jones

Screaming

Screaming

Zoo

Zoo

Denise Austin

Blame It on the Bellboy

Blame It on the Bellboy

Patricia Fulford

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

Delia

Harold Pinter: A Celebration

Harold Pinter: A Celebration

Self

Mavis Eccleston

Mavis Eccleston

Tom's Midnight Garden

Tom's Midnight Garden

Aunt Melbourne

The Song of Songs

The Song of Songs

Lilli Czepanek

Victoria & Albert

Victoria & Albert

Princess Mary Louise Victoria

Country

Country

Virginia Carlion

Judi Dench: Our National Treasure

Judi Dench: Our National Treasure

Self

The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka

The Strange Case of Delfina Potocka

Delfina / Paulina

Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale

Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale

Self

Landscape

Beth

FING!

FING!

King Lear

King Lear

Regan

Joseph Andrews

Joseph Andrews

Mrs. Wilton

Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings

Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings

Mrs. Cratchit

Carrington

Carrington

Lady Ottoline Morrell

Othello

Othello

Desdemona

The Tale of Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter

Able's Will

Able's Will

Journalist

The Sullens Sisters

Rachel Sullens

Mrs. Warren's Profession

Mrs. Warren's Profession

Vivie Warren

Talking Heads 2

Talking Heads 2

The Pearcross Girls

Anna Pearcross / Helen Charlesworth / Julia Pearcross / Lottie Merchant

Brexit Shorts: The End

Brexit Shorts: The End

Helen

The Whistle-Blower

The Whistle-Blower

Heather Graham

Half Broken Things

Half Broken Things

Jean

Rockaby

Rockaby

Old Woman

King Lear

King Lear

Regan

All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film

All the World's a Screen: Shakespeare on Film

Narrator (voice)

Margot

Margot

B.Q.

Celebration

Celebration

Julie

Pasmore

Pasmore

Helen

Visitation

Visitation

Lucky Jim

Lucky Jim

Celia Welch

The Secret Rapture

The Secret Rapture

Marion French

Laughterhouse

Laughterhouse

Alice Singleton

Falling

Falling

Daisy Langrish