Penelope Wilton
Biography
Penelope Wilton is an English actress who began her stage career in 1969 at the Nottingham Playhouse before making her Broadway debut in The Philanthropist and her West End debut in West of Suez, both in 1971. Her television career started in 1972 with Mrs. Warren's Profession, and she later appeared for the BBC Television Shakespeare in productions of Othello as Desdemona and King Lear as Regan. She became widely known for playing Ann in the BBC sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles opposite Richard Briers, and for roles including Homily in The Borrowers, Harriet Jones in Doctor Who, and Isobel Crawley in Downton Abbey from 2010 to 2015. She received six Olivier Award nominations and won Best Actress at the 2015 Olivier Awards for Taken at Midnight. Her films include Match Point (2005), Shaun of the Dead (2004), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), and The BFG (2016).
80years old
Turns 81 on June 3in 234 days
- Born Scarborough
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Penelope Alice Wilton (birth name)Also credited as Dame Penelope Alice Wilton
Movie Career
- Films
- 27
- Career span
- 44 years1981 to 2025
Genres
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First role
Wilton began her stage career in 1969 at the Nottingham Playhouse, where her early parts included Cordelia in King Lear, a role she also played at The Old Vic.
First role
In 1974, Wilton took the role of Ruth in the original London stage production of Alan Ayckbourn's Norman Conquests trilogy. She began in the part as Bridget Turner's understudy.
First role
In 1972, Wilton's television career got underway with the part of Vivie Warren in a BBC2 adaptation of Mrs. Warren's Profession. Coral Browne played the title role, and Robert Powell was also in the cast.
First role
Wilton first appeared on Broadway in March 1971 as Araminta in the original production of The Philanthropist. That August she made her West End debut opposite Sir Ralph Richardson in John Osborne's West of Suez.
Penelope Wilton movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
John Madden directed three of these films, Simon Curtis two. Judi Dench appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Judi Dench's page
Bill Nighy's page
Maggie Smith's page
Hugh Bonneville's page
Jim Carter's page
Celia Imrie's page
John MaddenDirector, 3 films, 2011 to 2021
All films by John Madden
Simon CurtisDirector, 2 films, 2022 to 2025
All films by Simon Curtis
Also three films together2 more actors
- Richard GriffithsThe History Boys (2006), Blame It on the Bellboy (1992) and The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
- Matthew GoodeThe Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018), Belle (2013) and Match Point (2005)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Penelope Wilton's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$1.1 billion
21 of the 27 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 27 films: 21 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 4 never in cinemas; 1 figure not found.
- 21Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 4Never in cinemas
- 1Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 84% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$195M17.4% of the total
- 2$151M13.4% of the total
- 3$125M11.1% of the total
- 4$108M9.6% of the total
- 5$97M8.6% of the total
- 6$93M8.3% of the total
- 7$86M7.7% of the total
- 8$86M7.6% of the total
$182 millionfrom the other 13 films with a worldwide figure, 16% of the total
Awards
Three awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Won | ||
| Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress | Won | ||
| Officer of the Order of the British Empire | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.