Biography
Penny Downie is an Australian actress. Born in Brisbane, Queensland, she trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney before moving to the United Kingdom in the early 1980s.
She is an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company and has received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress. Her stage credits include productions with the RSC, and she has appeared in numerous British television series and films.
Her film roles include Aileen Longden in Lost for Words (1999) and Mrs. Pienaar in Invictus (2009). Television appearances include the Duchess of Gloucester in The Crown, Lady Sinderby in Downton Abbey, Ellen in Back (2017–2021), and Frances Munning in The Diplomat (2023).
