---
name: "Penny Downie"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/penny-downie"
fi1m_id: "penny-downie"
imdb_id: "nm0236069"
tmdb_id: 108579
wikidata_id: "Q7164367"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "1 January 1954"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 66
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-09T19:31:37.312496+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Penny Downie

## Identity

Penny Downie

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/penny-downie
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** penny-downie
- **IMDb ID:** nm0236069
- **TMDB ID:** 108579
- **Wikidata ID:** Q7164367
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Downie, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7164367, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0236069/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/108579

Actor. Born 1 January 1954 in Queensland, Australia.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 1 January 1954, Queensland, Australia
- **Active:** 1999–present
- **Average Fi1m score:** 66, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 61 (1), 2010s 64 (3), 2020s 76 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 66 to 66 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Action 1, Adventure 1, Crime 1, History 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $342m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Downie, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7164367, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0236069/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/108579

## Coming up

- *Boss Cat* (2026-12-03), as Doris

## 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).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, unitedagents.co.uk.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *The Diplomat* (2023), Fi1m 76, as Frances Munning — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-diplomat.md)
- *Jackie* (2016), Fi1m 80, as Janet Lee — [page](https://film.one/film/jackie.md)
- *London Has Fallen* (2016), Fi1m 38, as Home Secretary Rose Kenter — [page](https://film.one/film/london-has-fallen.md)
- *Ripper Street* (2012), Fi1m 74, as Flora Gable — [page](https://film.one/tv/ripper-street.md)
- *Invictus* (2009), Fi1m 61, as Mrs. Pienaar — [page](https://film.one/film/invictus.md)

## Complete filmography (59)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Boss Cat* (2026), as Doris
- *The Jester from Transylvania* (2024), as Mrs. Pennington
- *The Diplomat* (2023), series, as Frances Munning — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-diplomat.md)
- *The Chelsea Detective* (2022), series, as Hilary Carmichael — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-chelsea-detective.md)
- *Whitstable Pearl* (2021), series, as Izzy
- *Breathe* (2017), as Tid
- *Absentia* (2017), series, as Valerie Chandris
- *Back* (2017), series, as Ellen
- *Jackie* (2016), as Janet Lee — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/jackie.md)
- *The Crown* (2016), series, as Duchess of Gloucester — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-crown.md)
- *Houdini & Doyle* (2016), series, as Mrs. Sulzbach
- *London Has Fallen* (2016), as Home Secretary Rose Kenter — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/london-has-fallen.md)
- *Siblings* (2014), series, as Dr Barker
- *Father Brown* (2013), series, as Rev. Mother Augustine
- *Ripper Street* (2012), series, as Flora Gable — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/ripper-street.md)
- *W.E.* (2011), as Dr. Vargas
- *Vera* (2011), series, as Veronica — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/vera.md)
- *Silk* (2011), series, as Helen Guthrie — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/silk.md)
- *Downton Abbey* (2010), series, as Lady Sinderby — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/tv/downton-abbey.md)
- *Hamlet* (2009), as Gertrude
- *Invictus* (2009), as Mrs. Pienaar — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/invictus.md)
- *New Street Law* (2006), series, as Honor Scammel
- *All About George* (2005), series, as Evelyn
- *The Girl in the Café* (2005), as Ruth
- *Falling* (2005), as Hazel Kent
- *Murder in Rome* (2005), as Caecilia
- *Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking* (2004), as Judith Massingham
- *Murder in Suburbia* (2004), series, as Zenith
- *Byron* (2003), as Lady Judith Milbanke
- *Trust* (2003), series, as Anita Matteo
- *Byron* (2003), series, as Lady Judith Milbanke
- *Spooks* (2002), series, as Prosecution QC — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md)
- *The Cazalets* (2001), series, as Sid
- *Waking the Dead* (2001), series, as Bonnie Yorke
- *The House of Mirth* (2000), as Judy Trenor
- *Lost for Words* (1999), as Aileen Longden
- *Crime and Punishment* (1998), as Katerina
- *A Certain Justice* (1998), series, as Venetia Aldridge
- *Food of Love* (1997), as Mary
- *The Ice House* (1997), series, as Phoebe Maybury
- *Madson* (1996), series, as Anderton
- *Kavanagh Q.C.* (1995), series, as Mrs. Rosalind McEnery
- *Paradise* (1994), as Linda
- *Stages* (1994), series, as Linda
- *Underbelly* (1992), series, as Barbara Manning
- *Stanley and the Women* (1991), series, as Susan Duke
- *Ex* (1991), as Sheila
- *Screen One* (1989), series, as Sheila
- *Agatha Christie's Poirot* (1989), series, as Frances Cloade — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/agatha-christies-poirot.md)
- *A Taste for Death* (1988), series, as Kate Miskin
- *Campaign* (1988), series, as Sarah Copeland
- *Lionheart* (1987), as Madelaine
- *Inspector Morse* (1987), series, as Nurse Wendy Hazlitt — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/inspector-morse.md)
- *Wetherby* (1985), as Chrissie
- *Dalgliesh* (1983), series, as Kate Miskin
- *Crosstalk* (1982), as Cindy
- *Timewatch* (1982), series, as Caecilia
- *Minder* (1979), series, as Dee Rogers — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/minder.md)
- *Doobie and a Lil Cup of Coffee*, as Iris (voice)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/penny-downie