Penny Downie
Born
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
OccupationActress
Years active1976–present

Penny Downie is an Australian actress known for her stage and television appearances in the United Kingdom.

Career

Downie began her career in Australia, initially in Brisbane at Twelfth Night Theatre and Brisbane Arts Theatre. Downie was a student of theatre director, Joan Whalley. She trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Sydney.

TV and film

After graduation she appeared in Australian TV series such as The Box, Bellbird, The Sullivans, Prisoner, and Learned Friends.

She moved to the United Kingdom in the early 1980s. In 1984 she appeared as Dee Rogers in the Minder episode "If Money Be the Food of Love, Play On". Her many UK TV credits include Inspector Morse, Kavanagh QC, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Spooks, and New Tricks. She also appeared in The Girl in the Cafe.

In 2009, she played Mrs. Pienaar in the Clint Eastwood film Invictus.

In 2013, she appeared as Rev Mother Augustine in the Father Brown episode "The Bride of Christ". In 2014, Downie starred in an episode of Suspects as Fiona Sullivan, and appeared as Lady Sinderby, mother of Atticus Aldridge, in series five of Downton Abbey.[1]

Stage

She is an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company. where she has played roles such as Lady Anne in Richard III in the 1984 production featuring Antony Sher in the lead, and Hermione and Perdita in The Winter's Tale. She appeared in the premiere of Nick Dear's play The Art of Success in Stratford in 1986 and later at the Barbican Theatre, London, alongside Michael Kitchen and Simon Russell Beale.[2]

In 2008, she played opposite David Tennant and Patrick Stewart as Gertrude, in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Hamlet which was subsequently adapted for BBC television and aired in late 2009.[3][4] Downie played the title character in Euripides' Helen at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in 2009.

Downie played the title role in A Storm in a Flower Vase, a play based on the life of Constance Spry, which held its West End debut at the Arts Theatre.[5]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Type
1982CrosstalkCindyFeature film
1985WetherbyChrissieFeature film, UK
1987LionheartMadelaineFeature film US/Hungary
1997Food of LoveMaryFeature film, UK/France
2000The House of MirthJudy TrenorFeature film UK/France/Germany/US
2009InvictusMrs. PienaarFeature film, US
2011W.E.Dr. VargasFeature film, UK
2013Girl on a BicycleMargaretFeature film Germany/France
2016London Has FallenHome Secretary Rose KenterFeature film US/UK/Bulgaria
2016JackieJanet LeeFeature film US/UK/France/Chile/Germany
2017BreatheTidFeature film, UK
2020The Jester from TransylvaniaMrs. PenningtonFeature film, UK

Television

Year Film Role Type
1976-1977 Bellbird Recurring role: Kelly Jamison ABC TV series, 71 episodes
1977 The Box Recurring Guest role: Ronnie Heatherton TV series, 2 episodes
1979 Skyways Guest role: Miranda TV series, 1 episode: "George And The Hooker"
1979-1980 Cop Shop Guest roles: Sherry Raymond / Wendy Green / Gillian Croft TV series, 4 episodes
1980 Prisoner Recurring role: Kerry Vincent TV series, 12 episodes
1981 Punishment Guest role TV series
1982 The Sullivans Guest role: Patty Spencer Sullivan TV series, 1 episode
1983 Learned Friends Regular role ABC TV series
1984 Minder Dee Rogers TV series UK, 1 episode: "If Money Be the Food of Love, Play On"
1986 C.A.T.S Eyes Guest role: Barbara Dashley TV series UK, 1 episode: "Powerline"
The Story of English Herself - Self / Titania TV miniseries UK, 1 episode
Refuse to Dance: The Theatre of Howard Barker Herself TV documentary, UK
1988 Campaign Regular role: Sarah Copeland TV miniseries UK, 6 episodes
A Taste for Death Regular role: Inspector Kate Miskin TV miniseries UK, 6 episodes
1991 Screen One Guest role: Sheila TV series UK, 1 episode: "Ex")
Stanley and the Women Regular role: Susan Duke TV miniseries UK, 4 episodes
1992 Underbelly Recurring role: Barbara Manning TV series UK, 4 episodes
1993 Inspector Morse Guest role: Nurse Wendy Hazlitt TV series UK, 1 episode: "Deadly Slumber"
1994 Stages Guest role: Linda TV series UK, 1 episode
1995 The Governor Guest role: Christina Knatchbull TV series UK, 1 episode: "Episode #1.4"
1996 Madson Anderton TV series UK, 1 episode 6: "Episode 6"
1997 The Ice House Recurring role: Phoebe Maybury TV miniseries UK, 2 episodes
1998 A Certain Justice Guest role: Venetia Aldridge TV series, 1 episode
Crime and Punishment Katerina TV movie, US
1999 Lost for Words Aileen Longden TV movie, UK
Kavanagh QC Guest role: Mrs. Rosalind McEnery TV series UK, 1 episode: "Previous Convictions"
Stagestruck: Gay Theatre in the 20th Century Herself TV series UK, 3 episodes
2001 The Cazalets Recurring role: Margot "Sid" Sidney TV series UK, 6 episodes
2003 Trust Guest role: Anita Matteo TV miniseries UK, 1 episode: "Spilt Milk"
Byron Lady Judith Milbanke TV movie, UK
2004 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Guest role: Dr. Tessa Jellicoe TV series UK, 1 episode: "If Wishes Were Horses"
Spooks Guest role: Prosecution QC TV series UK, 1 episode: "Episode #3.6" (uncredited)
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking Recurring role: Judith Massingham TV movie, UK/US
2005 Timewatch Caecilia TV series documentary UK, 1 episode: "Murder In Rome"
Falling Hazel TV movie, UK
The Girl in the Café Ruth TV movie, UK/US
Murder in Suburbia Guest role: Zenith TV series UK, 1 episode: "Golden Oldies"
All About George Regular role: Evelyn TV series UK, 6 episodes
Trial & Retribution Guest role: Mrs Thorpe TV series UK, 1 episode: "The Lovers: Part 1"
Murder in Rome Caecilia TV movie, UK
2006 Judge John Deed Guest role: Moira Blackthorn TV series UK, 1 episode: "My Daughter, Right or Wrong"
Agatha Christie's Poirot Guest role: Frances Cloade TV series UK, 1 episode: "Taken at the Flood"
New Street Law Honor Scammell / Honor Scammel TV series UK, 14 episodes: 2006–2007
2007 The Commander: Fraudster Jane Griffith TV movie, UK
2008 New Tricks Diane King TV series UK, 1 episode: "Communal Living"
2009 Hamlet Gertrude TV movie, UK/US/Japan
2010;2014 Doctors Jessica Boyd / Maisie Padkin TV series UK, 2 episodes
2011 Waking the Dead Recurring role: Bonnie Yorke TV series UK, 2 episodes: "Solidarity"
Silk Guest role: Helen Guthrie TV series UK, 1 episode: "Episode #1.6"
The Shadow Line Guest role: Caroline Monroe TV mini-series UK, 1 episode: "Episode #1.4"
Law & Order: UK Recurring role: Rachel Mathesson TV series UK, 2 episodes
2012 Vera Guest role: Veronica TV series UK, 1 episode: "Silent Voices"
Threesome Guest role: Judge TV series UK, 1 episode: "I Don't"
2013 Ripper Street Guest role: Flora Gable TV series UK/IRELAND, 1 episode: "The King Came Calling"
Father Brown Guest role: Rev Mother Augustine TV series UK, 1 episode: "The Bride of Christ"
Silent Witness Guest role: Anne Percival TV series UK, 1 episode: "True Love Waits: Part 2"
Breathless Recurring role: Penny TV series UK, 2 episodes
2014 Suspects Guest role: Fiona Sullivan TV series UK, 1 episode: "Alone"
Siblings Guest role: Dr. Barker (as Pennie Downie) TV series UK, 1 episode: "Intern School"
Downton Abbey Recurring role: Lady Sinderby TV series UK, 4 episodes
2016 Houdini and Doyle Recurring role: Mrs. Sulzbach TV miniseries UK/Canada, 1 episode
The Secret Agent Recurring role: Lady Blackwood TV miniseries UK, 3 episodes
2017-2021 Back Regular role: Ellen TV series UK, 12 episodes
2019 The Lovecraft Investigations Barbara Podcast series UK, 1 episode
Absentia Recurring role: Valerie Chandris TV series US/Israel, 3 episodes
2019-2020 The Crown Recurring role: Alice, Duchess of Gloucester TV series UK, 9 episodes

References

  1. "STV programmes news and information".
  2. "Production of the Art of Success | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  3. Billen, Andrew (21 August 2008). "Fit for a prince - Hamlet Production". New Statesman. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  4. "BBC Two - Hamlet". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  5. Prendergast, Lara (12 September 2013). "A Storm in a Flower Vase: Constance Spry spruces up centrestage". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
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