Penny Downie

Australian actress

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Penny Downie

Born|

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Occupation| Actress
Years active| 1976–present

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

## Career

[edit]

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.[citation needed]

### TV and film

[edit]

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]

In 2016, Downie played Home Secretary Rose Kenter in American action thriller London Has Fallen, and portrayed Janet Lee Bouvier, mother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the Pablo Larrain-directed historical drama Jackie. She also appeared on television in British-Canadian co-production Houdini & Doyle as Mrs. Sulzbach, and featured in three episodes of BBC1 espionage drama The Secret Agent, where she played Lady Blackwood. In 2017, she had a supporting role as Tid in biographical drama Breathe, as well as a six-episode stint on Channel 4 sitcom Back as Ellen. She reprised her role for a further six episodes in 2021.[2]

In 2019, she appeared in BBC Radio 4 horror podcast series The Lovecraft Investigations as Barbara, and played Valerie Chandris in three episodes of American thriller drama series Absentia. She also starred in nine episodes of Netflix series The Crown as Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.

In 2023, Downie played Frances Munning in four episodes of American political thriller The Diplomat. The following year, she featured in four episodes of British limited series A Gentleman in Moscow as Countess Rostova, based on the novel by Amor Towles. The series premiered on Paramount+ on 29 March 2024.[3]

### Stage

[edit]

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.[4]

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.[5][6] 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.[7]

## Filmography

[edit]

Film

Year  | Film  | Role  | Type

|
|
|

1982 | Crosstalk | Cindy | Feature film
1985 | Wetherby | Chrissie | Feature film, UK
1987 | Lionheart | Madelaine | Feature film US/Hungary
1997 | Food of Love | Mary | Feature film, UK/France
2000 | The House of Mirth | Judy Trenor | Feature film UK/France/Germany/US
2009 | Invictus | Mrs. Pienaar | Feature film, US
2011 | W.E. | Dr. Vargas | Feature film, UK
2013 | Girl on a Bicycle | Margaret | Feature film Germany/France
2016 | London Has Fallen | Home Secretary Rose Kenter | Feature film US/UK/Bulgaria
2016 | Jackie | Janet Lee | Feature film US/UK/France/Chile/Germany
2017 | Breathe | Tid | Feature film, UK
2020 | The Jester from Transylvania | Mrs. Pennington | Feature 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
2023  | The Diplomat | Frances Munning  | 4 episodes
2024  | A Gentleman in Moscow | The Countess  | 4 episodes

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "STV programmes news and information".
2. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/21/back-review-mitchell-and-webb-return-is-well-worth-the-wait
3. ^ https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/news/gentleman-moscow-released-friday-29th-march-paramount-plus
4. ^ "Production of the Art of Success | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
5. ^ Billen, Andrew (21 August 2008). "Fit for a prince - Hamlet Production". New Statesman. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
6. ^ "BBC Two - Hamlet". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
7. ^ Prendergast, Lara (12 September 2013). "A Storm in a Flower Vase: Constance Spry spruces up centrestage". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 September 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Penny Downie at IMDb

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