Exclusive: Dame Penelope Wilton is taking a dramatic turn in her career by starring alongside Glenn Close in a new murder comedy series titled Up to No Good. The 79-year-old actress, best known for her roles in Downton Abbey and After Life, will play Charlotte, the conscience to Glenn Close's murderous Maud Oldcastle.
A Dark Comedy with a Deadly Twist
Speaking about the series, Wilton said: "We are sisters and we get up to no good. It is a sort of a dark subversive comedy. Does it involve men? No, it involves murder." The six-part series is based on Helene Tursten's short story collections An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good and An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed, and is set to air this autumn.
From Sitcoms to Serial Killers
Wilton's career has spanned decades, from the 1980s BBC classic Ever Decreasing Circles to Ricky Gervais's After Life. She recalled her audition for the former: "They didn't want to give me the job. They said, 'can you be funny?' I said, 'well, I have been, sure.'" Now, she is certain to have fans in stitches once more, albeit with a darker edge.
A Star-Studded Cast
The series also features Richard E Grant and Tanya Reynolds, as well as Peter Egan, who co-starred with Wilton in Ever Decreasing Circles. Wilton praised Close, saying: "Glenn is, of course, iconic for Fatal Attraction, but in Up To No Good she is playing an older lady. I think what the series will show is what you can get away with if you pretend to be an old lady."
Reflections on a Storied Career
Wilton's role in After Life was recently named 'best British modern comedy' in a Radio Times poll. She credits Ricky Gervais's admiration for Ever Decreasing Circles as the reason she was cast. "The scenes I had with Ricky were these two people who had lost people sitting on a bench in a churchyard talking," she said. "I had many letters from people who found enormous solace in hearing our conversations in the show."
Early Life and Inspirations
Growing up in west London with two sisters, Wilton attended boarding school, which she "loathed." She discovered her love for theatre after watching a performance: "One of the great moments is when that curtain rises, and there's all the lights, and there's a whoosh. I was sitting in the dark and I wanted to be up there." After training at the Drama Centre London, she built a career that includes Doctor Who, The Borrowers, and Downton Abbey, where she worked with the late Dame Maggie Smith.
A Life of Happiness
Now a grandmother, Wilton remains optimistic about the future. "I have been happy overall. I've had unhappy times. Very unhappy times. But I'm a happy person. My glass is half full," she said. She continues to work, hoping to do more theatre, which she considers her greatest passion.
