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Prunella Scales

Acting 93 (deceased) years old Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England, UK ★ 1.5
Born: June 22, 1932
Died: October 27, 2025

Biography

Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales CBE (née Illingworth; 22 June 1932) was an English former actor, best known for playing Sybil Fawlty, wife of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), in the BBC comedy Fawlty Towers; for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in A Question of Attribution (Screen One, BBC 1991) by Alan Bennett (for which she was nominated for a BAFTA award); and for the documentary series Great Canal Journeys (2014–2021), in which she travels on canal barges and narrowboats with her husband, fellow actor Timothy West.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Silent Witness
Silent Witness Anne Parker 1996
Casualty
Casualty Jocelyn Anderson 1986
Agatha Christie's Marple
Agatha Christie's Marple Mrs Mackenzie 2004
BBC Play of the Month
BBC Play of the Month Queen Jemima 1965
The Boys from Brazil
The Boys from Brazil Mrs. Harrington 1978

Filmography

Acting Credits (97)

The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers
The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers 2025
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy Self 2014
Great Canal Journeys
Great Canal Journeys Self 2014
Sub Rosa
Sub Rosa Madame 2014
The Phone Call
The Phone Call Joan 2013
Run For Your Wife
Run For Your Wife Woman in Pub 2012
Horrid Henry: The Movie
Horrid Henry: The Movie Great Aunt Greta 2011
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened Self / Sybil Fawlty 2009
The Shell Seekers
The Shell Seekers Dolly Keeling 2007
Think
Think Customer 2007
What the Pythons Did Next...
What the Pythons Did Next... Self 2007
Mr. Loveday's Little Outing
Mr. Loveday's Little Outing Lady Moping 2006
Fawlty Towers Revisited
Fawlty Towers Revisited Herself 2005
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy Sybil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited) 2005
Agatha Christie's Marple
Agatha Christie's Marple Mrs Mackenzie 2004
The Royal
The Royal Red Admiral 2003
Dickens
Dickens Elizabeth Dickens 2002
A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg
A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg Grace 2002
Station Jim
Station Jim Queen Victoria 2001
The Ghost of Greville Lodge
The Ghost of Greville Lodge Sarah 2000
Mad Cows
Mad Cows Dr. Minny Stinkler 1999
Loose Women
Loose Women Self 1999
An Ideal Husband
An Ideal Husband Lady Markby 1999
Stiff Upper Lips
Stiff Upper Lips Aunt Agnes 1998
Keeping Mum
Keeping Mum Marjorie 1997
An Audience with Alf Garnett
An Audience with Alf Garnett 1997
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders Eleanor Bunsall 1997
Emma
Emma Miss Bates 1996
Breaking the Code
Breaking the Code Sara Turing 1996
Lord of Misrule
Lord of Misrule Shirley 1996
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Mrs. Duffel 1996
Dalziel & Pascoe
Dalziel & Pascoe 1996
Silent Witness
Silent Witness Anne Parker 1996
The World of Lee Evans
The World of Lee Evans Mother 1995
Look at the State We're In!
Look at the State We're In! Storyteller 1995
An Awfully Big Adventure
An Awfully Big Adventure Rose 1995
Signs and Wonders
Signs and Wonders Elizabeth Palmore 1995
Second Best
Second Best Margery 1994
Wolf
Wolf Maude Waggins 1994
Fair Game
Fair Game Marjorie 1994
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (voice) 1994
The Rector's Wife
The Rector's Wife Marjorie Richardson 1994
Freddie As F.R.O.7.
Freddie As F.R.O.7. Queen (voice) 1992
My Friend Walter
My Friend Walter Aunt Ellie 1992
Howards End
Howards End Aunt Juley 1992
A Question of Attribution
A Question of Attribution H.M.Q. 1991
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson Fleecy Flock 1990
Dirty Beasts
Dirty Beasts Narrator 1990
Revolting Rhymes
Revolting Rhymes Narrator 1990
Beyond The Pale
Beyond The Pale Milly 1989
A Chorus of Disapproval
A Chorus of Disapproval Hannah Ap Llewellyn 1989
Bosses From Hell
Bosses From Hell 1989
Communicators From Hell
Communicators From Hell 1989
Thompson
Thompson 1988
Natural Causes
Natural Causes Celia Bryce 1988
Consuming Passions
Consuming Passions Ethel 1988
After Henry
After Henry Sarah France 1988
When We Are Married
When We Are Married Annie Parker 1987
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne Moira O'Neill 1987
What the Butler Saw
What the Butler Saw Mrs Prentice 1987
Home Cooking
Home Cooking Judith 1986
Unnatural Causes
Unnatural Causes Judith 1986
Casualty
Casualty Jocelyn Anderson 1986
Theatre Night
Theatre Night Mrs. Prentice 1985
Mapp & Lucia
Mapp & Lucia Miss Elizabeth Mapp 1985
Absurd Person Singular
Absurd Person Singular Marion Brewster-Wright 1985
Slimming Down
Slimming Down Mrs. Shrigley 1984
The Wicked Lady
The Wicked Lady Lady Kingsclere 1983
Singles
Singles Gail 1983
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor Mistress Page 1982
Outside Edge
Outside Edge Miriam 1982
Bergerac
Bergerac Gloria Gibbins 1981
Never the Twain
Never the Twain Susan Peel 1981
Doris and Doreen
Doris and Doreen Doris Rutter 1978
The Boys from Brazil
The Boys from Brazil Mrs. Harrington 1978
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles Glynis 1978
An Audience with...
An Audience with... Self 1978
Target
Target Diana Blake 1977
The Achurch Letters
The Achurch Letters Florence Farr 1977
Lucky Feller
Lucky Feller 1976
The Littlest Horse Thieves
The Littlest Horse Thieves Mrs. Sandman 1976
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers Sybil Fawlty 1975
The Apple Cart
The Apple Cart Queen Jemima 1975
Playhouse
Playhouse Florence Farr 1974
Seven of One
Seven of One Marion Joyce 1973
The Ring of Truth
The Ring of Truth Babs Pickard 1973
BBC Play of the Month
BBC Play of the Month Queen Jemima 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Thirty-Minute Theatre Marie 1965
Waltz of the Toreadors
Waltz of the Toreadors Estella Fitzjohn 1962
Faces of Jim
Faces of Jim Laura Morrell 1961
Marriage Lines
Marriage Lines 1961
Room at the Top
Room at the Top Council Office Worker (uncredited) 1958
The Crowded Day
The Crowded Day Customer 1954
What Every Woman Wants
What Every Woman Wants Mary 1954
Hobson's Choice
Hobson's Choice Vicky Hobson 1954
Laxdale Hall
Laxdale Hall Morag McLeod 1953
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice Lydia Bennet 1952

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