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Actor
Prunella Scales
- Born June 22, 1932 in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England, UK
- Died October 27, 2025
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.
Known for
Wolf1994
Fawlty Towers1975
Howards End1992
The Boys from Brazil1978
Midsomer Murders1997
Hobson's Choice1954
Agatha Christie's Marple2004
Room at the Top1958
Filmography
- 2025The Cancellation Of Fawlty TowersFilm
- 2014Great Canal JourneysSeriesSelf
- 2014Sub RosaFilmMadame
- 201450 Years of BBC Two ComedyFilmSelf
- 2013The Phone CallFilmJoan
- 2012Run For Your WifeFilmWoman in Pub
- 2011Horrid Henry: The MovieFilmGreat Aunt Greta
- 2009Fawlty Towers: Re-OpenedFilmSelf / Sybil Fawlty
- 2007The Shell SeekersFilmDolly Keeling
- 2007What the Pythons Did Next...FilmSelf
- 2007ThinkFilmCustomer
- 2006Mr. Loveday's Little OutingFilmLady Moping
- 2005Fawlty Towers RevisitedFilmHerself
- 2005The Funny Blokes of British ComedyFilmSybil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2004Agatha Christie's MarpleSeriesMrs Mackenzie
- 2003The RoyalSeriesRed Admiral
- 2003Looking for VictoriaSeriesSelf / Victoria
- 2002DickensSeriesElizabeth Dickens
- 2002A Day in the Death of Joe EggFilmGrace
- 2001Station JimFilmQueen Victoria
- 2000The Ghost of Greville LodgeFilmSarah
- 1999Loose WomenSeriesSelf
- 1999Mad CowsFilmDr. Minny Stinkler
- 1999An Ideal HusbandFilmLady Markby
- 1998Stiff Upper LipsFilmAunt Agnes
- 1997Midsomer MurdersSeriesEleanor Bunsall
- 1997An Audience with Alf GarnettFilm
- 1997Keeping MumSeriesMarjorie
- 1996EmmaFilmMiss Bates
- 1996Silent WitnessSeriesAnne Parker
- 1996Dalziel and PascoeSeriesEdith Disney
- 1996Dennis the Menace and GnasherSeriesMrs. Duffel
- 1996Breaking the CodeFilmSara Turing
- 1996Lord of MisruleFilmShirley
- 1995An Awfully Big AdventureFilmRose
- 1995The World of Lee EvansSeriesMother
- 1995Signs and WondersSeriesElizabeth Palmore
- 1995Look at the State We're In!SeriesStoryteller
- 1995SearchingSeriesMrs. Tilston
- 1994WolfFilmMaude Waggins
- 1994Second BestFilmMargery
- 1994Fair GameFilmMarjorie
- 1994The Rector's WifeSeriesMarjorie Richardson
- 1994The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy FisherFilmMrs. Tiggy-Winkle (voice)
- 1992Howards EndFilmAunt Juley
- 1992Freddie As F.R.O.7.FilmQueen (voice)
- 1992My Friend WalterFilmAunt Ellie
- 1991A Question of AttributionFilmH.M.Q.
- 1990Dirty BeastsFilmNarrator
- 1990Revolting RhymesFilmNarrator
- 1990The Tale of Little Pig RobinsonFilmFleecy Flock
- 1989A Chorus of DisapprovalFilmHannah Ap Llewellyn
- 1989Screen OneSeriesH.M.Q.
- 1989Beyond The PaleFilmMilly
- 1989Bosses From HellFilm
- 1989Communicators From HellFilm
- 1988After HenrySeriesSarah France
- 1988Consuming PassionsFilmEthel
- 1988ThompsonSeries
- 1988Natural CausesFilmCelia Bryce
- 1987The Lonely Passion of Judith HearneFilmMoira O'Neill
- 1987What the Butler SawFilmMrs Prentice
- 1987When We Are MarriedFilmAnnie Parker
- 1986CasualtySeriesJocelyn Anderson
- 1986Unnatural CausesSeriesJudith
- 1986ScreenPlaySeriesMilly
- 1986Home CookingFilmJudith
- 1985Mapp & LuciaSeriesMiss Elizabeth Mapp
- 1985Absurd Person SingularFilmMarion Brewster-Wright
- 1985Theatre NightSeriesMrs. Prentice
- 1984Slimming DownFilmMrs. Shrigley
- 1984Weekend PlayhouseSeriesOlive Dodd
- 1983The Wicked LadyFilmLady Kingsclere
- 1983SinglesFilmGail
- 1982The Merry Wives of WindsorFilmMistress Page
- 1982Outside EdgeFilmMiriam
- 1982S.W.A.L.K.SeriesPatti
- 1981BergeracSeriesGloria Gibbins
- 1981Never the TwainSeriesSusan Peel
- 1978The Boys from BrazilFilmMrs. Harrington