Prunella Scales
Acting·June 22, 1932·† October 27, 2025 — 93 years old·Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England, UK
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
Filmography · 103
2025The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers201450 Years of BBC Two ComedySelf2014Great Canal JourneysTVSelf2014Sub RosaMadame2013The Phone CallJoan2012Run For Your WifeWoman in Pub2011Horrid Henry: The MovieGreat Aunt Greta2009Fawlty Towers: Re-OpenedSelf / Sybil Fawlty2007The Shell SeekersDolly Keeling2007ThinkCustomer2007What the Pythons Did Next...Self2006Mr. Loveday's Little OutingLady Moping2005Fawlty Towers RevisitedHerself2005The Funny Blokes of British ComedySybil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)2004Agatha Christie's MarpleTVMrs Mackenzie2003Looking for VictoriaTVSelf / Victoria2003The RoyalTVRed Admiral2002DickensTVElizabeth Dickens2002A Day In The Death Of Joe EggGrace2001Station JimQueen Victoria2000The Ghost of Greville LodgeSarah1999Mad CowsDr. Minny Stinkler1999Loose WomenTVSelf1999An Ideal HusbandLady Markby1998Stiff Upper LipsAunt Agnes1997Keeping MumTVMarjorie1997An Audience with Alf Garnett1997Midsomer MurdersTVEleanor Bunsall1996EmmaMiss Bates1996Breaking the CodeSara Turing1996Lord of MisruleShirley1996Dennis the Menace and GnasherTVMrs. Duffel1996Dalziel and PascoeTVEdith Disney1996Silent WitnessTVAnne Parker1995The World of Lee EvansTVMother1995Look at the State We're In!TVStoryteller1995An Awfully Big AdventureRose1995Signs and WondersTVElizabeth Palmore1994Second BestMargery1994WolfMaude Waggins1994Fair GameMarjorie1994The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy FisherMrs. Tiggy-Winkle (voice)1994The Rector's WifeTVMarjorie Richardson1992Freddie As F.R.O.7.Queen (voice)1992My Friend WalterAunt Ellie1992Howards EndAunt Juley1991A Question of AttributionH.M.Q.1990The Tale of Little Pig RobinsonFleecy Flock1990Dirty BeastsNarrator1990Revolting RhymesNarrator1989Screen OneTVH.M.Q.1989Beyond The PaleMilly1989A Chorus of DisapprovalHannah Ap Llewellyn1989Bosses From Hell1989Communicators From Hell1988ThompsonTV1988Natural CausesCelia Bryce1988Consuming PassionsEthel1988After HenryTVSarah France1987When We Are MarriedAnnie Parker1987The Lonely Passion of Judith HearneMoira O'Neill1987What the Butler SawMrs Prentice1986Home CookingJudith1986Unnatural CausesTVJudith1986CasualtyTVJocelyn Anderson1986ScreenPlayTVMilly1985Theatre NightTVMrs. Prentice1985Mapp & LuciaTVMiss Elizabeth Mapp1985Absurd Person SingularMarion Brewster-Wright1984Weekend PlayhouseTVOlive Dodd1984Slimming DownMrs. Shrigley1983The Wicked LadyLady Kingsclere1983SinglesGail1982The Merry Wives of WindsorMistress Page1982Outside EdgeMiriam1981BergeracTVGloria Gibbins1981Never the TwainTVSusan Peel1978Doris and DoreenDoris Rutter1978The BBC Television ShakespeareTVMistress Page1978The Boys from BrazilMrs. Harrington1978The Hound of the BaskervillesGlynis1978An Audience with...TVSelf1977TargetTVDiana Blake1977The Achurch LettersFlorence Farr1976Lucky FellerTV1976The Littlest Horse ThievesMrs. Sandman1975Fawlty TowersTVSybil Fawlty1975The Apple CartQueen Jemima1974PlayhouseTVFlorence Farr1973Seven of OneTVMarion Joyce1973The Ring of TruthBabs Pickard1972Country MattersTVBabs Pickard1965BBC Play of the MonthTVQueen Jemima1965Thirty-Minute TheatreTVMarie1962Waltz of the ToreadorsEstella Fitzjohn1961Faces of JimTVLaura Morrell1961Marriage LinesTVKate Starling1958Room at the TopCouncil Office Worker (uncredited)1954The Crowded DayCustomer1954What Every Woman WantsMary1954Hobson's ChoiceVicky Hobson1953Laxdale HallMorag McLeod1952Pride and PrejudiceTVLydia Bennet