Prunella Scales, CBE is an English actress best known for her role as Basil Fawlty's wife Sybil in the British comedy Fawlty Towers and her BAFTA award-nominated role as Queen Elizabeth II in A Question of Attribution by Alan Bennett.
| Full Name | Prunella Scales |
| Net Worth | $2 Million |
| Date Of Birth | June 22, 1932 |
| Place Of Birth | Sutton Abinger, Abinger, United Kingdom |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.61 m) |
| Profession | Actress |
| Education | Moira House Girls School |
| Nationality | England |
| Spouse | Timothy West (m. 1963) |
| Children | Samuel West, Juliet West, Joseph West |
| Parents | Catherine Scales, John Richardson Illingworth |
| Nicknames | Prunella Margaret Rumney Illingworth , Pru , Prunella Scales CBE |
| IMDB | |
| Nominations | British Academy Television Award for Best Actress, Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress, Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role |
| Movies | Hobson's Choice, Howards End, Stiff Upper Lips, Horrid Henry: The Movie, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, A Question of Attribution, The Wicked Lady, The Boys from Brazil, Waltz of the Toreadors, The Ghost of Greville Lodge, An Awfully Big Adventure, Consuming Passions, The Hound of the Baskervi... |
| TV Shows | After Henry, Mapp and Lucia, Fawlty Towers, Marriage Lines |
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | The joy of being an actor is to deliver good writing to people." "The agony of doing Shakespeare is that you can't ask him what he meant. |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | In January 2013, she revealed that she had begun to suffer from short term memory loss and was unable to remember the years in which her sons were born or the year she married her husband, Timothy West. In March 2014, West announced that his wife was suffering from mild Alzheimer's disease, however, by August 2015, her condition had worsened to the point where she could no longer remember any details about their wedding or their married life together. |
| 2 | (1998 - present) Fronting British TV advertising campaign for Tesco as a fussy mother alongside her long-suffering daughter played by TV comedienne and actress Jane Horrocks. [1998] |
| 3 | Daughter-in-law of Lockwood West. |
| 4 | Has a photographic memory. |
| 5 | Longtime friend of Fawlty Towers (1975) co-star, comedian John Cleese. |
| 6 | She played Queen Victoria in Looking for Victoria (2003). Her son Samuel West had previously played Prince Albert Victor Edward, Duke of Clarence, Queen Victoria's grandson, in both Edward the King (1975) and The Ripper (1997) while her husband Timothy West played the eponymous role of Queen Victoria's eldest son and eventual successor in the former. |
| 7 | In October of 2003, she became seriously ill and was taken to the hospital for emergency heart operation (angioplasty). |
| 8 | She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama while her husband, Timothy West, was awarded his CBE in the 1984 Queen's Birthday Honours List. |
| 9 | Achieved her greatest success on TV as the nosy, shrewish wife "Sybil Fawlty" on the classic John Cleese comedy Fawlty Towers (1975). |
| 10 | British classical stage actress trained at both the Old Vic Theatre School in London and the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York. |
| 11 | She was awarded the Patricia Rothermere Award at the 2001 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for her contributions to British Theatre. |
| 12 | Has a step-daughter named Juliet West. |
| 13 | Mother of Joseph West and Samuel West. |
Actress
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub Rosa | 2014/II | Short | |
| The Phone Call | 2013 | Short | Joan |
| The Ogre Hunters | 2013 | Short | |
| Stranger Danger | 2012 | Short | Violet Mangham |
| Run for Your Wife | 2012 | Woman at Pub | |
| Horrid Henry: The Movie | 2011 | Great Aunt Greta | |
| The Royal | 2011 | TV Series | Red Admiral |
| Agatha Christie's Marple | 2008 | TV Series | Mrs Mackenzie |
| Think. What Does it Take to Change a Habit? | 2007 | Short | Customer |
| The Shell Seekers | 2006 | TV Movie | Dolly Keeling |
| Helix | 2006 | Short | Gemima Barrington-Law |
| Mr. Loveday's Little Outing | 2006 | TV Movie | Lady Moping |
| Where the Heart Is | 2005 | TV Series | Hattie Dymchurch |
| Casualty | 2004 | TV Series | Jocelyn Anderson |
| Brand Spanking | 2004 | Short | Voice of Morphinalax |
| Looking for Victoria | 2003 | TV Movie | Presenter / Queen Victoria |
| Johnny English | 2003 | The Queen (uncredited) | |
| Dickens | 2002 | TV Series | Elizabeth Dickens |
| A Day in the Death of Joe Egg | 2002 | TV Movie | Grace |
| Station Jim | 2001 | TV Movie | Queen Victoria |
| Silent Witness | 2001 | TV Series | Anne Parker |
| Animated Tales of the World | 2001 | TV Series | Narrator |
| The Ghost of Greville Lodge | 2000 | Sarah | |
| Midsomer Murders | 2000 | TV Series | Eleanor Bunsall |
| The Big Knights | 1999 | TV Series | Queen Melissa (voice) |
| Mad Cows | 1999 | Dr. Minny Stinkler | |
| An Ideal Husband | 1999/II | Lady Markby | |
| Stiff Upper Lips | 1998 | Aunt Agnes | |
| Keeping Mum | 1998 | TV Series | Marjorie |
| Dennis the Menace | 1998 | TV Series | Mrs. Duffel |
| Phoenix | 1997 | Short | The Client |
| Emma | 1996 | TV Movie | Miss Bates |
| Breaking the Code | 1996 | TV Movie | Sara Turing |
| Dalziel and Pascoe | 1996 | TV Series | Edith Disney |
| Lord of Misrule | 1996 | TV Movie | Shirley |
| Searching | 1995 | TV Series | Mrs. Tilston |
| Look at the State We're In! | 1995 | TV Mini-Series | Storyteller |
| Signs and Wonders | 1995 | TV Series | Elizabeth Palmore |
| An Awfully Big Adventure | 1995 | Rose | |
| The World of Lee Evans | 1995 | TV Series | Mother |
| Sherwood's Travels | 1994 | ||
| Second Best | 1994 | Margery | |
| Wolf | 1994 | Maude | |
| Fair Game | 1994 | TV Movie | Marjorie |
| The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends | 1994 | TV Series | Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle |
| The Rector's Wife | 1994 | TV Mini-Series | Marjorie Richardson |
| Woodcock | 1994 | TV Movie | Captain |
| After Henry | 1988-1992 | TV Series | Sarah France |
| Freddie as F.R.O.7. | 1992 | Queen / Additional Voices (voice) | |
| My Friend Walter | 1992 | TV Movie | Aunt Elle |
| Howards End | 1992 | Aunt Juley | |
| Screen One | 1991 | TV Series | H.M.Q. |
| Dirty Beasts | 1990 | TV Movie | Narrator |
| Screenplay | 1989 | TV Series | Milly |
| A Chorus of Disapproval | 1989 | Hannah Ap Llewellyn | |
| Thompson | 1988 | TV Series | |
| Natural Causes | 1988 | TV Movie | Celia Bryce |
| Consuming Passions | 1988 | Ethel | |
| When We Are Married | 1987 | TV Movie | Annie Parker |
| The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne | 1987 | Moira O'Neill | |
| Theatre Night | 1987 | TV Series | Mrs Prentice |
| Unnatural Causes | 1986 | TV Series | Judith |
| Mapp & Lucia | 1985-1986 | TV Series | Miss Elizabeth Mapp |
| Absurd Person Singular | 1985 | TV Movie | Marion Brewster-Wright |
| Weekend Playhouse | 1984 | TV Series | Olive Dodd |
| The Wicked Lady | 1983 | Lady Kingsclere | |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | 1982 | TV Movie | Mistress Page |
| Outside Edge | 1982 | TV Movie | Miriam |
| S.W.A.L.K. | 1982 | TV Series | Aunt Patty |
| Never the Twain | 1982 | TV Series | Susan Peel |
| Wagner | 1981 | TV Series | Frau Pollert |
| Bergerac | 1981 | TV Series | Gloria Gibbins |
| Good King Memorex | 1979 | Video | Sybil Fawlty |
| Fawlty Towers | 1975-1979 | TV Series | Sybil Fawlty |
| Doris and Doreen | 1978 | TV Movie | Doris Rutter |
| The Boys from Brazil | 1978 | Mrs. Harrington | |
| Target | 1978 | TV Series | Diana Blake |
| The Hound of the Baskervilles | 1978 | Glynis | |
| Pickersgill People | 1978 | TV Series | Mavis Blackhead |
| Mr. Big | 1977 | TV Series | Dolly |
| BBC2 Playhouse | 1977 | TV Series | Florence Farr |
| Lucky Feller | 1976 | TV Series | Farmer's Wife |
| The Littlest Horse Thieves | 1976 | Mrs. Sandman | |
| Decisions, Decisions | 1975 | Video short | |
| BBC Play of the Month | 1975 | TV Series | Queen Jemima |
| Comedy Playhouse | 1974 | TV Series | Dolly |
| Crime of Passion | 1973 | TV Series | Adele Breteau |
| 7 of 1 | 1973 | TV Series | Marion Joyce |
| Country Matters | 1973 | TV Mini-Series | Babs Pickard |
| Full House | 1973 | TV Series | Thelma |
| Thirty-Minute Theatre | 1971 | TV Series | Marie |
| Jackanory | 1970 | TV Series | Storyteller |
| Horizon | 1966 | TV Series documentary | Mother |
| On the Margin | 1966 | TV Series | |
| The Marriage Lines | 1961-1966 | TV Series | Kate Starling |
| A Christmas Night with the Stars | 1963-1964 | TV Series | Kate Starling - Marriage Lines segment Kate Starling - The Marriage Lines segment |
| Call Oxbridge 2000 | 1962 | TV Series | Andrea Newton |
| Saki | 1962 | TV Mini-Series | Mrs. Lapping |
| Waltz of the Toreadors | 1962 | Estella Fitzjohn | |
| The Seven Faces of Jim | 1961 | TV Series | Laura Morrell |
| She Died Young | 1961 | TV Movie | Harriet Green |
| Coronation Street | 1961 | TV Series | Eileen Hughes |
| ITV Television Playhouse | 1955-1960 | TV Series | Joy Miller / Mrs. Pepys / Gabrielle |
| Saturday Playhouse | 1958-1960 | TV Series | Joan Deal / Lucy |
| Inside Story | 1960 | TV Series | Jean |
| BBC Sunday-Night Play | 1960 | TV Mini-Series | Maud Murch |
| The Secret Garden | 1960 | TV Series | Martha |
| BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | 1954-1959 | TV Series | Susan / Prudence Buckland |
| ITV Play of the Week | 1957-1959 | TV Series | Grace Kennion / Morag |
| Room at the Top | 1959 | Council Office Worker (uncredited) | |
| Champion Road | 1958 | TV Series | Betty Gray |
| Television World Theatre | 1958 | TV Series | Dunyasha |
| Shop Spoiled | 1954 | Customer | |
| What Every Woman Wants | 1954 | Mary | |
| Hobson's Choice | 1954 | Vicky Hobson | |
| Scotch on the Rocks | 1953 | Morag McLeod | |
| Pride and Prejudice | 1952 | TV Mini-Series | Lydia Bennet |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Chorus of Disapproval | 1989 | performer: "O Jenny, O Jenny, Where Hast Thou Been?", "Youth's the Season" - uncredited |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Actor's Apprenticeship | 2017 | Documentary post-production | |
| Great Canal Journeys | 2014-2016 | TV Series | Herself - Presenter |
| Piers Morgan's Life Stories | 2015 | TV Series | Herself - Timothy's Wife |
| 50 Years of BBC2 Comedy | 2014 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Richard Briers: A Tribute | 2013 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
| Britain's Funniest Comedy Characters | 2012 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
| Fawlty Exclusive: Basil's Best Bits | 2009 | TV Movie documentary | Herself / Sybil Fawlty |
| Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened | 2009 | TV Movie documentary | Herself / Sybil Fawlty |
| Timeshift | 2008 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| The British Soap Awards 2008 | 2008 | TV Special | Herself - Presenter |
| Children in Need | 2007 | TV Series | Herself / Sybil Fawlty |
| A Taste of My Life | 2007 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| The Comedy Map of Britain | 2007 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| Loose Women | 2000-2007 | TV Series | Herself |
| This Week | 2007 | TV Series | Herself - Guest |
| What the Pythons Did Next... | 2007 | TV Movie documentary | Herself (as Prunella Scales CBE) |
| Britain's Funniest Comedy Characters | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
| An Audience with Coronation Street | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Herself - Audience Member |
| The King's Head: A Maverick in London | 2006 | Video documentary | Herself |
| The Ultimate Sitcom | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Fawlty Towers Revisited | 2005 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
| Breakfast | 2005 | TV Series | Herself - Guest |
| 'Fawlty Towers' @ 30 | 2005 | TV Movie | Herself |
| The Royal Wedding of HRH the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles | 2005 | TV Movie | Herself |
| The Funny Ladies of British Comedy | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
| Essential Poems for Christmas | 2004 | TV Movie | Herself - Reader |
| Good Morning Australia | 2004 | TV Series | Herself - Guest |
| A History of Britain | 2002 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Queen Victoria |
| Top Ten | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| This Morning | 2001 | TV Series | Herself - Guest |
| The Human Face | 2001 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Pet Shop Owner |
| Funny Turns | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| Funny Women | 1998 | TV Series documentary short | Herself |
| Light Lunch | 1997 | TV Series | Herself |
| The Sunday Programme | 1997 | TV Series | Herself |
| An Audience with Alf Garnett | 1997 | TV Movie | Herself - Audience Member |
| The Animal Family | 1996 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator - part 1 (voice) |
| Aspel & Company | 1992 | TV Series | Herself - Guest |
| Forty Minutes | 1990 | TV Series documentary | Narrator |
| Everyman | 1988 | TV Series documentary | Herself - Presenter |
| Whodunnit? | 1977 | TV Series | Herself - Panellist |
| Call My Bluff | 1967-1977 | TV Series | Herself |
| An Evening with... | 1970 | TV Series | Herself - Guest Reader |
Archive Footage
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | BAFTA TV Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Actress | Screen One (1985) |
