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Prunella Scales
Prunella Scales

Prunella Scales

ActingBorn June 22, 1932Died October 27, 2025 (age 93)Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England, UK

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.

Filmography

2014
Sub Rosa

as Madame

Movie
2013Movie
2012
Run For Your Wife

as Woman in Pub

Movie
2011
Horrid Henry: The Movie

as Great Aunt Greta

Movie
2009
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened

as Self / Sybil Fawlty

Movie
2007
The Shell Seekers

as Dolly Keeling

Movie
2007
Think

as Customer

Movie
2006Movie
2005Movie
2005
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy

as Sybil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)

Movie
2004
Agatha Christie's Marple

as Mrs Mackenzie

TV
2003
Looking for Victoria

as Self / Victoria

TV
2003
The Royal

as Red Admiral

TV
2002
Dickens

as Elizabeth Dickens

TV
2001
Station Jim

as Queen Victoria

Movie
1999
Mad Cows

as Dr. Minny Stinkler

Movie
1999TV
1999
An Ideal Husband

as Lady Markby

Movie
1998
Stiff Upper Lips

as Aunt Agnes

Movie
1997
Keeping Mum

as Marjorie

TV
1997
Midsomer Murders

as Eleanor Bunsall

TV
1996
Emma

as Miss Bates

Movie
1996
Breaking the Code

as Sara Turing

Movie
1996
Lord of Misrule

as Shirley

Movie
1996TV
1996
Dalziel and Pascoe

as Edith Disney

TV
1996
Silent Witness

as Anne Parker

TV
1995TV
1995TV
1995Movie
1995
Signs and Wonders

as Elizabeth Palmore

TV
1994
Second Best

as Margery

Movie
1994
Wolf

as Maude Waggins

Movie
1994
Fair Game

as Marjorie

Movie
1994
The Rector's Wife

as Marjorie Richardson

TV
1992
Freddie As F.R.O.7.

as Queen (voice)

Movie
1992
My Friend Walter

as Aunt Ellie

Movie
1992
Howards End

as Aunt Juley

Movie
1991Movie
1990Movie
1990
Dirty Beasts

as Narrator

Movie
1990
Revolting Rhymes

as Narrator

Movie
1989
Screen One

as H.M.Q.

TV
1989Movie
1989
A Chorus of Disapproval

as Hannah Ap Llewellyn

Movie
1988TV
1988
Natural Causes

as Celia Bryce

Movie
1988Movie
1988
After Henry

as Sarah France

TV
1987
When We Are Married

as Annie Parker

Movie
1987Movie
1987
What the Butler Saw

as Mrs Prentice

Movie
1986
Home Cooking

as Judith

Movie
1986TV
1986
Casualty

as Jocelyn Anderson

TV
1986
ScreenPlay

as Milly

TV
1985
Theatre Night

as Mrs. Prentice

TV
1985
Mapp & Lucia

as Miss Elizabeth Mapp

TV
1985
Absurd Person Singular

as Marion Brewster-Wright

Movie
1984
Weekend Playhouse

as Olive Dodd

TV
1984
Slimming Down

as Mrs. Shrigley

Movie
1983
The Wicked Lady

as Lady Kingsclere

Movie
1983
Singles

as Gail

Movie
1982Movie
1982
Outside Edge

as Miriam

Movie
1981
Bergerac

as Gloria Gibbins

TV
1981
Never the Twain

as Susan Peel

TV
1978
Doris and Doreen

as Doris Rutter

Movie
1978TV
1978
The Boys from Brazil

as Mrs. Harrington

Movie
1978TV
1977
Target

as Diana Blake

TV
1977
The Achurch Letters

as Florence Farr

Movie
1976Movie
1975
Fawlty Towers

as Sybil Fawlty

TV
1975
The Apple Cart

as Queen Jemima

Movie
1974
Playhouse

as Florence Farr

TV
1973
Seven of One

as Marion Joyce

TV
1973
The Ring of Truth

as Babs Pickard

Movie
1972
Country Matters

as Babs Pickard

TV
1965
BBC Play of the Month

as Queen Jemima

TV
1965TV
1962
Waltz of the Toreadors

as Estella Fitzjohn

Movie
1961
Faces of Jim

as Laura Morrell

TV
1961
Marriage Lines

as Kate Starling

TV
1958
Room at the Top

as Council Office Worker (uncredited)

Movie
1954
The Crowded Day

as Customer

Movie
1954Movie
1954
Hobson's Choice

as Vicky Hobson

Movie
1953
Laxdale Hall

as Morag McLeod

Movie
1952
Pride and Prejudice

as Lydia Bennet

TV

Personal Info

DepartmentActing
BirthdayJune 22, 1932
Day of DeathOctober 27, 2025
Place of BirthSutton Abinger, Surrey, England, UK
Popularity1.0