Prunella Scales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prunella Scales
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Scales pictured in 2010
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| Born |
Prunella Margaret Rumney Illingworth
22 June 1932 Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England
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| Education | Moira House Girls' School, Eastbourne; The Old Vic School; Ute Hagen, New York |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1952–2020 |
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| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2, including Samuel West |
Prunella Scales is a famous English actress. She was born on June 22, 1932. Many people know her for playing Sybil Fawlty, the wife of Basil Fawlty, in the funny TV show Fawlty Towers. She also played Queen Elizabeth II in a TV show called A Question of Attribution.
Prunella Scales was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for her role as the Queen. She was also nominated twice for the Laurence Olivier Awards, which are big awards for theatre actors. Later in her career, she appeared in a documentary series called Great Canal Journeys. In this show, she traveled on narrowboats with her husband, actor Timothy West.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in England
Prunella Scales was born in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England. Her father, John Richardson Illingworth, was a cotton salesman. Her mother, Catherine Scales, was an actress. Prunella also had a younger brother named Timothy.
School Days and Acting Dreams
When World War II started in 1939, Prunella's family moved to Devon. In 1942, she won a special scholarship to Moira House School. This school had moved to the Lake District during the war. Prunella always wanted to be an actress. In 1949, she won another scholarship to the Old Vic Theatre School. This was a big step towards her acting career.
Acting Career Highlights
Starting Out in Theatre and TV
Prunella Scales began her acting journey in 1951. She started as an assistant stage manager at the Bristol Old Vic theatre. She often played funny characters. Some of her early work included a TV show based on Pride and Prejudice in 1952 and the film Hobson's Choice in 1954.
Becoming a Household Name
Her big break came in the early 1960s with the TV show Marriage Lines. But her most famous role was Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers. She played this character in two series, in 1975 and 1979. She also appeared in many radio and TV comedy shows, like After Henry.
Prunella Scales also acted in many films. These included The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978) and Howards End (1992). She even played Mistress Page in a BBC TV version of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor in 1982.
Later Roles and Special Appearances
For ten years, Prunella Scales was known as "Dotty" Turnbull in commercials for the supermarket chain Tesco. In 1991, she played Queen Elizabeth II in A Question of Attribution. She also voiced Mrs Tiggy-Winkle in The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends in 1993.
In 2003, she played Hilda, the wife of Horace Rumpole, in four BBC Radio 4 plays. She also performed a one-woman show called An Evening with Queen Victoria over 400 times around the world. In 2011, she appeared in the family comedy film Horrid Henry: The Movie.
From 2014, Prunella Scales and her husband, Timothy West, starred in the TV series Great Canal Journeys. They traveled on narrowboats and shared their adventures. The show was very popular and showed their loving relationship.
Personal Life and Family
Life Outside Acting
In 1992, Prunella Scales was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs. On this show, guests choose books and music they would take if stranded on a deserted island. Her chosen books included the Complete Works of Shakespeare in German.
A book about her life, called Prunella, was published in 2005. A rose breeder even created a rose named Prunella in her honor.
Her Family
Prunella Scales was married to actor Timothy West from 1963 until his death in 2024. They had two sons together. Their elder son, Samuel West, is also a well-known actor and director. Their younger son, Joseph, appeared in some episodes of Great Canal Journeys. Prunella also has a step-daughter from Timothy's first marriage.
Health Journey
In 2014, Prunella Scales was diagnosed with vascular dementia. This is a condition that affects memory and thinking. She and her husband spoke openly about her illness on Great Canal Journeys. Her health led them to leave the series in 2019. Despite her illness, her husband Timothy West said in 2023 that they had coped with it well.
Awards and Recognition
Prunella Scales has received many honors for her work. In 1992, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a special award from the British monarch for her contributions to acting. Her husband also received the same honor in 1984. In 1999, she was given the Freedom of the City of London. She also received honorary degrees from two universities.
