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 (born 22 June 1932) is a well-known English actor. She is famous for playing Sybil Fawlty, the bossy wife of Basil Fawlty in the TV comedy Fawlty Towers.
She also played Queen Elizabeth II in the TV show A Question of Attribution. Later, she appeared in the documentary series Great Canal Journeys. In this show, she traveled on narrowboats with her husband, actor Timothy West.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Prunella Scales was born in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England. Her father was a cotton salesman, and her mother, Catherine, was an actress. Prunella also had a younger brother named Timothy.
When World War II started in 1939, her family moved to Devon. In 1942, Prunella won a scholarship to Moira House School. This school had moved to Lake Windermere during the war.
Prunella continued her schooling when Moira House returned to Eastbourne. She later won another scholarship to the Old Vic Theatre School in 1949. She always knew she wanted to be an actor.
Acting Career Highlights
Prunella Scales started her acting journey in 1951. She worked as an assistant stage manager at the Bristol Old Vic theatre. She often played funny characters in her career.
Early Roles and Big Break
Some of her early roles included a TV version of Pride and Prejudice (1952) and the film Hobson's Choice (1954). She also acted on Broadway in The Matchmaker (1955).
Her career really took off in the early 1960s with the TV show Marriage Lines. She starred alongside Richard Briers in this sitcom.
Fawlty Towers and Other Comedies
Prunella Scales is most famous for her role as Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers. This popular sitcom ran for two series in 1975 and 1979.
She also starred in many radio and TV comedy series. These included After Henry and Ladies of Letters. On television, she was in Mapp & Lucia.
In 1973, she worked with Ronnie Barker in his show Seven of One. She also appeared in films like The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978) and Howards End (1992).
Later Career and Royal Roles
For ten years, Prunella Scales was known as "Dotty" Turnbull in advertisements for the UK supermarket chain Tesco. She played the character with Jane Horrocks.
In 1991, she played Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett's play A Question of Attribution. She also appeared in the TV film Lord of Misrule (1996) and as Miss Bates in Emma (1996).
In 1997, she starred in the science-fiction short film Phoenix. She also voiced Mrs Tiggy-Winkle in The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1993).
In the 2000s, Prunella appeared in TV shows like Midsomer Murders and Silent Witness. She also played Hilda, the wife of Horace Rumpole, in BBC Radio 4 plays.
Prunella performed a one-woman show called An Evening with Queen Victoria over 400 times around the world. She also voiced a magpie in an opera recording called La gazza ladra (2003). In 2006, she was in the mini-series The Shell Seekers.
Final Years of Acting
In 2007, Prunella Scales returned as Sybil Fawlty for a special Children in Need episode. She also appeared in the audio play The Youth of Old Age (2008).
In 2008, she was in Agatha Christie's Miss Marple episode "A Pocket Full of Rye". She also starred in the play Carrie's War in London's West End in 2009.
Prunella played Great Aunt Greta in the 2011 family comedy film Horrid Henry: The Movie. In 2013, she made a guest appearance in the BBC radio comedy Cabin Pressure.
From 2014, Prunella and her husband, Timothy West, starred in Great Canal Journeys for Channel 4. They traveled on narrowboats and shared their adventures. This show became very popular. It was praised for showing a loving couple facing challenges together.
Personal Life and Family
In 1992, Prunella Scales was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. On this show, guests choose books and music they would take to a deserted island.
Her biography, Prunella, was published in 2005. In the same year, she named the P&O cruise ship Artemis. A special rose was also named "Prunella" in her honor.
Prunella was married to the actor Timothy West from 1963 until his death in 2024. They had two sons. 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 a memory condition called vascular dementia. She and her husband spoke openly about her illness on Great Canal Journeys.
Despite her health challenges, she continued to work and enjoy her travels. Her declining health led them to leave the series in 2019. Her husband, Timothy, shared that they coped with it together.
Awards and Recognition
In 1992, Prunella Scales was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a special honor given by the King or Queen for great achievements. Her husband also received this honor earlier.
In 1999, she was given the Freedom of the City of London. She also received honorary degrees from the University of Bradford and the University of East Anglia.
