Timothy West facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Timothy West
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West in 2010
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Timothy Lancaster West
20 October 1934 Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
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| Died | 12 November 2024 (aged 90) London, England
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| Education | The John Lyon School Bristol Grammar School |
| Alma mater | Regent Street Polytechnic (now University of Westminster) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–2024 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3, including Samuel |
| Parent(s) | Lockwood West Olive Carleton-Crowe |
Timothy Lancaster West (20 October 1934 – 12 November 2024) was a famous English actor and TV presenter. He was known for his many roles on stage and in TV shows. You might remember him from Coronation Street as Eric Babbage, EastEnders as Stan Carter, or Not Going Out. He was married to the actress Prunella Scales. From 2014 to 2019, they explored canals together in a TV series called Great Canal Journeys.
Contents
Early Life and School
Timothy West was born on October 20, 1934, in Bradford, England. His father, Lockwood West, was also an actor. Timothy had one younger sister named Patricia. He went to school at the John Lyon School and Bristol Grammar School. He also studied at Regent Street Polytechnic, which is now the University of Westminster.
Acting Career
Before becoming an actor, Timothy West worked as a furniture salesman. He also worked as a recording technician. In 1956, he started as an assistant stage manager at the Wimbledon Theatre. This was the start of his long acting career.
On Stage
Timothy West performed in many plays across England. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company for three seasons. He acted in famous plays like The Comedy of Errors and Love's Labour's Lost. He worked with other well-known actors like Paul Scofield and Glenda Jackson.
He played the main character in Macbeth twice. He also played King Lear four times. His first time playing King Lear was in 1971 when he was only 36 years old. He performed this role on tours around the world.
On Screen
Timothy West became very well known after starring in the TV series Edward the Seventh in 1975. He played King Edward VII from a young age until the King's death. His real-life sons, Samuel and Joseph, played the King's sons as children in the show. His own father, Lockwood West, had also played King Edward VII in a different TV show.
Timothy West appeared in many movies, including Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and The Day of the Jackal (1973). He was also in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999). In the movie Iris (2001), he played an older version of a character. His son, Samuel West, played the younger version of the same character.
He starred in the TV series Brass from 1982 to 1990. He also appeared in an episode of Miss Marple in 1985. From 2001 to 2003, he played Andrew in the BBC drama series Bedtime.
In 1989, he acted with his wife, Prunella Scales, in the sitcom After Henry. They played a couple in the show. Later, he joined the cast of Not Going Out as Geoffrey Adams in 2007.
In 2013, Timothy West joined the TV soap Coronation Street as Eric Babbage. He then joined EastEnders in 2014, playing Stan Carter. He finished filming for EastEnders in February 2015. In 2019, he played Private Godfrey in Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes. His last acting role was in an episode of the TV series Doctors.
Directing Plays
Timothy West also worked as a director. In 1973, he was the artistic director of the Forum Theatre in Billingham. He directed several plays there. From 1980 to 1981, he was a co-artistic director at the Old Vic theatre. He directed plays like The Merchant of Venice. In 2004, he directed an opera called H.M.S. Pinafore in Australia. He also sang a role in it.
Personal Life
Timothy West was married twice. His first marriage was to Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 to 1961, and they had one daughter. In 1963, he married actress Prunella Scales. They had two sons, Samuel West (who is also an actor) and Joseph.
Timothy West and Prunella Scales supported many charities and organizations. They were patrons of the Lace Market Theatre and the Conway Hall Sunday Concerts. Timothy West was an Ambassador for SOS Children's Villages, a charity that helps orphaned children. He also supported Cancer Research UK.
He was a patron of the National Piers Society, which works to save seaside piers. He also supported the Talyllyn Railway in Wales, which was the first preserved railway in the world. He was president of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art until 2018.
Timothy West passed away in London on November 12, 2024, at the age of 90.
Awards and Recognition
In 1984, Timothy West was made a CBE. This honor was given to him for his great contributions to drama.
Selected Theatre Roles
- King Lear, as Lear, 2016
- The Vote, 2015
- The Handyman, as Romka, 2012
- Uncle Vanya, as Sererbryakov, 2012
- The Winslow Boy, as Arthur Winslow, 2009
- The Lover/The Collection, 2008
- Coriolanus as Menenius, 2007
- A Number as Salter, with Samuel West, 2006
- The Old Country, 2006
- King Lear, as Lear, 2002
- The Master Builder, as Solness, 1999
- King Lear, as Gloucester, 1997
- Henry IV Part One and Part Two, as Falstaff, with Samuel West, 1996
- Twelve Angry Men, 1996
- Macbeth, as Macbeth, 1994
- Death of a Salesman, as Willy Loman, 1993
- King Lear as Lear, 1992
- Long Day's Journey into Night, with Prunella Scales, 1991
- It's Ralph as Andrew, 1991
- Uncle Vanya, as Vanya, 1990
- The Master Builder, as Solness, 1989
- When We Are Married, with Prunella Scales, 1985
- Masterclass, as Stalin, 1984
- Uncle Vanya, as Vanya, 1982
- The Merchant of Venice as Shylock, 1980
- Beecham, as Thomas Beecham, 1980
- The Homecoming, as Max, 1978
- Hamlet, as Claudius, with Derek Jacobi, 1977
- Othello, as Iago, 1976
- Hedda Gabler, as Judge Brack, with Glenda Jackson, 1975
- Macbeth, as Macbeth, 1974
- Love's Labour's Lost, as Holofernes, 1972
- King Lear as Lear, 1971
- Exiles, 1970
- Richard II and Edward II, as Bolingbroke and Young Mortimer, with Ian McKellen, 1969
- The Tempest, as Prospero, 1966
- Marat/Sade, 1964
- Afore Night Come, 1962
- Gentle Jack, 1963
- Caught Napping, 1959
Film Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The Deadly Affair | Matrevis | Uncredited |
| 1968 | Twisted Nerve | Superintendent Dakin | |
| 1969 | The Looking Glass War | Taylor | |
| 1971 | Nicholas and Alexandra | Dr. Botkin | |
| 1973 | Hitler: The Last Ten Days | Prof. Karl Gebhardt | |
| The Day of the Jackal | Commissioner Berthier | ||
| 1974 | Soft Beds, Hard Battles | Convent Chaplain | |
| 1975 | Hedda | Judge Brack | |
| 1977 | Joseph Andrews | Mr. Tow-Wouse | |
| The Devil's Advocate | Father Anselmo | ||
| 1978 | News From Nowhere | William Morris | |
| The Thirty Nine Steps | Porton | ||
| 1979 | Agatha | Kenward | |
| 1980 | Rough Cut | Nigel Lawton | |
| 1987 | Cry Freedom | Captain De Wet | |
| 1988 | Consuming Passions | Dr Rees | |
| 1998 | Ever After | King Francis | |
| 1999 | The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc | Cauchon | |
| 2000 | 102 Dalmatians | Judge | |
| 2001 | The Fourth Angel | Jones | |
| Iris | Older Maurice | ||
| 2002 | Villa des Roses | Hugh Burrell | |
| 2003 | Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas | King Dymas | Voice |
| Beyond Borders | Lawrence Bauford | ||
| 2009 | Endgame | P.W. Botha | |
| 2016 | Delirium | College Bursar |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Persuasion | Charles Hayter | |
| 1961 | Deadline Midnight | Ambulance Man | 1 episode |
| 1969 | Big Breadwinner Hog | Lennox | |
| 1970 | Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) | Sam Grimes | Series 1 Episode 24 "Vendetta for a Dead Man" |
| 1972 | The Edwardians | Horatio Bottomley | Episode "Horatio Bottomley" |
| 1975 | Edward the Seventh | King Edward VII | |
| 1977 | Hard Times | Josiah Bounderby | |
| 1979 | Crime and Punishment | Porfiry Petrovich | |
| Henry VIII | Cardinal Wolsey | Part of the BBC Television Shakespeare | |
| Churchill and the Generals | Winston Churchill | ||
| 1980 | Tales of the Unexpected: Royal Jelly | Albert Taylor | |
| 1981 | Masada | Emperor Vespasian | |
| 1982 | Murder Is Easy | Gordon, Lord Easterfield | |
| 1983–1990 | Brass | Bradley Hardacre | Three series |
| 1984 | The Last Bastion | Winston Churchill | |
| 1985 | Miss Marple | Rex Fortescue | Episode: "A Pocket Full of Rye" |
| 1986 | A Very Peculiar Practice | Professor Furie | |
| The Good Doctor Bodkin Adams | John Bodkin Adams | A drama based on a real trial | |
| The Monocled Mutineer | Brigadier General Thompson | ||
| 1987 | When We Are Married | Councillor Albert Parker | |
| What the Butler Saw | Dr Rance | ||
| 1988 | The Contractor | Frank Ewbank | |
| 1989 | Campion: Police at the Funeral | Uncle William Faraday | |
| Blore, M.P. | Derek Blore | A drama based on a real political scandal | |
| 1990 | Beecham | Sir Thomas Beecham | Adapted from a play |
| The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside Story | Colonel Wilfred Wood | ||
| 1992 | Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: The Tempest | Prospero | Voice |
| Framed | DCI Jimmy McKinnes | ||
| 1994 | Smokescreen | Frank Sheringham | |
| 1998 | King Lear | Gloucester | |
| Goodnight Sweetheart | MI5 agent Tufty MacDuff | ||
| The Day the Guns Fell Silent | presenter | BBC TV documentary | |
| 2000 | Midsomer Murders | Marcus Devere | Episode: "Judgement Day" |
| 2000–2008 | Water World | presenter | Eight series |
| 2001 | Murder in Mind | Dr William Collins | Episode: "Mercy" |
| 2001–2003 | Bedtime | Andrew Oldfield | Three series |
| 2002 | Martin Luther | Martin Luther | PBS Empires series |
| 2004 | Waking the Dead | Joe Doyle | Episodes #4.3 and #4.4 ("False Flag") |
| 2005 | New Tricks | Professor Ian Mears | Episode #2.8 |
| Bleak House | Sir Leicester Dedlock | ||
| 2007–2009 | Not Going Out | Geoffrey | Series 2 and 3 |
| 2010 | Terry Pratchett's Going Postal | Mustrum Ridcully | 2 episodes |
| Agatha Christie's Poirot | Reverend Cottrell | Episode: "Hallowe'en Party" | |
| Lewis | Donald Terry | Series 4, Episode 3: "Your Sudden Death Question" | |
| 2011 | Exile | Don Metzler | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Titanic | Lord Pirrie | |
| 2013 | Coronation Street | Eric Babbage | 7 episodes |
| 2013, 2020 | Last Tango in Halifax | Ted Buttershaw | |
| 2014 | Inside No. 9 | Andrew | Episode 1, "Sardines" |
| 2014–2015 | EastEnders | Stan Carter | |
| 2014–2019 | Great Canal Journeys | Presenter | Channel 4 television series with wife, Prunella Scales |
| 2016 | Comedy Playhouse | Milton | Episode: "Broken Biscuits" |
| 2018 | Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators | Johnnie Falstaff | Episode 2 |
| 2019–2022 | Gentleman Jack | Jeremy Lister | Main cast |
| 2019 | Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes | Private Godfrey | Three episodes |
| 2023 | Sister Boniface Mysteries | Charles Usher | Episode: "The Star of the Orient" |
| 2024 | Doctors | Artie Simkins | Episode: "Go Out Dancing", final acting role |
Radio Work
Timothy West was part of the BBC Radio Drama Repertory Company in 1962. He took part in over 500 radio shows. He even wrote and produced a short radio play in 1959. It made fun of common mistakes in radio dramas.
- Cabin Pressure, as Gordon Shappey, 2011
- Seasons, as Harold, 2010
- Old Harry's Game, as God, 2009
- The Man on the Heath: Johnson and Boswell Investigate, as Doctor Johnson, 2005
- Lorna Doone, as narrator, 2004
- Rumpole of the Bailey, as Rumpole, 2003–2012. His real-life wife played his fictional wife in this series.
- Hecuba, as Polymestor, 2001
- Groupie, 2001
- Dorothy, a Manager's Wife, 2000
- Death of a Salesman, as Willy Loman, 1993
- The Gibson, 1992
- The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, 1992
- Crisp and Even Brightly, as 'Generally well-intentioned King Wenceslas', 1987
- I, Claudius and Claudius the God, as Claudius, 1985
- With a Whimper to the Grave, as 642, 1984
- Actors, or Playing for Real, as Emperor Diocletian, 1983
- Dear Countess, 1983
- Lady Windermere's Fan, 1982
- Operation Lightning Pegasus, as Agammemnon, 1981
- Sherlock Holmes v. Dracula, as Doctor Watson, 1981
- The Monument, as Dr. James Short, 1978
- Where Are They Now?, as an Old Boy, 1971
- If You're Glad, I'll be Frank, as Frank, 1966
- Macbeth, as the Porter, 1966
Audiobooks Narrated
Timothy West narrated many audiobooks. These included all of the Barchester Chronicles and Palliser novels by Anthony Trollope. He also narrated seven of George MacDonald Fraser's The Flashman Papers books. He won four awards for his narration.
Books Written
- I'm Here I Think, Where Are You? Letters from a Touring Actor, 1994
- A Moment Towards the End of the Play (his autobiography), 2001
- So You Want to Be an Actor (with Prunella Scales), 2005
- Great Canal Journeys: A Lifetime of Memories on Britain's Most Beautiful Waterways, 2017
- Pru and Me: The Amazing Marriage of Prunella Scales and Timothy West, 2023
See also
In Spanish: Timothy West para niños
