Prunella Scales

Prunella Scales

Acting
Born 1932-06-22 - Died 2025-10-27Sutton 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.

Movies (64)

Wolf
6.1

Wolf

1994Movie6.1
Howards End
7.0

Howards End

1992Movie7.0
The Boys from Brazil
6.7

The Boys from Brazil

1978Movie6.7
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher

The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher

1994Movie
Emma
6.6

Emma

1996Movie6.6
Second Best
6.8

Second Best

1994Movie6.8
A Chorus of Disapproval
5.4

A Chorus of Disapproval

1989Movie5.4
Room at the Top
6.9

Room at the Top

1958Movie6.9
The Wicked Lady
4.9

The Wicked Lady

1983Movie4.9
Sub Rosa
5.0

Sub Rosa

2014Movie5.0
Waltz of the Toreadors
5.0

Waltz of the Toreadors

1962Movie5.0
Freddie As F.R.O.7.
5.2

Freddie As F.R.O.7.

1992Movie5.2
Consuming Passions
8.3

Consuming Passions

1988Movie8.3
Hobson's Choice
7.4

Hobson's Choice

1954Movie7.4
An Awfully Big Adventure
6.5

An Awfully Big Adventure

1995Movie6.5
Fair Game
4.8

Fair Game

1994Movie4.8
Natural Causes
8.0

Natural Causes

1988Movie8.0
Horrid Henry: The Movie
5.2

Horrid Henry: The Movie

2011Movie5.2
Mad Cows
4.4

Mad Cows

1999Movie4.4
Dirty Beasts

Dirty Beasts

1990Movie
Stiff Upper Lips
5.6

Stiff Upper Lips

1998Movie5.6
The Shell Seekers
6.9

The Shell Seekers

2007Movie6.9
Revolting Rhymes

Revolting Rhymes

1990Movie
The Phone Call
7.3

The Phone Call

2013Movie7.3
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
6.5

The Funny Blokes of British Comedy

2005Movie6.5
Home Cooking

Home Cooking

1986Movie
Bosses From Hell

Bosses From Hell

1989Movie
The Merry Wives of Windsor
8.0

The Merry Wives of Windsor

1982Movie8.0
Lord of Misrule
9.0

Lord of Misrule

1996Movie9.0
My Friend Walter
7.0

My Friend Walter

1992Movie7.0
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
8.0

50 Years of BBC Two Comedy

2014Movie8.0
Run For Your Wife
4.4

Run For Your Wife

2012Movie4.4
A Question of Attribution
6.8

A Question of Attribution

1991Movie6.8
Mr. Loveday's Little Outing

Mr. Loveday's Little Outing

2006Movie
What the Pythons Did Next...

What the Pythons Did Next...

2007Movie
The Crowded Day
5.8

The Crowded Day

1954Movie5.8
Absurd Person Singular
8.3

Absurd Person Singular

1985Movie8.3
The Littlest Horse Thieves
6.9

The Littlest Horse Thieves

1976Movie6.9
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
6.6

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne

1987Movie6.6
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
8.4

Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened

2009Movie8.4
The Apple Cart

The Apple Cart

1975Movie
Station Jim
7.5

Station Jim

2001Movie7.5
The Hound of the Baskervilles
4.4

The Hound of the Baskervilles

1978Movie4.4
Breaking the Code
5.6

Breaking the Code

1996Movie5.6
An Ideal Husband
6.5

An Ideal Husband

1999Movie6.5
When We Are Married
7.0

When We Are Married

1987Movie7.0
Fawlty Towers Revisited
7.5

Fawlty Towers Revisited

2005Movie7.5
Communicators From Hell

Communicators From Hell

1989Movie
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson

The Tale of Little Pig Robinson

1990Movie
Laxdale Hall
7.0

Laxdale Hall

1953Movie7.0
Slimming Down

Slimming Down

1984Movie
The Achurch Letters

The Achurch Letters

1977Movie
The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers

The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers

2025Movie
The Ring of Truth

The Ring of Truth

1973Movie
Think

Think

2007Movie
What Every Woman Wants
6.6

What Every Woman Wants

1954Movie6.6
The Ghost of Greville Lodge
7.0

The Ghost of Greville Lodge

2000Movie7.0
What the Butler Saw
3.0

What the Butler Saw

1987Movie3.0
Doris and Doreen
6.5

Doris and Doreen

1978Movie6.5
Beyond The Pale
7.0

Beyond The Pale

1989Movie7.0
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

2002Movie
Outside Edge
8.0

Outside Edge

1982Movie8.0
An Audience with Alf Garnett

An Audience with Alf Garnett

1997Movie
Singles
6.0

Singles

1983Movie6.0

TV Shows (42)

Midsomer Murders
7.5

Midsomer Murders

1997Series7.5
Silent Witness
7.6

Silent Witness

1996Series7.6
Casualty
6.2

Casualty

1986Series6.2
Loose Women
3.4

Loose Women

1999Series3.4
BBC Play of the Month
5.2

BBC Play of the Month

1965Series5.2
Agatha Christie's Marple
7.8

Agatha Christie's Marple

2004Series7.8
Film '72
5.1

Film '72

1971Series5.1
Bergerac
7.0

Bergerac

1981Series7.0
Dalziel and Pascoe
6.4

Dalziel and Pascoe

1996Series6.4
Playhouse
7.0

Playhouse

1974Series7.0
Thirty-Minute Theatre
4.3

Thirty-Minute Theatre

1965Series4.3
An Audience with...
5.3

An Audience with...

1978Series5.3
Fawlty Towers
8.3

Fawlty Towers

1975Series8.3
The BBC Television Shakespeare
6.0

The BBC Television Shakespeare

1978Series6.0
ScreenPlay
6.0

ScreenPlay

1986Series6.0
Screen One
7.2

Screen One

1989Series7.2
Never the Twain
7.0

Never the Twain

1981Series7.0
Unnatural Causes
6.3

Unnatural Causes

1986Series6.3
Target
7.0

Target

1977Series7.0
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
6.3

Dennis the Menace and Gnasher

1996Series6.3
After Henry
6.7

After Henry

1988Series6.7
Pickersgill People

Pickersgill People

1978Series
Weekend Playhouse

Weekend Playhouse

1984Series
Mapp & Lucia
6.3

Mapp & Lucia

1985Series6.3
Great Canal Journeys
8.8

Great Canal Journeys

2014Series8.8
Faces of Jim

Faces of Jim

1961Series
Country Matters
4.6

Country Matters

1972Series4.6
Theatre Night

Theatre Night

1985Series
Seven of One
7.3

Seven of One

1973Series7.3
Look at the State We're In!

Look at the State We're In!

1995Series
Thompson
5.0

Thompson

1988Series5.0
S.W.A.L.K.
0.5

S.W.A.L.K.

1982Series0.5
The Rector's Wife
9.0

The Rector's Wife

1994Series9.0
Marriage Lines
7.0

Marriage Lines

1961Series7.0
Keeping Mum

Keeping Mum

1997Series
Dickens
7.0

Dickens

2002Series7.0
Signs and Wonders
7.0

Signs and Wonders

1995Series7.0
Pride and Prejudice
9.0

Pride and Prejudice

1952Series9.0
Looking for Victoria

Looking for Victoria

2003Series
Mr. Big
7.0

Mr. Big

1977Series7.0
The Royal
7.8

The Royal

2003Series7.8
The World of Lee Evans
7.0

The World of Lee Evans

1995Series7.0