Prunella Scales
Acting
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 103
Movies (64)
The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers2025
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy2014Self
Sub Rosa2014Madame
The Phone Call2013Joan
Run For Your Wife2012Woman in Pub
Horrid Henry: The Movie2011Great Aunt Greta
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened2009Self / Sybil Fawlty
The Shell Seekers2007Dolly Keeling- Think2007Customer
What the Pythons Did Next...2007Self
Mr. Loveday's Little Outing2006Lady Moping
Fawlty Towers Revisited2005Herself- The Funny Blokes of British Comedy2005Sybil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)
- A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg2002Grace
- Station Jim2001Queen Victoria
The Ghost of Greville Lodge2000Sarah
Mad Cows1999Dr. Minny Stinkler
An Ideal Husband1999Lady Markby
Stiff Upper Lips1998Aunt Agnes
An Audience with Alf Garnett1997
Emma1996Miss Bates
Breaking the Code1996Sara Turing- Lord of Misrule1996Shirley
An Awfully Big Adventure1995Rose
Second Best1994Margery
Wolf1994Maude Waggins
Fair Game1994Marjorie
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher1994Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (voice)
Freddie As F.R.O.7.1992Queen (voice)
My Friend Walter1992Aunt Ellie
Shows (39)
Great Canal Journeys2014Self
Agatha Christie's Marple2004Mrs Mackenzie- Looking for Victoria2003Self / Victoria
The Royal2003Red Admiral
Dickens2002Elizabeth Dickens
Loose Women1999Self
Keeping Mum1997Marjorie
Midsomer Murders1997Eleanor Bunsall
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher1996Mrs. Duffel
Dalziel and Pascoe1996Edith Disney
Silent Witness1996Anne Parker
The World of Lee Evans1995Mother- Look at the State We're In!1995Storyteller
Signs and Wonders1995Elizabeth Palmore
The Rector's Wife1994Marjorie Richardson
Screen One1989H.M.Q.- Thompson1988
After Henry1988Sarah France
Unnatural Causes1986Judith
Casualty1986Jocelyn Anderson
ScreenPlay1986Milly
Theatre Night1985Mrs. Prentice
Mapp & Lucia1985Miss Elizabeth Mapp- Weekend Playhouse1984Olive Dodd
Bergerac1981Gloria Gibbins
Never the Twain1981Susan Peel
The BBC Television Shakespeare1978Mistress Page
An Audience with...1978Self
Target1977Diana Blake
Fawlty Towers1975Sybil Fawlty