Prunella Scales

Prunella Scales

Acting

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

80
The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers 2025 Sub Rosa ★ 5.0 Sub Rosa 2014 The Phone Call ★ 7.3 The Phone Call 2013 Run For Your Wife ★ 4.4 Run For Your Wife 2012 Horrid Henry: The Movie ★ 5.2 Horrid Henry: The Movie 2011 The Shell Seekers ★ 6.9 The Shell Seekers 2007 Think Think 2007 Mr. Loveday's Little Outing Mr. Loveday's Little Outing 2006 The Funny Blokes of British Comedy ★ 6.5 The Funny Blokes of British Comedy 2005 Agatha Christie's Marple ★ 7.8 Agatha Christie's Marple 2004 The Royal ★ 7.8 The Royal 2003 Dickens ★ 7.0 Dickens 2002 A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg 2002 Station Jim ★ 7.5 Station Jim 2001 The Ghost of Greville Lodge ★ 7.0 The Ghost of Greville Lodge 2000 Mad Cows ★ 4.4 Mad Cows 1999 An Ideal Husband ★ 6.5 An Ideal Husband 1999 Stiff Upper Lips ★ 5.6 Stiff Upper Lips 1998 Keeping Mum Keeping Mum 1997 An Audience with Alf Garnett An Audience with Alf Garnett 1997 Midsomer Murders ★ 7.5 Midsomer Murders 1997 Emma ★ 6.6 Emma 1996 Breaking the Code ★ 5.5 Breaking the Code 1996 Lord of Misrule ★ 9.0 Lord of Misrule 1996 Dennis the Menace and Gnasher ★ 6.3 Dennis the Menace and Gnasher 1996 Dalziel and Pascoe ★ 6.4 Dalziel and Pascoe 1996 Silent Witness ★ 7.6 Silent Witness 1996 The World of Lee Evans ★ 7.0 The World of Lee Evans 1995 Look at the State We're In! Look at the State We're In! 1995 An Awfully Big Adventure ★ 6.5 An Awfully Big Adventure 1995 Signs and Wonders ★ 7.0 Signs and Wonders 1995 Second Best ★ 6.8 Second Best 1994 Wolf ★ 6.1 Wolf 1994 Fair Game ★ 4.8 Fair Game 1994 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 1994 The Rector's Wife ★ 9.0 The Rector's Wife 1994 Freddie As F.R.O.7. ★ 5.3 Freddie As F.R.O.7. 1992 My Friend Walter ★ 7.0 My Friend Walter 1992 Howards End ★ 7.0 Howards End 1992 A Question of Attribution ★ 6.8 A Question of Attribution 1991 The Tale of Little Pig Robinson The Tale of Little Pig Robinson 1990 Dirty Beasts Dirty Beasts 1990 Revolting Rhymes Revolting Rhymes 1990 Screen One ★ 7.2 Screen One 1989 Beyond The Pale ★ 7.0 Beyond The Pale 1989 A Chorus of Disapproval ★ 5.4 A Chorus of Disapproval 1989 Bosses From Hell Bosses From Hell 1989 Communicators From Hell Communicators From Hell 1989 Thompson ★ 5.0 Thompson 1988 Natural Causes ★ 8.0 Natural Causes 1988 Consuming Passions ★ 8.3 Consuming Passions 1988 After Henry ★ 6.3 After Henry 1988 When We Are Married ★ 7.0 When We Are Married 1987 The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne ★ 6.6 The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne 1987 What the Butler Saw ★ 3.0 What the Butler Saw 1987 Home Cooking Home Cooking 1986 Unnatural Causes ★ 6.3 Unnatural Causes 1986 Casualty ★ 6.2 Casualty 1986 ScreenPlay ★ 6.0 ScreenPlay 1986 Theatre Night Theatre Night 1985 Mapp & Lucia ★ 6.3 Mapp & Lucia 1985 Absurd Person Singular ★ 8.3 Absurd Person Singular 1985 Weekend Playhouse Weekend Playhouse 1984 Slimming Down Slimming Down 1984 The Wicked Lady ★ 5.0 The Wicked Lady 1983 Singles ★ 6.0 Singles 1983 The Merry Wives of Windsor ★ 8.0 The Merry Wives of Windsor 1982 Outside Edge ★ 8.0 Outside Edge 1982 Bergerac ★ 6.7 Bergerac 1981 Never the Twain ★ 7.0 Never the Twain 1981 Doris and Doreen ★ 6.5 Doris and Doreen 1978 The BBC Television Shakespeare ★ 6.0 The BBC Television Shakespeare 1978 The Boys from Brazil ★ 6.7 The Boys from Brazil 1978 The Hound of the Baskervilles ★ 4.4 The Hound of the Baskervilles 1978 Target ★ 7.0 Target 1977 The Achurch Letters The Achurch Letters 1977 Lucky Feller ★ 7.2 Lucky Feller 1976 The Littlest Horse Thieves ★ 6.9 The Littlest Horse Thieves 1976 Fawlty Towers ★ 8.3 Fawlty Towers 1975 The Apple Cart The Apple Cart 1975