Prunella Scales

Prunella Scales

Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales CBE (née Illingworth; born 22 June 1932) is 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.

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Known For

Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders

1997 • as Eleanor Bunsall

Loose Women

Loose Women

1999 • as Self

Thirty-Minute Theatre

Thirty-Minute Theatre

1965 • as Marie

Silent Witness

Silent Witness

1996 • as Anne Parker

Dalziel & Pascoe

Dalziel & Pascoe

1996

Casualty

Casualty

1986 • as Jocelyn Anderson

Filmography

2014

50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
as Self
Movie - Released: 5/24/2014
Sub Rosa
Sub Rosa
as Madame
Movie - Released: 1/1/2014
Great Canal Journeys
Great Canal Journeys
as Self
TV - Released: 3/10/2014

2013

The Phone Call
The Phone Call
as Joan
Movie - Released: 10/20/2013

2012

Run For Your Wife
Run For Your Wife
as Woman in Pub
Movie - Released: 5/16/2012

2011

Horrid Henry: The Movie
Horrid Henry: The Movie
as Great Aunt Greta
Movie - Released: 7/29/2011

2009

Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
as Self / Sybil Fawlty
Movie - Released: 5/10/2009

2007

The Shell Seekers
The Shell Seekers
as Dolly Keeling
Movie - Released: 10/18/2007
What the Pythons Did Next...
What the Pythons Did Next...
as Self
Movie - Released: 1/1/2007

2006

Mr. Loveday's Little Outing
Mr. Loveday's Little Outing
as Lady Moping
Movie - Released: 5/7/2006

2005

Fawlty Towers Revisited
Fawlty Towers Revisited
as Herself
Movie - Released: 12/1/2005

2004

Agatha Christie's Marple
Agatha Christie's Marple
as Mrs Mackenzie
TV - Released: 12/12/2004

2003

The Royal
The Royal
as Red Admiral
TV - Released: 1/19/2003

2002

Movie
A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg
as Grace
Movie - Released: 3/13/2002
Dickens
Dickens
TV - Released: 5/11/2002

2001

Movie
Station Jim
as Queen Victoria
Movie - Released: 12/30/2001

2000

The Ghost of Greville Lodge
The Ghost of Greville Lodge
Movie - Released: 10/6/2000

1999

An Ideal Husband
An Ideal Husband
as Lady Markby
Movie - Released: 5/18/1999
Mad Cows
Mad Cows
as Dr. Minny Stinkler
Movie - Released: 10/29/1999
Loose Women
Loose Women
as Self
TV - Released: 9/6/1999

1998

Stiff Upper Lips
Stiff Upper Lips
as Aunt Agnes
Movie - Released: 6/12/1998

1997

An Audience with Alf Garnett
An Audience with Alf Garnett
Movie - Released: 4/5/1997
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
as Eleanor Bunsall
TV - Released: 3/23/1997
Keeping Mum
Keeping Mum
as Marjorie
TV - Released: 4/17/1997

1996

Emma
Emma
as Miss Bates
Movie - Released: 10/2/1996
Breaking the Code
Breaking the Code
as Sara Turing
Movie - Released: 9/17/1996
Movie
Lord of Misrule
as Shirley
Movie - Released: 5/6/1996
Dalziel & Pascoe
Dalziel & Pascoe
TV - Released: 3/16/1996
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
as Mrs. Duffel
TV - Released: 4/2/1996
Silent Witness
Silent Witness
as Anne Parker
TV - Released: 2/21/1996

1995

An Awfully Big Adventure
An Awfully Big Adventure
as Rose
Movie - Released: 5/11/1995
TV
Look at the State We're In!
as Storyteller
TV - Released: 5/20/1995
The World of Lee Evans
The World of Lee Evans
as Mother
TV - Released: 6/2/1995
Signs and Wonders
Signs and Wonders
as Elizabeth Palmore
TV - Released: 1/16/1995

1994

Wolf
Wolf
as Maude Waggins
Movie - Released: 6/17/1994
Second Best
Second Best
as Margery
Movie - Released: 9/30/1994
Fair Game
Fair Game
as Marjorie
Movie - Released: 6/11/1994
The Rector's Wife
The Rector's Wife
as Marjorie Richardson
TV - Released: 3/4/1994

1992

Freddie as F.R.O.7.
Freddie as F.R.O.7.
as Queen (voice)
Movie - Released: 8/14/1992
Howards End
Howards End
as Aunt Juley
Movie - Released: 3/13/1992
My Friend Walter
My Friend Walter
as Aunt Ellie
Movie - Released: 4/24/1992

1991

A Question of Attribution
A Question of Attribution
as H.M.Q.
Movie - Released: 10/20/1991

1990

Dirty Beasts
Dirty Beasts
as Narrator
Movie - Released: 1/2/1990
Revolting Rhymes
Revolting Rhymes
as Narrator
Movie - Released: 1/2/1990
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
as Fleecy Flock
Movie - Released: 12/26/1990

1989

A Chorus of Disapproval
A Chorus of Disapproval
as Hannah Ap Llewellyn
Movie - Released: 8/18/1989
Beyond The Pale
Beyond The Pale
as Milly
Movie - Released: 8/30/1989
Bosses From Hell
Bosses From Hell
Movie - Released: 1/1/1989
Communicators From Hell
Communicators From Hell
Movie - Released: 1/1/1989

1988

Consuming Passions
Consuming Passions
as Ethel
Movie - Released: 4/6/1988
Natural Causes
Natural Causes
as Celia Bryce
Movie - Released: 9/11/1988
After Henry
After Henry
TV - Released: 1/4/1988
TV
Thompson
TV - Released: 11/10/1988

1987

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
as Moira O'Neill
Movie - Released: 12/23/1987
What the Butler Saw
What the Butler Saw
as Mrs Prentice
Movie - Released: 5/23/1987
When We Are Married
When We Are Married
as Annie Parker
Movie - Released: 12/26/1987

1986

Home Cooking
Home Cooking
as Judith
Movie - Released: 11/8/1986
TV
Unnatural Causes
as Judith
TV - Released: 11/8/1986
Casualty
Casualty
as Jocelyn Anderson
TV - Released: 9/6/1986

1985

Absurd Person Singular
Absurd Person Singular
as Marion Brewster-Wright
Movie - Released: 1/1/1985
Mapp & Lucia
Mapp & Lucia
TV - Released: 4/14/1985
TV
Theatre Night
as Mrs. Prentice
TV - Released: 9/15/1985

1984

Slimming Down
Slimming Down
as Mrs. Shrigley
Movie - Released: 6/30/1984

1983

The Wicked Lady
The Wicked Lady
as Lady Kingsclere
Movie - Released: 4/21/1983

1982

Movie
Outside Edge
as Miriam
Movie - Released: 12/19/1982
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor
as Mistress Page
Movie - Released: 12/28/1982

1981

Bergerac
Bergerac
as Gloria Gibbins
TV - Released: 10/18/1981

1978

Doris and Doreen
Doris and Doreen
as Doris Rutter
Movie - Released: 12/16/1978
The Boys from Brazil
The Boys from Brazil
as Mrs. Harrington
Movie - Released: 10/5/1978
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles
as Glynis
Movie - Released: 8/1/1978
An Audience with...
An Audience with...
as Self
TV - Released: 1/8/1978
The BBC Television Shakespeare
The BBC Television Shakespeare
as Mistress Page
TV - Released: 12/3/1978

1977

The Achurch Letters
The Achurch Letters
as Florence Farr
Movie - Released: 1/12/1977
Target
Target
TV - Released: 9/9/1977

1976

The Littlest Horse Thieves
The Littlest Horse Thieves
as Mrs. Sandman
Movie - Released: 5/26/1976
Lucky Feller
Lucky Feller
TV - Released: 9/4/1976

1975

Movie
The Apple Cart
as Queen Jemima
Movie - Released: 1/19/1975
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers
as Sybil Fawlty
TV - Released: 9/19/1975

1973

Seven of One
Seven of One
TV - Released: 3/25/1973

1965

Thirty-Minute Theatre
Thirty-Minute Theatre
as Marie
TV - Released: 10/7/1965

1962

Waltz of the Toreadors
Waltz of the Toreadors
as Estella Fitzjohn
Movie - Released: 4/12/1962

1961

Marriage Lines
Marriage Lines
TV - Released: 5/14/1961

1958

Room at the Top
Room at the Top
as Council Office Worker (uncredited)
Movie - Released: 12/29/1958

1954

Hobson's Choice
Hobson's Choice
as Vicky Hobson
Movie - Released: 4/19/1954
What Every Woman Wants
What Every Woman Wants
as Mary
Movie - Released: 6/10/1954

1953

Movie
Laxdale Hall
as Morag McLeod
Movie - Released: 4/1/1953

1952

Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
as Lydia Bennet
TV - Released: 2/2/1952