Prunella Scales

Acting

Prunella Scales

Born June 22, 1932Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England, UK98 credits

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.

Known For

The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers

The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers

Movie

2025

50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
8.0

50 Years of BBC Two Comedy

Movie

2014

Great Canal Journeys
8.8

Great Canal Journeys

TV

2014

Sub Rosa
5.0

Sub Rosa

Movie

2014

The Phone Call
7.3

The Phone Call

Movie

2013

Run For Your Wife
4.4

Run For Your Wife

Movie

2012

Filmography

The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers
2025The Cancellation Of Fawlty TowersMovie
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
201450 Years of BBC Two Comedyas SelfMovie
Great Canal Journeys
2014Great Canal Journeysas SelfTV
Sub Rosa
2014Sub Rosaas MadameMovie
The Phone Call
2013The Phone Callas JoanMovie
Run For Your Wife
2012Run For Your Wifeas Woman in PubMovie
Horrid Henry: The Movie
2011Horrid Henry: The Movieas Great Aunt GretaMovie
Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened
2009Fawlty Towers: Re-Openedas Self / Sybil FawltyMovie
The Shell Seekers
2007The Shell Seekersas Dolly KeelingMovie
T
2007Thinkas CustomerMovie
What the Pythons Did Next...
2007What the Pythons Did Next...as SelfMovie
Mr. Loveday's Little Outing
2006Mr. Loveday's Little Outingas Lady MopingMovie
Fawlty Towers Revisited
2005Fawlty Towers Revisitedas HerselfMovie
T
2005The Funny Blokes of British Comedyas Sybil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited)Movie
Agatha Christie's Marple
2004Agatha Christie's Marpleas Mrs MackenzieTV
The Royal
2003The Royalas Red AdmiralTV
Dickens
2002Dickensas Elizabeth DickensTV
A
2002A Day In The Death Of Joe Eggas GraceMovie
S
2001Station Jimas Queen VictoriaMovie
The Ghost of Greville Lodge
2000The Ghost of Greville Lodgeas SarahMovie
Mad Cows
1999Mad Cowsas Dr. Minny StinklerMovie
Loose Women
1999Loose Womenas SelfTV
An Ideal Husband
1999An Ideal Husbandas Lady MarkbyMovie
Stiff Upper Lips
1998Stiff Upper Lipsas Aunt AgnesMovie
Keeping Mum
1997Keeping Mumas MarjorieTV
An Audience with Alf Garnett
1997An Audience with Alf GarnettMovie
Midsomer Murders
1997Midsomer Murdersas Eleanor BunsallTV
Emma
1996Emmaas Miss BatesMovie
Breaking the Code
1996Breaking the Codeas Sara TuringMovie
L
1996Lord of Misruleas ShirleyMovie
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
1996Dennis the Menace and Gnasheras Mrs. DuffelTV
Dalziel & Pascoe
1996Dalziel & PascoeTV
Silent Witness
1996Silent Witnessas Anne ParkerTV
The World of Lee Evans
1995The World of Lee Evansas MotherTV
L
1995Look at the State We're In!as StorytellerTV
An Awfully Big Adventure
1995An Awfully Big Adventureas RoseMovie
Signs and Wonders
1995Signs and Wondersas Elizabeth PalmoreTV
Second Best
1994Second Bestas MargeryMovie
Wolf
1994Wolfas Maude WagginsMovie
Fair Game
1994Fair Gameas MarjorieMovie
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher
1994The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisheras Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (voice)Movie
The Rector's Wife
1994The Rector's Wifeas Marjorie RichardsonTV
Freddie As F.R.O.7.
1992Freddie As F.R.O.7.as Queen (voice)Movie
My Friend Walter
1992My Friend Walteras Aunt EllieMovie
Howards End
1992Howards Endas Aunt JuleyMovie
A Question of Attribution
1991A Question of Attributionas H.M.Q.Movie
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
1990The Tale of Little Pig Robinsonas Fleecy FlockMovie
Dirty Beasts
1990Dirty Beastsas NarratorMovie
Revolting Rhymes
1990Revolting Rhymesas NarratorMovie
Beyond The Pale
1989Beyond The Paleas MillyMovie
A Chorus of Disapproval
1989A Chorus of Disapprovalas Hannah Ap LlewellynMovie
Bosses From Hell
1989Bosses From HellMovie
Communicators From Hell
1989Communicators From HellMovie
T
1988ThompsonTV
Natural Causes
1988Natural Causesas Celia BryceMovie
Consuming Passions
1988Consuming Passionsas EthelMovie
After Henry
1988After Henryas Sarah FranceTV
When We Are Married
1987When We Are Marriedas Annie ParkerMovie
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
1987The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearneas Moira O'NeillMovie
What the Butler Saw
1987What the Butler Sawas Mrs PrenticeMovie
Home Cooking
1986Home Cookingas JudithMovie
U
1986Unnatural Causesas JudithTV
Casualty
1986Casualtyas Jocelyn AndersonTV
Theatre Night
1985Theatre Nightas Mrs. PrenticeTV
Mapp & Lucia
1985Mapp & Luciaas Miss Elizabeth MappTV
Absurd Person Singular
1985Absurd Person Singularas Marion Brewster-WrightMovie
Slimming Down
1984Slimming Downas Mrs. ShrigleyMovie
The Wicked Lady
1983The Wicked Ladyas Lady KingsclereMovie
S
1983Singlesas GailMovie
The Merry Wives of Windsor
1982The Merry Wives of Windsoras Mistress PageMovie
Outside Edge
1982Outside Edgeas MiriamMovie
Bergerac
1981Bergeracas Gloria GibbinsTV
Never the Twain
1981Never the Twainas Susan PeelTV
Doris and Doreen
1978Doris and Doreenas Doris RutterMovie
The Boys from Brazil
1978The Boys from Brazilas Mrs. HarringtonMovie
The Hound of the Baskervilles
1978The Hound of the Baskervillesas GlynisMovie
An Audience with...
1978An Audience with...as SelfTV
Target
1977Targetas Diana BlakeTV
The Achurch Letters
1977The Achurch Lettersas Florence FarrMovie
Lucky Feller
1976Lucky FellerTV
The Littlest Horse Thieves
1976The Littlest Horse Thievesas Mrs. SandmanMovie
Fawlty Towers
1975Fawlty Towersas Sybil FawltyTV
T
1975The Apple Cartas Queen JemimaMovie
Playhouse
1974Playhouseas Florence FarrTV
Seven of One
1973Seven of Oneas Marion JoyceTV
T
1973The Ring of Truthas Babs PickardMovie
Country Matters
1972Country Mattersas Babs PickardTV
BBC Play of the Month
1965BBC Play of the Monthas Queen JemimaTV
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1965Thirty-Minute Theatreas MarieTV
Waltz of the Toreadors
1962Waltz of the Toreadorsas Estella FitzjohnMovie
F
1961Faces of Jimas Laura MorrellTV
Marriage Lines
1961Marriage LinesTV
Room at the Top
1958Room at the Topas Council Office Worker (uncredited)Movie
The Crowded Day
1954The Crowded Dayas CustomerMovie
What Every Woman Wants
1954What Every Woman Wantsas MaryMovie
Hobson's Choice
1954Hobson's Choiceas Vicky HobsonMovie
L
1953Laxdale Hallas Morag McLeodMovie
Pride and Prejudice
1952Pride and Prejudiceas Lydia BennetTV