6.1
Movie
Acting
Prunella Scales
- Born
- Died
- (aged 93)
- Birthplace
- Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England, UK
- Credits
- 107 titles
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.
Signature work
Known For
6.1
Movie
8.3
TV
Fawlty Towers
7.0
Movie
Howards End
6.7
Movie
The Boys from Brazil
7.5
TV
Midsomer Murders
7.4
Movie
Hobson's Choice
7.8
TV
Agatha Christie's Marple
6.6
Movie
Emma
7.6
TV
Silent Witness
5.2
Movie
Horrid Henry: The Movie
6.2
TV
Casualty
7.3
Movie
The Phone Call
6.5
Movie
An Awfully Big Adventure
6.7
Movie
Second Best
5.2
Movie
Freddie As F.R.O.7.
6.6
Movie
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
4.4
Movie
The Hound of the Baskervilles
6.4
TV
Dalziel and Pascoe
Acting credits 107
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers Film | |
| 2014 | 50 Years of BBC Two Comedy Film | Self |
| 2014 | Great Canal Journeys TV | Self (34 ep) |
| 2014 | Sub Rosa Film | Madame |
| 2013 | The Phone Call Film | Joan |
| 2012 | Run For Your Wife Film | Woman in Pub |
| 2011 | Horrid Henry: The Movie Film | Great Aunt Greta |
| 2009 | Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened Film | Self / Sybil Fawlty |
| 2007 | The Shell Seekers Film | Dolly Keeling |
| 2007 | Think Film | Customer |
| 2007 | What the Pythons Did Next... Film | Self |
| 2006 | Mr. Loveday's Little Outing Film | Lady Moping |
| 2005 | Fawlty Towers Revisited Film | Herself |
| 2005 | The Funny Blokes of British Comedy Film | Sybil Fawlty (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2004 | Agatha Christie's Marple TV | Mrs Mackenzie (1 ep) |
| 2003 | Looking for Victoria TV | Self / Victoria (2 ep) |
| 2003 | The Royal TV | Red Admiral (1 ep) |
| 2002 | Dickens TV | Elizabeth Dickens (1 ep) |
| 2002 | A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Film | Grace |
| 2001 | Station Jim Film | Queen Victoria |
| 2000 | The Ghost of Greville Lodge Film | Sarah |
| 1999 | Mad Cows Film | Dr. Minny Stinkler |
| 1999 | Loose Women TV | Self (1 ep) |
| 1999 | An Ideal Husband Film | Lady Markby |
| 1998 | Stiff Upper Lips Film | Aunt Agnes |
| 1997 | Keeping Mum TV | Marjorie (1 ep) |
| 1997 | An Audience with Alf Garnett Film | |
| 1997 | Midsomer Murders TV | Eleanor Bunsall (1 ep) |
| 1996 | Emma Film | Miss Bates |
| 1996 | Breaking the Code Film | Sara Turing |
| 1996 | Lord of Misrule Film | Shirley |
| 1996 | Dennis the Menace and Gnasher TV | Mrs. Duffel (1 ep) |
| 1996 | Dalziel and Pascoe TV | Edith Disney (1 ep) |
| 1996 | Silent Witness TV | Anne Parker (2 ep) |
| 1995 | Searching TV | Mrs. Tilston (7 ep) |
| 1995 | The World of Lee Evans TV | Mother (1 ep) |
| 1995 | Look at the State We're In! TV | Storyteller (1 ep) |
| 1995 | An Awfully Big Adventure Film | Rose |
| 1995 | Signs and Wonders TV | Elizabeth Palmore (4 ep) |
| 1994 | Second Best Film | Margery |
| 1994 | Wolf Film | Maude Waggins |
| 1994 | Fair Game Film | Marjorie |
| 1994 | The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher Film | Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (voice) |
| 1994 | The Rector's Wife TV | Marjorie Richardson (4 ep) |
| 1992 | Freddie As F.R.O.7. Film | Queen (voice) |
| 1992 | My Friend Walter Film | Aunt Ellie |
| 1992 | Howards End Film | Aunt Juley |
| 1991 | A Question of Attribution Film | H.M.Q. |
| 1990 | The Tale of Little Pig Robinson Film | Fleecy Flock |
| 1990 | Dirty Beasts Film | Narrator |
| 1990 | Revolting Rhymes Film | Narrator |
| 1989 | Screen One TV | H.M.Q. (1 ep) |
| 1989 | Beyond The Pale Film | Milly |
| 1989 | A Chorus of Disapproval Film | Hannah Ap Llewellyn |
| 1989 | Bosses From Hell Film | |
| 1989 | Communicators From Hell Film | |
| 1988 | Thompson TV | (1 ep) |
| 1988 | Natural Causes Film | Celia Bryce |
| 1988 | Consuming Passions Film | Ethel |
| 1988 | After Henry TV | Sarah France (38 ep) |