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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

89

Gender

Female

Birthday

1932-06-22 (93 years old)

Place of Birth

Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England, UK

Also Known As

Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales

Prunella Margaret Rumney Illingworth

پرونلا اسکیلز

Prunella Scales

Biography

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.

Known For

Acting

Wolf

1994

Wolf

as

Maude Waggins

The Shell Seekers

2007

The Shell Seekers

as

Dolly Keeling

Emma

1996

Emma

as

Miss Bates

Waltz of the Toreadors

1962

Waltz of the Toreadors

as

Estella Fitzjohn

Hobson's Choice

1954

Hobson's Choice

as

Vicky Hobson

Breaking the Code

1996

Breaking the Code

as

Sara Turing

Stiff Upper Lips

1998

Stiff Upper Lips

as

Aunt Agnes

Freddie as F.R.O.7.

1992

Freddie as F.R.O.7.

as

Queen (voice)

A Chorus of Disapproval

1989

A Chorus of Disapproval

as

Hannah Ap Llewellyn

What the Butler Saw

1987

What the Butler Saw

as

Mrs Prentice

The Phone Call

2013

The Phone Call

as

Joan

An Ideal Husband

1999

An Ideal Husband

as

Lady Markby

Second Best

1994

Second Best

as

Margery

Dirty Beasts

1990

Dirty Beasts

as

Narrator

Revolting Rhymes

1990

Revolting Rhymes

as

Narrator

The Wicked Lady

1983

The Wicked Lady

as

Lady Kingsclere

Run For Your Wife

2012

Run For Your Wife

as

Woman in Pub

Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened

2009

Fawlty Towers: Re-Opened

as

Self / Sybil Fawlty

The Littlest Horse Thieves

1976

The Littlest Horse Thieves

as

Mrs. Sandman

Room at the Top

1958

Room at the Top

as

Council Office Worker (uncredited)

Beyond The Pale

1989

Beyond The Pale

as

Milly

Doris and Doreen

1978

Doris and Doreen

as

Doris Rutter

The Apple Cart

1975

The Apple Cart

as

Queen Jemima

Station Jim

2001

Station Jim

as

Queen Victoria

Lord of Misrule

1996

Lord of Misrule

as

Shirley

Natural Causes

1988

Natural Causes

as

Celia Bryce

Fair Game

1994

Fair Game

as

Marjorie

Howards End

1992

Howards End

as

Aunt Juley

Outside Edge

1982

Outside Edge

as

Miriam

Horrid Henry: The Movie

2011

Horrid Henry: The Movie

as

Great Aunt Greta

The Boys from Brazil

1978

The Boys from Brazil

as

Mrs. Harrington

Mad Cows

1999

Mad Cows

as

Dr. Minny Stinkler

The Merry Wives of Windsor

1982

The Merry Wives of Windsor

as

Mistress Page

Laxdale Hall

1953

Laxdale Hall

as

Morag McLeod

My Friend Walter

1992

My Friend Walter

as

Aunt Ellie

Home Cooking

1986

Home Cooking

as

Judith

Sub Rosa

2014

Sub Rosa

as

Madame

When We Are Married

1987

When We Are Married

as

Annie Parker

Absurd Person Singular

1985

Absurd Person Singular

as

Marion Brewster-Wright

Slimming Down

1984

Slimming Down

as

Mrs. Shrigley

The Achurch Letters

1977

The Achurch Letters

as

Florence Farr

Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders

as

Eleanor Bunsall

Bergerac

Bergerac

as

Gloria Gibbins

Fawlty Towers

Fawlty Towers

as

Sybil Fawlty

Keeping Mum

Keeping Mum

as

Marjorie

The Royal

The Royal

as

Red Admiral

Casualty

Casualty

as

Jocelyn Anderson

The Rector's Wife

The Rector's Wife

as

Marjorie Richardson

Signs and Wonders

Signs and Wonders

as

Elizabeth Palmore

Silent Witness

Silent Witness

as

Anne Parker

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

as

Lydia Bennet

Theatre Night

Theatre Night

as

Mrs. Prentice

Never the Twain

Never the Twain

as

Susan Peel

Production

Crew

Directing