Prunella Scales, the beloved British actress who brought to life the iconic, unflappable Sybil Fawlty in the classic sitcom ‘Fawlty Towers,’ passed away peacefully at her London home on Monday at the age of 93. Her sons confirmed her death on social media, adding a poignant detail: she was reportedly watching ‘Fawlty Towers’ just a day before her passing. Ms. Scales had been living with Alzheimer’s disease since her diagnosis in 2014.
Across a career spanning nearly seven decades, Scales graced countless stages and screens, earning acclaim for her exceptional talent in comedic roles. Her breakthrough on television came with the BBC sitcom ‘The Marriage Lines’ (1961-66), where she charmed audiences as a newlywed navigating the humorous frustrations of domestic life. However, it was her role as Sybil Fawlty that cemented her place in television history, redefining the exasperated spouse with unparalleled wit and poise.
An accompanying image depicts Prunella Scales in a 1975 episode of ‘Fawlty Towers,’ where she is seen holding a telephone to her ear in a hotel lobby setting. (Credit: Don Smith/Radio Times, via Getty Images).
Opposite John Cleese’s notoriously high-strung Basil Fawlty, the manager of a chaotic seaside hotel, Scales embodied Sybil as his impeccably dressed and elaborately coiffed wife. She was the picture of serene, eye-rolling calm amidst the hotel’s constant farcical pandemonium. Often, viewers would find her in a back room, telephone cradled, her gossipy chatter punctuated by a memorable, drawling ‘Oh, I know!’ When confronted by Basil’s antics, she effortlessly deflated his towering presence with a single, withering glance or a sharp, resonant ‘BASIL!’—an impressive feat for the diminutive 5-foot-3 actress facing the 6-foot-5 Cleese.
Basil’s affectionate nicknames for his wife included ‘my little piranha fish’ and ‘my little nest of vipers,’ while he famously compared her distinctive laugh to ‘someone machine-gunning a seal.’ Yet, Sybil was never one to back down, famously retorting, ‘Do you really imagine, even in your wildest dreams, that a girl like this could possibly be interested in an aging, brilliantined stick insect like you?’ when catching him in a compromising situation.
Despite its brief run of just two seasons, and later criticisms regarding the use of racial slurs in one particular episode, ‘Fawlty Towers’ achieved enduring popularity and critical acclaim. In 2000, the British Film Institute crowned it No. 1 on its list of the top 100 British television shows, and Radio Times lauded it as the best British sitcom of all time.
Another image shows Scales with John Cleese, who played her husband Basil Fawlty, in a kitchen scene from the BBC program. (Credit: Don Smith/Radio Times, via Getty Images).
Scales shared a profound partnership with her husband, esteemed theater actor Timothy West, a prominent figure in British television himself. In 2014, the very year of her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the couple embarked on a heartwarming journey, sharing their love for narrowboats on the popular series ‘Great Canal Journeys.’ Together, they explored the picturesque waterways of Britain, Europe, and beyond. The show resonated deeply with audiences, particularly as West sensitively addressed his wife’s condition at the beginning of each episode. The Guardian poignantly described the bittersweet series as charting ‘the long, slow goodbye that is living with dementia.’ Scales’s health led to their departure from the show in October 2019, marking, as The Guardian noted, ‘the end to one of the greatest love stories on TV.’ Reflecting on her career in 2013, Scales once mused, ‘I am famous for playing unfortunate wives, but I have been a very lucky wife.’
A third image portrays Scales with Timothy West, her real-life husband, as they ride a boat along a canal, with buildings visible on either side, during an episode of ‘Great Canal Journeys.’ (Credit: Channel 4, via Everett Collection).
Born Prunella Margaret Rumney Scales Illingworth on June 22, 1932, in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, southwest of London, she inherited her theatrical flair from her mother, Catherine (née Scales) Illingworth, who was a professional actress before marrying cotton salesman John Richardson Illingworth. Her formative years included attendance at Moira House, a boarding school she joined in 1942, where she cultivated her talents in piano, speech, and drama.
At 17, Scales secured a two-year scholarship to the prestigious Old Vic in London. She initially felt overwhelmed, attributing this to a sheltered upbringing. In her 2005 biography, ‘Prunella,’ she recalled, ‘Although I wanted to be an actress, I was very inhibited and thought it was wrong to show off.’
Her London stage debut came in 1955 as Ermengarde in the premiere production of Thornton Wilder’s ‘The Matchmaker’ at the Haymarket Theater. The play enjoyed a successful nine-month run in the West End before moving to Broadway. During her time in New York, Scales honed her craft, studying acting under the renowned Uta Hagen at the Herbert Berghof Studio.
Upon returning to England, she joined the esteemed Shakespeare Memorial Theater (which later became the Royal Shakespeare Company), where her performances included roles in ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ ‘Measure for Measure,’ and Peter Hall’s inaugural production, ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost.’
She met her future husband, Timothy West, on the set of the 1961 BBC historical production ‘She Died Young,’ and they married two years later in 1963. Scales is survived by her two children, actor Samuel, and Joseph; her stepdaughter Juliet, from Mr. West’s previous marriage; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Her brother, Timothy Illingworth, passed away in 2017, and her beloved husband, Timothy West, preceded her in death last year.
Following her triumph in ‘Fawlty Towers,’ Scales remained a constant and cherished presence on British television. From 1985 to 1986, she captivated audiences as Miss Elizabeth Mapp in ‘Mapp and Lucia,’ a series adapted from E.F. Benson’s novels, chronicling the lively and often gossipy lives of middle-aged women in a 1930s English town. The series quickly garnered a dedicated following in the United States, with a New York Times review praising it as ‘positively delicious,’ and specifically noting, ‘Mapp, plumpish, round and insinuating, is brought to blazing hypocritical perfection by Prunella Scales.’
In 1980, Scales returned to the Old Vic to star in ‘An Evening With Queen Victoria,’ a remarkable one-woman show drawing from the queen’s personal diaries and letters. She performed this acclaimed production an astonishing 400 times, gracing stages in theaters, churches, and municipal halls throughout Britain, and even touring internationally to Bermuda, Brunei, the United States, and Australia.
Further showcasing her versatility, Scales earned widespread critical acclaim in 1988 for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett’s play ‘A Question of Attribution.’ Staged at London’s National Theater and later adapted into a 1991 BBC film, her performance was lauded by Frank Rich in The Times: ‘Without ever indulging in caricature,’ he wrote, ‘the extraordinary Miss Scales makes a completely persuasive queen: shrewd without being intellectual, convivial without being intimate, charming without being warm.’
The 1990s saw Scales expand her cinematic portfolio, appearing in notable films such as ‘Howards End’ (1992) alongside Anthony Hopkins and Vanessa Redgrave, ‘Second Best’ (1994) with William Hurt, and ‘Wolf’ (1994) featuring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Her contributions to the arts were recognized in 1992 when she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Beyond performing, Scales dedicated herself to teaching acting at institutions like the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Actors Centre, as well as conducting private workshops. She maintained a steady presence across television, stage, and radio, officially retiring from acting in 2020.
Despite her extensive and varied career, interviewers often gravitated towards discussions of ‘Fawlty Towers.’ Scales, however, expressed enduring gratitude for the role of Sybil. ‘Most people seem to remember Sybil as this hideous gorgon of a woman,’ she once told her biographer. ‘But,’ she asserted, ‘I consider her a heroine.’
Claire Moses contributed reporting.