Prunella Scales, the celebrated actress best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty – the sharp-tongued, no-nonsense wife of John Cleese’s Basil in the classic 1970s British sitcom “Fawlty Towers” – passed away on Monday at the age of 93.
Her sons, Samuel and Joseph West, confirmed her passing to PA Media on Tuesday, sharing that Scales died “peacefully at home in London yesterday.” The actress had been living with vascular dementia since her diagnosis in 2013.
“Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home. She was watching ‘Fawlty Towers’ the day before she died,” the family’s statement read. “We would like to thank all those who gave Pru such wonderful care at the end of her life: her last days were comfortable, contented and surrounded by love.”
Scales’s portrayal of Sybil Fawlty in “Fawlty Towers,” which aired on BBC Two between 1975 and 1979, remains one of the most iconic performances in British television history. Outside of the beloved sitcom, she earned a BAFTA nomination for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett’s 1991 televised play “A Question of Attribution.”
From 2014 to 2020, Scales co-hosted the docuseries “Great Canal Journeys” with her husband, the late actor Timothy West, as the couple traveled through Britain’s waterways, charming audiences with their warmth and wit.
John Cleese, her “Fawlty Towers” co-star, shared his memories of Scales in a statement. “How very sad. Pru was a really wonderful comic actress.
I’ve recently been watching a number of clips of ‘Fawlty Towers’ whilst researching a book. Scene after scene she was absolutely perfect. She was a very sweet lady, who spent a lot of her life apologizing. I used to tease her about it. I was very, very fond of her.”
Scales’s illustrious career began in 1951 as an assistant stage manager at the Bristol Old Vic, where she soon transitioned into acting in stage productions and small film roles throughout the 1950s and early 1960s.
Her first major success came with the sitcom “Marriage Lines” (1963–1966), in which she starred opposite Richard Briers. Her breakout role as Sybil Fawlty in “Fawlty Towers” cemented her place in television history in the mid-1970s.
Over the years, she continued to build a diverse résumé with performances in the series “Mapp & Lucia” (1985–1986) and in notable films such as “The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne” (1987), “Howards End” (1992), “Wolf” (1994), and “An Awfully Big Adventure” (1995).
Scales is survived by her sons, Samuel and Joseph West, one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Timothy West, who passed away in November 2024.