Prunella Scales Dead: ‘Fawlty Towers’ Actress Was 93
What To Know
- Prunella Scales, best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in the iconic sitcom Fawlty Towers, has died peacefully at home in London at the age of 93.
- Scales had a distinguished acting career spanning nearly 70 years, appearing in numerous films and TV shows, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992.
- She was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013, and is survived by her sons, stepdaughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, following the recent death of her husband Timothy West.
Prunella Scales, the actress known for portraying Sybil Fawlty in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, is dead at 93.
On Tuesday, October 28, the BBC reported that Scales died “peacefully at home in London yesterday,” according to her sons, Samuel and Joseph. She was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013.
“Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home,” a statement from her sons read in the wake of her October 27 death.
The statement continued, “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.”
Additionally, Scales’ sons noted that she had been watching Fawlty Towers — also starring John Cleese, Connie Booth, and Andrew Sachs — the day before she died.
In Fawlty Towers, Sybil (Scales) and her husband, Basil (Cleese), ran a dysfunctional hotel in Devon, England. Cleese’s wife, Booth, played a waitress named Polly. Meanwhile, Sachs portrayed a Spanish waiter named Manuel. The series aired for two seasons, in 1975 and in 1979; the British Film Institute named it the No. 1 British TV program of all time.
BBC. Courtesy: Everett Collection
In addition to Fawlty Towers, Scales is known for appearing in films like Hobson’s Choice (1954), Room at the Top (1959),Waltz of the Toreadors (1962), The Boys From Brazil (1978), Howards End (1992), Wolf (1994), Johnny English (2003), and many others. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Folks might also recognize Scales for her memorable Tesco commercials, in which she portrayed an eccentric shopper named Dotty.
Scales was preceded in death by her husband, Timothy West, who died in November 2024. (They hosted the Channel 4 travel series, Great Canal Journeys, together from 2014 to 2017.) In addition to her sons, she is survived by one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.