British actress Prunella Scales, best known for her role as the sharp-tongued Sybil Fawlty in the beloved sitcom 'Fawlty Towers,' has died peacefully at her home in London at the age of 93. Her sons, Samuel and Joseph, confirmed her death, sharing that she passed away on Monday after spending her final days 'comfortable, contented, and surrounded by love.' They added that Scales had been watching episodes of 'Fawlty Towers' the day before her passing. Born in Surrey, England, in 1932, Scales began her theater career as an assistant stage manager in 1951. Her first major television role came in the 1960s sitcom 'The Marriage Lines,' before achieving international fame in 'Fawlty Towers,' which aired just 12 episodes between 1975 and 1979. In 2000, the British Film Institute named the series the greatest British TV program of all time. Reflecting on her most famous character, Sybil, to the Hollywood Reporter, Scales once said, 'She had landed with an upper-class twit for a husband,' yet she added, 'behind all of Sybil’s apparent disenchantment with Basil, there is still some — just enough — real affection for him.' Beyond 'Fawlty Towers,' Scales had a prolific career across television, film, and theater. Her credits include the 1980s series 'Mapp & Lucia' and films such as 'Howards End' and 'Wolf.' She received a BAFTA nomination for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the 1991 television play 'A Question of Attribution' and was awarded a CBE the following year. Scales was married to actor Timothy West from 1963 until his death in November 2024. The pair co-starred in Channel 4’s 'Great Canal Journeys' from 2014 to 2019. She is survived by her two sons, a stepdaughter, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
