Prunella Scales

Photo of Prunella Scales

Biography

While primarily a beloved stage actress in her native Britain, she has made intermittent, and highly effective, appearances in several TV programs and films.

Born Prunella Illingworth, she adopted her mother's maiden name as her stage name. Trained at the Bristol Old Vic School, she first appeared on stage in 1951 as the cook in "Traveller Without Luggage" at the Theatre Royale in Bristol and made her London debut in "The Impresario from …

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Job Title

Actor

Born

June 22, 1932

Career Milestones

Played Elizabeth Mapp in the London Weekend Television series "Mapp and Lucia"; aired in USA on PBS

Toured the world in one-woman show "An Evening With Queen Victoria"

1951

Professional stage debut as Cook in "Traveler Without Luggage" at Theatre Royal, Bristol

1952

Made TV debut, "Pride and Prejudice"

1954

Film debut, "Hobson's Choice"

1954

London stage debut, "The Impresario From Smyrna"

1955

Broadway debut as Ermengarde in Thornton Wilder's "The Matchmaker"

1962

Co-starred with Peter Sellars in "The Waltz of the Torreadors"

1963

Co-starred with Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom "The Marriage Lines"

1975

First played Sybil Fawlty in the British comedy "Fawlty Towers"

1978

Co-starred with Patricia Routledge in "Doris and Doreen", directed by Stephen Frears and written by Alan Bennett

1979

Reprised role of Sybil Fawlty in the second series of "Fawlty Towers"

1987

Had supporting role in "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne"

1992

Appeared in "Howards End"; son Samuel West had major supporting role in the film

1992

Played Queen Elizabeth II in the TV version of "A Question of Attribution", scripted by Alan Bennett and directed by John Schlesinger

1995

Had featured role in Mike Newell's "An Awfully Big Adventure"

1997

Co-starred with son Samuel West in "Stiff Upper Lips"

1999

Appeared with husband Timothy West in London revival of Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party"

2000

Toured England as Ranevskaya in "The Cherry Orchard"