As Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales dies, who are her sons Samuel and Joseph plus stepdaughter Juliet?
Actress Prunella Scales, who has died at 93, will be best remembered for playing Sybil in Fawlty Towers, opposite John Cleese.
Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales, who played Sybil, has died at the age of 93. She was married to actor Timothy West for 61 years and he predeceased her in November 2024.
Samuel and Joseph West, the sons of Prunella Scales, revealed that she had been watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died. They told the PA News agency that “Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday.
"She was 93. 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.
"Pru was married to Timothy West for 61 years. He died in November 2024.
"She is survived by two sons and one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
"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."
When actor Timothy West died in November 2024, his children Samuel and Joseph, as well as daughter Juliet, shared a statement on X which read:
“After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father, Timothy West, died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening.”
“Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife, Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.”
The family also added: “We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s hospital, Tooting, and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days.”
After Timothy West passed away, Piers Morgan paid tribute to him and wrote: “A wonderful actor, and delightful man. My Life Stories interview with him, as the love of his life Prunella Scales sat in the audience, was so moving.
“They were married 61yrs, and his devotion to her after she developed Alzheimer’s was profoundly touching.”
Dame Joanna Lumley said: “Timothy really will be a huge loss, obviously, to Pru, but I think a huge loss to everybody who came to love and respect them, not just the general public, but particularly those who live with dementia.”
She also said: “I think between them, Timothy and Pru did an amazing, amazing job of convincing people that dementia was not something that you should be always afraid of, but something that you could embrace and live with and live with well.'”
Timothy West wrote a book called Prue & Me: A Love Story. The synopsis for the book reads: “In this book, Tim traces their united steps through life professionally and personally, and covers the highs and lows of caring for Pru since her dementia diagnosis, twenty years ago. As with all things in life, she and Tim have tackled it together, often with a glass of wine in hand and almost always with a smile.”
Who are Samuel and Joseph West?
Samuel and Joseph West are the sons of the late Prunella Scales and Timothy West. Samuel West is a well known actor who starred alongside his father Timothy in Edward the Seventh (1975), he also starred in the British film Notting Hill, was the voice of Pongo in 101 Dalmations 2: Patch’s London Adventures and was Dr Victor Frankenstein in the 2004 movie Van Elsing. Samuel West also played the character of Frank Edwards in the TV series Mr. Selfridge.
Joseph West did not follow in the footsteps of his parents, but did appear in two episodes of the Channel 4 series Great Canal Journeys, in the series his parents Timothy West and Prunella Scales explored canals in France.
Juliet West is the daughter of Timothy West and the stepdaughter of Prunella Scales. Timothy West was married to her mother, actress Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 until 1961.