Fawlty Towers actress Prunella Scales has died aged 93, her family confirmed. The actress, who famously portrayed Sybil Fawlty, the sharp-tongued, commanding wife of hotel owner Basil, passed away peacefully at her London home.
In a statement to PA News, her sons Samuel and Joseph said:
«Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday. She was 93.» They added that she had been watching Fawlty Towers the day before her death.
Scales was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013 but continued to live at home despite retiring from a career that spanned nearly seven decades. Her husband, actor Timothy West, passed away in November last year.
The family expressed gratitude to those who cared for her, saying her final days were «comfortable, contented and surrounded by love.» She is survived by two sons, a stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Beyond her most famous role, Scales earned a BAFTA nomination for portraying Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett’s A Question of Attribution in 1991.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Fawlty Towers, in which Scales’ Sybil, with her signature perm and no-nonsense charm, reigned supreme over her hapless husband in their chaotic Torquay hotel.
Kursiv also reports that eralier this month Paul Daniel «Ace» Frehley, the founding guitarist of Kiss and one of rock music’s most influential performers, has died aged 74.
