Legendary actor Timothy West who enjoyed a glittering five-decade career on the stage and on television has died aged 90.
Mr West, who starred in shows Brass, Edward the Seventh, EastEnders and Great Canal Journeys with his Fawlty Towers star wife Prunella Scales, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends.
His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West announced the tragic news with a shared statement on social media, saying he died peacefully in his sleep ‘with his friends and family at the end’.
Timothy met his wife Prunella 12 years before she played Sybil Fawlty, the role she is most known for, alongside John Cleese in the iconic British comedy series. The actress was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2014.
In an interview with The Daily Mail in 2023, Timothy revealed the heartache at seeing his wife slip away amid her battle.
Prunella and Timothy previously starred together in their own Channel 4 TV show, Great Canal Journeys, between 2014 and 2021, but were forced to quit due to her ailing health.
The 92-year-old filmed her last show in October 2019, but the couple appeared in more than 30 episodes of the programme.
Legendary actor Timothy West who was married to Fawlty Towers actor Prunella Scales (pictured together) has died aged 90
His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West revealed the tragic news in a joint statement
West was married to fellow actress Prunella Scales for more than 60 years
Timothy West pictured with Queen Camilla in May 2024
Mr West pictured with his son Samuel West, 56, who is also an actor, in October 2010
The statement announcing Mr West’s death read: ‘After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.
‘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.
‘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.’
Mr West’s son Samuel West, 56, is also an actor and is a household name for his leading role in All Creatures Great and Small.
The 90-year-old was also married to actor Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 to 1961, and they had a daughter, Juliet West.
Mr West starred in television shows such as comedy drama Brass, sitcom Not Going Out and soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.
In Brass he played ruthless self-made businessman Bradley Hardacre from 1982 to 1984 before returning for a third series in 1990, while in Not Going Out he played Geoffrey, the father of Lucy Adams, played by Sally Bretton.
In Coronation Street he appeared in seven episodes in 2013 as Eric Babbage, while in EastEnders he played Stan Carter from 2014 to 2015.
Timothy West pictured with his wife Prunella Scales in the play The External
Timothy West on set of Gentleman Jack in Halifax, Yorkshire, in 2018
Timothy West and Prunella Scales pictured with their son Sam West
Prunella Scales and Timothy West performing together in the When We Were Married play in Whitehall Theatre in 1986
Timothy West plays the role of Edward VII in 1975
Timothy West as Rev Cottrell in Agatha Christie’s Poirot in 2010
Prunella Scales with her husband Timothy West at the Cafe Pelican London in 1985
Timothy West and his son Samuel West performing in Henry IV at the Old Vic Theatre in 1997
During his career West also played former British prime minister Winston Churchill three times, in From Churchill and the Generals (1979), The Last Bastion (1984), and Hiroshima (1995).
In 2019, the Bradford-born actor played Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes, a recreation of three missing episodes of the BBC comedy Dad’s Army.
His film roles included Commissioner Berthier in The Day Of The Jackal (1973), King Francis in From Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), and Nazi physician and war criminal Karl Gebhardt in Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973).
On stage, he was a regular performer of Shakespeare, playing Lear in 2016 and 2002.
He performed at the Piccadilly Theatre, with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and the West End, portraying many classic roles, including Shylock, Falstaff, and Macbeth.
In 1984, West was appointed CBE for his services to drama in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Prior to acting, West had attended the John Lyon School and Bristol Grammar School, and worked as an office furniture salesman and a recording technician before becoming an assistant stage manager at Wimbledon Theatre in 1956.
Emotional messages have poured in on social media following the EastEnders star’s death, with broadcaster Piers Morgan, fellow actor James Dreyfus and Gyles Brandreth among those paying tribute.
Timothy West with his wife Prunella Scales, at home in South London in December 2023
Timothy West pictured as Mr Bumble while filming Oliver Twist
The TalkTV presenter, 59, paid tribute to the ‘wonderful’ man, alongside a photo with Timothy from when he appeared on My Life Stories.
He 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.’
Mr Dreyfus wrote on X: ‘Marvellous actor. A constant in many of our lives. He shall be much missed. My thoughts with his family. RIP Timothy West.’
Alongside a sweet picture of Timothy, Gyles Brandreth, 76, said: ‘Cheers, Tim! And thank you. A marvellous man – a marvellous actor, husband, father, friend.
‘On stage, on screen, on a canal boat, on the end of a pier (he loved a seaside pier!), in the garden with a glass of wine, he was just the best. The great Timothy West has died at 90: what a worthwhile, well-filled life.’
Rev. Richard Coles also wrote: ‘Dearest Sam, my condolences to you and yours xxx’
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