Bradford actor Timothy West dies aged 90
He was a star of stage and screen and was married to Prunella Scales for more than 60 years
Last updated 13th Nov 2024
West Yorkshire actor Timothy West, well known for his roles on TV and theatre as well as his marriage to Prunella Scales, has died aged 90.
His family said he died peacefully in his sleep aged 90 “with his friends and family at the end”.
West, who was was married to fellow actress Prunella Scales for more than 60 years, starred in television shows such as comedy drama Brass, sitcom Not Going Out and soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.
He was born in Bradford in 1934.
In a statement, his children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph said: “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 greatgrandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.”
A marriage that lasted over 60 years
West and Scales, 92, who played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, appeared in the documentary series Great Canal Journeys between 2014 and 2021, which saw them travelling on narrowboats together.
The couple married in 1963, and have two sons, actor Samuel West, and Joseph West.
West was also married to actor Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 to 1961, and they had a daughter, Juliet West.
From Corrie and Eastenders to King Lear
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.
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.
He was also a regular performer of Shakespeare, playing Lear in 2016 and 2002.
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