Timothy West, one of Britain’s most esteemed actors, has passed away at the age of 90, his family has confirmed. Known for his extraordinary range and presence on both stage and screen, West enjoyed a prolific career that spanned over six decades, with notable roles in British TV favourites such as Not Going Out, Bedtime, Coronation Street, and EastEnders. He was also widely recognised for his dramatic performances in adaptations of Bleak House and Gentleman Jack.
In a statement released by his children, Juliet, Samuel, and Joseph West, the family announced that West died “peacefully in his sleep,” surrounded by loved ones. The statement honoured his “long and extraordinary life on and off the stage” and expressed their profound sense of loss: “All of us will miss him terribly.”
West is survived by his wife, Fawlty Towers actress Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years. The couple were well-known to audiences in recent years for their adventures in Great Canal Journeys, a Channel 4 series which followed them across 10 seasons exploring Britain’s waterways.
Throughout his career, West delivered acclaimed performances in theatre and on television. He was born in 1934 in Bradford, the son of actors Lockwood West and Olive Carleton-Crowe, and attended Bristol Grammar School, where his classmates included future actors Julian Glover and Dave Prowse, famously known as Darth Vader in Star Wars. His journey into the arts began as an assistant stage manager at Wimbledon Theatre, and he quickly rose to prominence with roles in both BBC adaptations of Richard II and Edward II in the 1970s, where he won acclaim for reprising roles he had earlier performed on stage.
