Actor Timothy West, known for many roles in television and the theatre, has died peacefully in his sleep aged 90 “with his friends and family at the end”, his family said.
West, who 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.
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.”
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.
On Instagram, Gyles Brandreth, who took over the Channel 4 canal series with Sheila Hancock, recalled his “great style” reading from the novel Mapp & Lucia, which his “brilliant wife” Scales starred in.
West was also married to actor Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 to 1961, and they had a daughter, Juliet West.
Paying tribute to West on Times Radio, broadcaster and Alzheimer’s campaigner Angela Rippon said he would be a “huge loss to everybody”.
She 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.”
Rippon continued: “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.”
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.
In tribute to West, an EastEnders spokesperson said: “We are extremely saddened to hear that Timothy West has passed away.
“Timothy joined EastEnders as Stan and his presence as the patriarch of the Carter family was immediately felt.
“Timothy was instantly loved and adored by all those that worked with him at EastEnders and he will forever be in our hearts.
“We send all our love and thoughts to Timothy’s family and friends.”
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.
Paying tribute, Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, said: “Timothy West was an icon of British drama, and at the BBC we feel incredibly privileged that he was on our screens across the decades.
“Loved by millions for his work in programmes ranging from Bleak House, to EastEnders, Richard II, Last Tango in Halifax, Edward II and Gentleman Jack, his remarkable talent will be remembered for generations to come.”
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.
