Veteran British Actor Timothy West Dies at 90
LONDON — Renowned British actor Timothy West, known for his portrayal of wartime leader Winston Churchill on three occasions and iconic Shakespearean roles such as Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, has passed away at the age of 90.
In a statement, his children shared that West died “peacefully” in his sleep “with his friends and family by his side.”
“After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our beloved father Timothy West passed away peacefully in his sleep last night,” his children Juliet, Samuel, and Joseph announced.
Throughout his extensive career, West graced both the stage and screen, his versatility allowing him to embody a wide range of characters. He excelled as a leading actor in numerous Shakespearean productions, while recurring roles in two of Britain’s most popular soap operas, “Coronation Street” and “Eastenders,” maintained his presence in the public eye in later years.
West, born in the northern English city of Bradford, made his London stage debut in 1959, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1960s, where he honed his acting skills.
On television, he appeared in numerous adaptations of Charles Dickens’ novels, including “Hard Times”, “Oliver Twist”, and “Bleak House”. “Hard Times” was parodied in ITV’s “Brass” from 1982 to 1984, where he played a ruthless self-made businessman. He returned for a third series in 1990,
West portrayed Churchill three times, in 1979’s “From Churchill and the Generals”, “The Last Bastion” five years later, and in “Hiroshima” in 1995.
He was married for 61 years to actress Prunella Scales, best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in the classic 1970s BBC comedy “Fawlty Towers.”
The couple’s enduring romance was showcased over 10 series of Channel 4’s “Great Canal Journeys” between 2014 and 2021. The program, ostensibly a celebration of narrowboats and the British countryside, was widely lauded for its honest portrayal of Scales’ gradual decline with dementia.
West was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1984 for his contributions to drama.