LONDON (AP) 鈥� British actor Timothy West, who played wartime leader Winston Churchill on three occasions and the classic titular Shakespeare roles of Hamlet, King Lear and Macbeth, has died, He was 90.
In a statement, his children said that West died "peacefully" in his sleep 鈥渨ith his friends and family at the end."
鈥淎fter a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening," his children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph said.
During his long career, West was a regular presence on stage and screen, his versatility allowing him to play a broad range of characters. He excelled as a leading actor in numerous Shakespeare productions while recurring roles in British television's two most popular soap operas, 鈥淐oronation Street鈥� and 鈥淓astenders,鈥� kept him in the public eye in later life.
West, who was born in the north England city of Bradford, made his London stage debut in 1959, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1960s, where he earned his acting chops.
On television, he had roles in numerous adaptations of Charles Dickens' novels, including 鈥淗ard Times鈥�, 鈥淥liver Twist鈥� and 鈥淏leak House鈥�. 鈥淗ard Times鈥� was parodied in ITV's 鈥淏rass" from 1982 to 1984, in which he played a ruthless self-made businessman. He returned for a third series in 1990,
West played Churchill three times, in 1979's 鈥淔rom Churchill and the Generals鈥�, 鈥淭he Last Bastion鈥� five years later and in 鈥淗iroshima鈥� in 1995.
He was married for 61 years to actress Prunella Scales, who was most famous for her role as Sybil Fawlty in the classic 1970s BBC comedy 鈥淔awlty Towers.鈥�
The couple鈥檚 long romance was showcased over 10 series of Channel 4鈥檚 鈥淕reat Canal Journeys鈥� between 2014 and 2021. The program, which ostensibly was a love letter to narrowboats and of the British countryside, was widely praised for the way it honestly depicted Scales鈥� slow deterioration with dementia.
West was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1984 for his services to drama.
Pan Pylas, The Associated Press
