Timothy West was one of Britain’s most respected actors, having enjoyed a long-standing and illustrious career both on stage and on-screen until his death aged 90.
The Bradford-born actor is survived by his wife of 61 years, actress Prunella Scales and his three children, Samuel, Joseph and Juliet. Keep reading to find out all you need to know about his children below.
Samuel West
Samuel is an actor who is perhaps best known for playing Siegfried Farnon in Channel 5’s hit period drama, All Creatures Great and Small. The 58-year-old boasts an impressive acting career both on the stage and on-screen and is recognised for his roles in Slow Horses, Notting Hill, The Darkest Hour, Mr Selfridge, and The Crown.
Away from the cameras, he’s in a long-term relationship with award-winning playwright and screenwriter Laura Wade, who recently worked as a writer and executive producer on Disney+’s 80s-set drama, Rivals. The couple share two daughters, born in 2014 and 2017.
© Helen Williams / Playground Television / Channel 5 TelevisionSharing an insight into his loving childhood, Samuel spoke of his gratitude towards his parents during a previous interview with The Guardian. “My parents gave me a belief in curiosity, for which I’ve always been grateful, and a very loving childhood,” he said. “Pa would encourage our hobbies, like cricket and music, while Ma would get up at 6am to help me with my Greek homework – because, unlike Pa, she had not been to university and took a vicarious pleasure in me getting to Oxford.”
Joseph West
Joseph is Timothy and Prunella’s second son. Unlike his brother and parents, Joseph decided to pursue a career away from the entertainment industry. After achieving a first-class degree in French at Manchester University, he married a French lector and settled down in France, where he works as a teacher. He and his wife share three children.
© MirrorpixPrunella previously spoke of how proud she was of her son and daughter-in-law. “I’m very proud and happy that they are teachers as we need good teachers,” she told The Guardian. “They have three children who speak very good English but it’s a little bit posh, actor’s English – I think they’ll have to modify it if they work over here. I love being a grandmother.”
© David M. BenettAccording to Samuel, Joseph is a “charming and beautiful person” who “was a bit less serious” than his older brother when they were growing up. “I think he found all the discussions at home about acting rather boring, so he [expletive] off to Manchester, then Cornwall and later to France, where he lives with his wife and three children and works as a teacher and translator,” he told The Guardian in 2011, adding: “He always knew his own mind.”
Juliet West
Juliet is Timothy’s first child, whom he shares with his ex-wife, actress Jacqueline Boyer.
Like Joseph, Juliet didn’t follow in her parents’ footsteps and now works as a hairdresser. Back in 2011, Samuel revealed that Juliet, who is ten years his senior, is a mum of two. He also credited his half-sister for his taste in music. “I got all my tastes in music from our half-sister, Juliet, who was into bands like Pink Floyd and Sparks. She’s my father’s daughter from his first marriage and came to live with us on and off when I was eight,” he told The Guardian.
© Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty ImagesJuliet worked with her dad and step-mum on their Channel 4 documentary, Great Canal Journeys, after asking producers if she could do Prunella’s hair and make-up for the show.
Speaking to The Times in October last year, Samuel recalled: “She called the producers and said, ‘Look, my mum’s now dead. Pru doesn’t have a daughter. I don’t have a mum. I don’t see enough of my dad. How about I come along with you and look after Pru’s hair and make-up?‘ And they, not looking a gift horse in the mouth, said, ‘Yes, brilliant idea.'”
Samuel went on to praise Juliet’s work on the show. “There are clips of her talking and she’s by far the most natural and funny of all of them,” he said. “She spent a wonderful time on it and saw a lot of my dad.”
He added that Juliet’s daughter and her family lived in the flat below Timothy and Prunella’s house until recently.