Although Fawlty Towers only aired two series in 1975 and 1979, it was able to capture the fame of many A-list actors.
Fawlty Towers is a household name for British television classics. Although the well-known comedy only aired two seasons in 1975 and 1979, it continues to be a hit with residents all over the country.
The couple’s chaotic efforts to keep their hotel and marriage afloat led to the production of the sitcom. John Cleese and Connie Booth co-wrote the 12 episodes.
Although the show’s first season has lasted for decades, several of the original cast members have had very successful careers as well. What the renowned characters did after Fawlty Towers was over, let’s take a look at what they did.
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Sybil Fawlty – Prunella Scales
When the series ended, Prunella Scales made a number of successful movies. In The Boys from Brazil and Howard’s End, she appeared.
She also appeared in The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Escape from the Dark. The actress won a Bafta for her role in Alan Bennett’s A Question of Attribution.
In 2014, Scales was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and as the condition worse, she made the decision to stop watching TV. Prunella passed away on October 28, 2025, according to an announcement made on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
Our beloved mother, Prunella Scales, passed away peacefully at home in London yesterday, according to her family. She was 93. She continued to reside at home despite her retirement from a remarkable acting career that spanned nearly 70 years. The day before she passed away, she was watching Fawlty Towers.
Pru and Timothy West were “married for 61 years.” In November of this year, 2024, he passed away. Seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren are also left behind by her.
“We would like to thank everyone who assisted Pru in ensuring that she spent her final days peacefully, lovingly, and surrounded by love.”
Basil Fawlty and John Cleese
Basil Fawlty, a hotel owner, was portrayed by John Cleese, a character known for his rants, rude behavior, and desire to advance socially. Cleese won the 1980 BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance for the role.
Before the second series aired, John and Connie Booth, who played Polly, split up. Before marrying his wife Jennifer, the actor and comedian then wed two more times.
When the series finished John made more Monty Python films and starred in Bond films as Q’s assistant and Q, as well as A Fish Called Wanda and Clockwise. Other projects included the Harry Potter franchise, Shrek, Will and Grace and BBC sitcom Hold The Sunset.
When Fawlty Towers’ controversial language is being questioned, he revived Basil for a 2016 Specsavers commercial.
Manuel Andrew Sachs
Andrew Sachs played Spanish waiter Manuel while he was on Fawlty Towers. The actor went on to be the hotel manager in Are You being Served? and appeared soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street.
Alongside voice over and radio work, Sachs also appeared in Doctor Who: Shada and That Peter Kay Thing. Back in 2008, Sachs was the victim of a prank call, were Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left inappropriate messages about Brand having sex with his granddaughter Georgina Baillie.
The BBC apologised, Brand resigned, and Ross was suspended as a result of this enormous scandal. The father-of-three was sadly passed away four years after being diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2012.
Terry Hughes – Brian Hall
Terry Hughes, a cockney chef, is a character Brian Hall plays in Fawlty Towers, which he just portrayed in the second season of Fawlty Towers. Hall left Fawlty Towers to work on films like Break in the Sun, Sweeney 2 and McVicar.
The actor died in September 1997 at the age of 59, after a three-year long battle with cancer. When he was diagnosed with cancer, he told The Mirror: “Cancer is a bully and I hate bullies. This old boy cancer will get about as much change out of me as all the other bullies I’ve met – nothing.”
Major Gowen at Ballard Berkeley
Ballard Berkeley, an actor, and Major Gowen, a permanent resident, played the role. Major Gowen was well-known for his controversial viewpoints, and many of the character’s offensive lines were repeatedly edited out.
Berkeley appeared on well-known TV programs like Hi-de-Hi! and “To the Manor Born” Are You Being Served also features him in a small capacity.
His most recent role was in the animated film The BFG, which he voiced. Unfortunately, the actor passed away in 1988 and could not see the finished product on screen.
Polly Sherman – Connie Booth
Connie Booth and her then-husband Cleese co-wrote and co-starred in Fawlty Towers. She played the role of Polly Sherman, a waiter and maid.
She and Cleese were able to reconcile while filming the show’s daughter Cynthia. The actress later appeared in television series The Tomorrow People and The Buccaneers, as well as The Sherlock Holmes Return. Booth left acting in 1995, and he later pursued studies to pursue a career in psychotherapy.
Mr. Hutchinson – Bernard Cribbins
Although Bernard Cribbins OBE played Mr. Hutchinson, a salesman for hotels, in the episode, Basil quickly realized he was a hotel inspector.
The actor had a career spanning more than 70 years and had a number of big roles, including those in three Carry On movies and those in Doctor Who alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
He married Gillian in 1955, and it was revealed that the 93-year-old veteran actor had passed away in July 2022.
Source: Mirror
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