British Actors You Should Know: Samuel West
It’s no surprise the subject of this installment of British Actors You Should Know has such a long and impressive list of credits. Samuel West does have acting in his blood, after all. His paternal grandfather, Lockwood West, is best known for appearances in 1952’s Pride and Prejudice and 1983’s The Dresser. West’s parents are Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers) and Timothy West (Gentleman Jack). The younger West made his screen debut with his father at nine years old, playing Prince Albert Victor Eddy in the 1975 historical miniseries Edward the King.
In 1988, West graduated with a degree in English literature from Oxford University. Over the years, he has published articles on playwrights from William Shakespeare to Harold Pinter. At Oxford, he was also the president of the Experimental Theatre Club. Deciding to forgo further drama training and get his acting career off the ground, West was soon racking up television and film roles. And though he quipped in a Guardian interview that “on-screen I mostly play evil members of the white establishment or Victorian perverts,” his CV of over ninety credits shows quite a bit more range.
Below we look at the variety of characters Samuel West has played over the past three decades.
