Career: West's big break on the small screen came in 1975 when he played the title role in Edward the Seventh. Since then he has demonstrated his versatility with roles in a BBC production of King Lear, ITV comedy Brass and the soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders. He has also made memorable guest appearances in the likes of A Very Peculiar Practice, Goodnight Sweetheart, Midsomer Murders, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Waking the Dead, Not Going Out and Last Tango in Halifax. Although known primarily for his stage and small-screen performances, West has starred in a number of films, including The Day of the Jackal, Cry Freedom and Iris. A fan of boating, he has presented series about canals and narrowboating called Water World and Great Canal Journeys. The latter featured his second wife, Prunella Scales; their eldest son, Samuel, is also an actor.