Andrew Sachs

German-British writer and actor who appeared as Manuel, the mad waiter from Barcelona, in the comedy series, "Fawlty Towers" (1975-1979), a role for which he was BAFTA-nominated. Unfortunately the role type-cast him for a time. However, he went on to have a long career in acting and voice-over work for TV, film and radio. In his later years, he continued to have success with roles in films such as "Quartet," and as Ramsay Clegg in "Coronation Street" from 5 May to 27 August 2009.

In 1938-1939, he was witness to his father being arrested by a S.S. officer in a Berlin restaurant. With the help of an influential friend, he was released and fled to England with his family three months later.

Sachs wrote more than a dozen radio plays in the 1950s.

In 2008, Sachs became the centre of national sympathy and outcry over a series of insulting messages left by comedians Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on his answering machine.

Sachs was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2012, which eventually left him unable to speak and forced him to use a wheelchair. He died on 23 November 2016 in Northwood, London, aged 86.