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December 2, 2016 7:16 PM   Subscribe

Actor Andrew Sachs, best known for his beloved portrayal of a hapless Spanish waiter named Manuel on the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, has died at 86...
posted by jim in austin (63 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
This year is from Barcelona.
posted by delfin at 7:21 PM on December 2, 2016 [11 favorites]


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posted by PlusDistance at 7:27 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by Songdog at 7:31 PM on December 2, 2016


Fuck. This hit home


Guardian Obit

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Manuel's greatest hits

posted by lalochezia at 7:33 PM on December 2, 2016


This is something that will happen to everyone...

eee-ven-schwalee.

12 episodes that show ran. It's mark is deep and strong, and Manuel is a big part of that.

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posted by hippybear at 7:37 PM on December 2, 2016 [8 favorites]


That Guardian article was a lovely tribute.

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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:53 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by Joey Michaels at 8:02 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by key_of_z at 8:06 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by bondcliff at 8:09 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by inflatablekiwi at 8:16 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by quinndexter at 8:17 PM on December 2, 2016


He was in the same home for retired actors as my mum was, so at least I know he was well cared for. The lovely Lalla Ward from Doctor Who is head of the board of trustees and it's wonderful.
posted by w0mbat at 8:23 PM on December 2, 2016 [16 favorites]



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posted by droplet at 8:24 PM on December 2, 2016


"I learn it from a book." Me too, Manuel, me too.

(Although I suppose now it would be "I learn it from Facebook.")

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posted by ilana at 8:27 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by carter at 8:30 PM on December 2, 2016


(Although I suppose now it would be "I learn it from Facebook.")

DuoLingo would become the fulcrum of a joke at some point.
posted by hippybear at 8:34 PM on December 2, 2016




Although honestly my first reaction was, "The kippers! The kippers!"
posted by Kabanos at 8:46 PM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]


The Daily Mail handles the story in its own special way.
posted by darksasami at 8:46 PM on December 2, 2016 [3 favorites]


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posted by Cash4Lead at 8:58 PM on December 2, 2016


ugh.
posted by Kabanos at 8:58 PM on December 2, 2016


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I know...nothing!
posted by vrakatar at 9:01 PM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]


...que?
posted by sparklemotion at 9:14 PM on December 2, 2016


That one episode when the Fawltys are gone and Polly is napping, so Manuel has the conn. "Manuel Towers. How are you? Is nice today? Good." "Yes yes yes! No no, he not here! Where are your ears, you great big half wit!"
posted by infinitewindow at 9:16 PM on December 2, 2016 [5 favorites]


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posted by augustimagination at 9:30 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by jabo at 9:52 PM on December 2, 2016


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posted by infini at 9:57 PM on December 2, 2016


This year can't end soon enough.
posted by blucevalo at 10:07 PM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]


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posted by pt68 at 10:58 PM on December 2, 2016


" is not fire, Is bell "
Fawlty Towers is often noted to be the best-written english-language sitcom. It was also the best performed and Andrew Sachs was a huge portion of that. I will never forget being astounded watching" Romance on a Double
Bass" and hearing his perfectly fine English accent."
Rest in peace.
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posted by djrock3k at 11:52 PM on December 2, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by faceplantingcheetah at 12:00 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by runincircles at 12:01 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by Foci for Analysis at 12:34 AM on December 3, 2016


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For some reason, his Wikipedia page says that he died on November 23.
posted by Saxon Kane at 12:52 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 12:52 AM on December 3, 2016


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One of the greatest bit players in TV history, Sachs had the good fortune to be on just about the most perfect TV show of all time, and he made the most of it. Just thinking about his feigned haplessness makes me smile... I mean, laugh out loud.
posted by LeLiLo at 12:59 AM on December 3, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by meijusa at 1:53 AM on December 3, 2016


On the subject of the Daily Mail, when Andrew Sachs and his family escaped from Europe in 1938 here is one of the paper's comments at the time -

"'The way stateless Jews from Germany are pouring in from every port of this country is becoming an outrage . . .' In these words, Mr Herbert Metcalfe, the Old Street magistrate, yesterday referred to the number of aliens entering the country through the 'back door' - a problem to which the Daily Mail has repeatedly pointed."

posted by longbaugh at 2:11 AM on December 3, 2016 [16 favorites]


This year can't end soon enough.
posted by blucevalo at 10:07 PM on December 2 [+] [!]


People will die next year, too. Famous, beloved people.

But I will still blame it on 2016.
posted by chavenet at 3:16 AM on December 3, 2016 [3 favorites]


He was 86 years old and had been suffering from dementia; I don't think we can blame 2016 for taking him.

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posted by acb at 3:22 AM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


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posted by motty at 3:37 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by james33 at 4:09 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by iffthen at 4:40 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:52 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by dannyboybell at 5:25 AM on December 3, 2016


Manuel is such a great comic creation/performance he seems like his own thing, separate from Andrew Sachs himself. Whenever I heard his name mentioned in the last ~15 years, I'd imagine him more as David Walliams' dissatisfied father(?) in the early 2000's BBC series Attachments (which was an attempt at a Internet Bubble 1.0 This Life). I always assumed he did a lot of theatre throughout his career rather than the TV crime/drama circuit.

R.I.P.
posted by comealongpole at 5:26 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by oneironaut at 5:32 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by h00py at 6:04 AM on December 3, 2016


When I heard about his passing, my first thought was of the brilliant "on those trays"/"uno dos tres" bit of business that, I believe, introduces Manuel on FT. He was the perfect counterpoint to Basil in a way that Sybil and Polly couldn't be, a tribute as much to Sach's terrific characterization and physical comedy skills as to the scripts.

aav.

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posted by the sobsister at 6:55 AM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


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posted by detachd at 7:09 AM on December 3, 2016


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posted by Thorzdad at 8:37 AM on December 3, 2016


Props for the "¿" sign, as well as for the "é" accent of the title.
posted by Omon Ra at 9:15 AM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


"He not rat...he HAMSTER!"
posted by Ber at 9:23 AM on December 3, 2016 [4 favorites]


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posted by gusandrews at 9:39 AM on December 3, 2016


🐀
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 9:42 AM on December 3, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by luckynerd at 10:51 AM on December 3, 2016


You knew how to make us laugh, Manuel. Hope you're somewhere where you can smack Basil on the head every now and then.
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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 12:37 PM on December 3, 2016


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posted by mikelieman at 2:04 PM on December 3, 2016


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posted by Fibognocchi at 4:04 PM on December 3, 2016


Music, sanity, and comedy. 2016 hates joy. Andrew Sachs did a lot of audio work for BBC radio plays. I think I will have to track a few down in my archives.

I hope your family is well Mr. Sachs and that you have a legacy that would please you.

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posted by Ignorantsavage at 5:43 PM on December 3, 2016


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posted by ikahime at 8:36 PM on December 3, 2016


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posted by On the Corner at 11:52 PM on December 4, 2016


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posted by PippinJack at 11:14 AM on December 5, 2016


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