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The only Manuel for the job! John Cleese's threat to stop writing Fawlty Towers scripts unless he could sign up Andrew Sachs as beloved clumsy waiter By CHRIS HASTINGS Published: 22:02 GMT, 28 December 2024 | Updated: 22:38 GMT, 28 December 2024 e-mail View comments As Manuel, the hapless Spanish waiter at a certain faded Torquay hotel, Andrew Sachs created such a superb comedy foil that it's impossible to imagine any other actor in the role. And that's a view Fawlty Towers creator John Cleese originally came to more than 50 years ago, when he was first working on scripts for the now-classic sitcom. So sure was the Monty Python star that Sachs would make the 'perfect' Manuel, that he threatened to stop writing until the actor signed on the dotted line. Cleese told The Mail on Sunday: 'I had seen Andrew in Alan Bennett's Habeas Corpus [in London's West End] and realised I had discovered a superb farce performer. Obviously, we could have found others, but they would not have been as perfect as Andrew, so I stuck my heels in.' Documents in the BBC archives reveal executives' concerns that securing Sachs was holding up the scripts, which Cleese was writing with his then-wife Connie Booth, who went on to play chambermaid Polly in the series. John Cleese was so sure that Andrew Sachs would make the 'perfect' Manuel, that he threatened to stop writing until the actor signed on the dotted line. The pair are pictured during an episode of the hit BBC comedy Andrew Sachs as Manuel in Fawlty Towers in 1981. At the time Sachs was trying to make it as a stage actor, and had followed his role in Habeas Corpus with a starring role in the farce No Sex Please We're British. BBC bosses launched a charm offensive to woo Sachs amid fears for the future of the sitcom. In a letter to the actor's agent dated February 11, 1975, John Howard Davies, who produced and directed the first series of Fawlty Towers, stressed the need for an answer. He added: 'John Cleese is in the position at the moment of postponing the writing of the series as he finds it impossible until the situation about Andrew Sachs is clarified.' Three days later Davies wrote again outlining what was at stake. He wrote: 'You know how badly we want Andrew Sachs for the John Cleese series... I have also to try and persuade John Cleese to write the series in the hope of Andrew Sachs being available. However, John Cleese tells me that he likes to write for the actor who is going to play the part.' The documents, which have been revealed as the show prepares to celebrate its 50th birthday next year, do not give details about Sachs's decision to join the show. However in a 2014 interview, two years before he died aged 86, Sachs revealed he was worried about being able to do the Spanish accent, and asked Cleese if he could make the waiter German. 'No! You'd be very good at things if you were German,' the star told him. 'He's got to be Spanish.' The Fawlty Towers cast from left to right: Connie Booth as Polly Sherman, John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, Andrew Sachs as Manuel and Prunella Scales Sybil Fawlty Other letters in the BBC's Written Archives Centre show that Cleese didn't always get his way on casting. The pivotal role of Mr Hutchinson in the The Hotel Inspectors episode, eventually played by Bernard Cribbins, was originally offered to The Good Life star Richard Briers. In a letter dated July 10, 1975, Davies told Briers: 'The part of Hutchinson was written with you in the back of John's mind. I know it is cheeky asking you if you would like to play it, we would love to have you but will quite understand if you don't.' Two weeks later, Davies offered the same role to Rising Damp star Leonard Rossiter, warning him that Cleese 'plays Basil at high speed'. Cleese paid tribute to Sachs – while taking a side-swipe at political correctness. He said: 'The key to Manuel's role was that he was always trying his utmost to help, and it was only the language barrier that messed things up. 'Sadly, literal-minded people can only see one interpretation, and it's never one with any humour in it.' Share or comment on this article: The only Manuel for the job! John Cleese's threat to stop writing Fawlty Towers scripts unless he could sign up Andrew Sachs as beloved clumsy waiter e-mail Add comment
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., joins 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss Democrats' outrage over the Teamsters' refusal to endorse VP Kamala Harris and former President Trump's bid for New York. NBC's digital employee union projected scathing messages onto 30 Rock Wednesday night, blasting company leadership for dragging its feet on a contract. NBC Digital NewsGuild, a collective bargaining unit of the NewsGuild of New York, called out NBC News executives for allegedly "unlawful behavior" by lighting up "breaking news" messages on the company's flagship building in midtown Manhattan, 30 Rock. The NBC Digital NewsGuild represents reporters, editors, designers, video journalists, animators, social media strategists and editorial staff of NBC News Digital, who have been negotiating its first contract since the group unionized in 2019. The projections specifically targeted NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde, as well as NBC News Editorial President Rebecca Blumenstein, Executive Vice President of Programming Janelle Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of News Catherine Kim and Executive Vice President of TODAY and Lifestyle Libby Leist for engaging in tactics that they say have violated labor laws, including layoffs of more than 20 union journalists without bargaining and retaliating against union members for taking part in protected activity. THE RISE OF DIGITAL VOICES, AND COMCAST SPLITTING IN TWO, BRINGS DOOMSDAY PREDICTIONS FOR TRADITIONAL MEDIA Image 1 of 5 next Image 2 of 5 prev next Image 3 of 5 prev next Image 4 of 5 prev next Image 5 of 5 prev "Cesar Conde and his leadership team have a bad habit of breaking the law," Tate James, video editor and union leader, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "But now he’s dealing with a newsroom full of journalists who are sick and tired of working without a contract and trying to chase their bosses down in court. NBC News executives are obsessed with shareholder value, but they’re disrespecting the workers that create that value in the first place. We deserve a fair contract, and we're not backing down from this fight until we get one," he added. In 2021, the National Labor Relations Board found that NBC had unlawfully withheld more than $350,000 in raises from union journalists, according to a press release shared with Fox News Digital. MSNBC'S FUTURE A ‘BIG CONCERN’ FOR STAFFERS AS COMCAST MOVES TO SEPARATE LIBERAL NETWORK FROM NBCUNIVERSAL Image 1 of 5 next Image 2 of 5 prev next Image 3 of 5 prev next Image 4 of 5 prev next Image 5 of 5 prev "Bosses at @NBCNews keep breaking the law, so we’re back outside 30 Rock to shine a little light on the situation," the NBC Guild posted to X Wednesday night. "Union workers have the right to a steward in investigatory meetings, but @cesarconde_’s management team illegally and inexcusably withheld that right from a member." "This is just the latest in a long line of unacceptable actions by the @NBCNews executive team, but it's not slowing us down. Every day our union grows stronger and more committed to the fight for a fair first contract and respect in the workplace," the post added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The NewsGuild of New York, Local 31003 of the Communications Workers of America, is a labor union representing nearly 6,000 media professionals and other employees at New York area news organizations, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Thomson Reuters and ProPublica. Fox News Digital reached out to NBC News for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Kendall Tietz is a writer with Fox News Digital.NEET UG 2025: How to prepare for NEET UG in three months, see important topics and complete study plan
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Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100 ATLANTA (AP) — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia. Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’ PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — The 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, James Earl Carter Jr., died Sunday at the age of 100. His life ended where it began, in Plains, Georgia. He left and returned to the tiny town many times as he climbed to the nation’s highest office and lost it after four tumultuous years. Carter spent the next 40 years setting new standards for what a former president can do. Carter wrote nearly a decade ago that he found all the phases of his life challenging but also successful and enjoyable. The Democrat's principled but pragmatic approach defied American political labels, especially the idea that one-term presidents are failures. The Latest: Former President Jimmy Carter is Dead at age 100 Former President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia. Carter was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. He left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. Jimmy Carter: A brief bio Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died at his home in Plains, Georgia. His death comes more than a year after the former president entered hospice care. He was 100 years old. Jetliner skids off runway and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. Officials said all but two of the 181 people on board were killed Sunday in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. The 737-800 operated by Jeju Air plane arrived from Bangkok and crashed while attempting to land in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. Footage of the crash aired by South Korean television channels showed the plane skidding across the airstrip at high speed, evidently with its landing gear still closed. Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2 and injure 6 as severe weather system moves east HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system is threatening to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and Mississippi. Strong storms moving eastward Sunday are expected to continue producing gusty, damaging winds, hail and tornadoes through Sunday. That is according to National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira. So far, the line of severe weather has led to about 40 tornado reports from southeastern Texas to Alabama, Pereira said, but those reports remain unconfirmed until surveys of damage are completed. Israeli hospital says Netanyahu has undergone successful prostate surgery TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli hospital says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has undergone successful prostate surgery. Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center said his prostate was removed late Sunday and that he was recovering. Netanyahu’s office had said Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, would serve as acting prime minister during the procedure. Doctors ordered the operation after detecting an infection last week. Netanyahu is expected to remain hospitalized for several days. With so much at stake, Netanyahu’s health in wartime is a concern for both Israelis and the wider world. Syria's de facto leader says it could take up to 4 years to hold elections BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s de facto leader has said it could take up to four years to hold elections in Syria, and that he plans on dissolving his Islamist group that led the country’s insurgency at an anticipated national dialogue summit for the country. Ahmad al-Sharaa, who leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group leading the new authority in Syria, made the remarks in an interview Sunday. That's according to the Saudi television network Al-Arabiyya. It comes almost a month after a lightning insurgency led by HTS overthrew President Bashar Assad’s decades-long rule, ending the country’s uprising-turned civil war that started back in 2011. A fourth infant dies of the winter cold in Gaza as families share blankets in seaside tents DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A fourth infant has died of hypothermia in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by nearly 15 months of war are huddled in tents along the rainy, windswept coast as winter arrives. The baby's father says the 20-day-old child was found with his head as “cold as ice” Sunday morning in their tent. The baby’s twin brother was moved to the intensive care unit of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Their father says the twins were born one month premature and spent just a day in hospital, which like other Gaza health centers has been overwhelmed and only partially functions. Musk causes uproar for backing Germany's far-right party ahead of key elections BERLIN (AP) — Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s stagnant economy. Musk’s guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag, published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month he supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD.
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Multi-faceted personality and top professional Manju Haththotuwa has been appointed to the Board of JAT Holdings PLC as Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from 1 February 2025. Haththotuwa has over 30 years of professional experience and a proven track record in successfully leading several public and private sector entities. He has consistently built world class organisations, inspired high performance teams, and mobilised resources that deliver results. He has a reputation for conceptualising and executing innovative high impact initiatives in several countries and regions. He has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Canada, and the USA. In the development sector, Haththotuwa joined the World Bank as a practitioner and thought leader in technology-enabled innovation, infrastructure development, and private sector growth strategies. He has led a multibillion-dollar portfolio of private sector development projects in Asia, Africa, and Middle East regions. His recent responsibilities include heading the private sector, financial sector, and innovation teams in the GCC group of countries. Haththotuwa has been based at the World Bank HQ in Washington, DC for the past 17 years. In the private sector, Haththotuwa has held leadership positions such as Chairperson to the Board of Directors/MD/CEO of eight publicly listed companies and has also made four PE/VC investments, in verticals spanning finance, infrastructure, property development, agri-business, healthcare, education, and ICT/deep tech. These companies include Bio Carbon Fuels (USA), Ceylon Oxygen, Kotmale Holdings, Central Securities, e-Channelling, Kelsey Developments, Next Ventures, V-Capital, Sithro Garments etc. Haththotuwa is also a successful entrepreneur who has co-led one of Asia’s software success stories, which grew from start-up to global market leader for stock trading software and currently powers the London Stock Exchange among other leading Exchanges worldwide. As Executive Director/COO, Haththotuwa set up and led global operations and corporate facilities of Millennium IT (USA, UK, India, Singapore, and Sri Lanka), including the conceptual design, construction, and operation of its 16-acre tech campus. In the public sector, for the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), Haththotuwa was the founding Managing Director of the National ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) and Country CIO, which pioneered the first national scale e-Transformation Program – e-Sri Lanka (e-SL) – a novel blueprint subsequently used globally by the World Bank. Haththotuwa also served as the Adviser to the President of Sri Lanka on Technology, Innovation, PPPs and Infrastructure. Haththotuwa is a UK and Australia Chartered Professional Engineer, Associate of the City and Guilds, London, holds an MBA with a Distinction from the University of London and a BSc (Hons) in Civil Engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School Leadership Program.
