The actor Andrew Sachs says he has never been busier. Today he is filming an episode of Casualty and he is ploughing on with his autobiography. A highlight of his acting career was playing Manuel, the tyrannised waiter from Barcelona, in the comedy series Fawlty Towers — which is still being shown somewhere in the world every week. His agent Lynda says: “He is incredibly busy with charity work too.” Rgt
Birthdays today
Dennis Amiss, cricketer, 68; Jackie Chan, actor, 57; Jean Colonna, fashion designer, 56; Francis Ford Coppola, film director, 72; Gerry Cottle, circus impresario, 66; Luca Cumani, racehorse trainer, 62; Peter Fluck, satirist and puppeteer, 70; Sir David Frost, broadcaster, 72; James Garner, actor, 83; Gorden Kaye, actor, 70; Martyn Lewis, broadcaster, 66; A. R. M. Little, Headmaster, Eton College, 57; Cliff Morgan, head of outside broadcasts, BBC Television, 1975-87, 81; John Oates, musician, 62; Jane Priestman, director of architecture and design, British Rail, 1986-91, 81; Gerhard Schröder, German Chancellor, 1998-2005, 67; Ravi Shankar, sitar player, 91; Group Captain Mary Shaw, matron-in- chief, PMRAFNS, 1985-88, 78.