Andrew Sachs – a TV icon who memorably starred in both Fawlty Towers and Coronation Street –has died at age 86.

The actor passed away on November 23 and was laid to rest in North London on Thursday (December 1) after battling dementia over the past four years.

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His wife Melody Lang said that Andrew was using a wheelchair and unable to speak in his final days, so he chose to keep his health private.

"My heart has been broken every day for a long time," Melody was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying. "I never once heard him grumble."

In a near seven-decade career in front of the camera, he was a staple of UK TV and a national treasure for his portrayal of the bumbling waiter Manuel in iconic BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.

John Cleese and Connie Booth's now-legendary sitcom played to Sachs's genius for physical comedy and ultimately gave him a signature character in Manuel.

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Fawlty Towers cast in 2009: Prunella Scales, John Cleese, Connie Booth and Andrew Sachs

Cleese paid heartfelt tribute to his late co-star on social media late on Thursday, writing: "Just heard about Andy Sachs. Very sad... I knew he was having problems with his memory as his wife Melody told me a couple of years ago and I heard very recently that he had been admitted to Denham Hall, but I had no idea that his life was in danger.

"A very sweet, gentle and kind man and a truly great farceur. I first saw him in Habeas Corpus on stage in 1973. I could not have found a better Manuel. Inspired."

Over the decades, he revived the role often on stage and even released novelty singles 'Shaddap You Face', 'Manuel's Good Food Guide' and 'Ode to England' in the guise of the friendly Spanish waiter.

A constant presence on telly, in later years he took a dramatic turn as Norris Cole's (Malcolm Hebden) estranged half-brother Ramsay Clegg in Coronation Street.

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Their family feud led to one of the soap's most poignant moments of the 2000s, when Norris learned that Ramsay had died tragically after fleeing the cobbles without the brothers ever making peace.

Sachs also briefly guest starred last year in EastEnders as elderly care patient Cyril Bishop, and was part of the Doctor Who franchise through its range of audio dramas.

In 2008, he became involved in an unlikely tabloid scandal when comedian Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left several lewd voicemail messages for Sachs when he failed to call in for an interview on Ross's Radio 2 show.

The public outcry led to Ross's suspension from Radio 2, and the presenter would go on to leave the BBC entirely two years later.

Of course, Sachs's enduring legacy remains the laughs he gave all of us over the years. Below, we share the memories of only some of the many lives impacted by his incredible career:

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. RIP Andrew Sachs who spun comic gold as Manuel in 'Fawlty Towers'. pic.twitter.com/nutlKpxK52 — edgarwright (@edgarwright) December 1, 2016

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. We're very sorry to learn of the death of Andrew Sachs. pic.twitter.com/G8qdWKqswZ — BBC (@AboutTheBBC) December 1, 2016

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Sad news tonight, as Andrew Sachs, the actor who played Manuel in #FawltyTowers has sadly passed away. Our thoughts go out to his family. pic.twitter.com/fSd0zk9Shu — This Morning (@thismorning) December 1, 2016

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. We're very sad to hear that Andrew Sachs, best-known for playing Manuel in Fawlty Towers, has passed away at the age of 86. pic.twitter.com/7rjPSIf9Df — GOLD (@goldchannel) December 1, 2016

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. So sad that Andrew Sachs has died. A true friend and a kindred spirit. I still have the wonderful baby pictures he took of my children. RIP. — Tony Robinson (@Tony_Robinson) December 1, 2016

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Justin Harp Justin Harp is Digital Spy’s US-based Night News Editor covering all things entertainment on West Coast time.

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