Donald Sinclair

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Donald Sinclair is the name of two people who were the real-life inspirations for two of the most memorable fictional characters on British television.

  • Donald Sinclair was the owner of the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay after an extensive career in the British Navy. He was the inspiration for the character Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, due to his stuffy and eccentric treatment of his guests (which included John Cleese and members of the Monty Python cast). Cleese, who played Basil Fawlty, also played a character named Donald Sinclair in the movie Rat Race. Sinclair died in 1981 and is survived by his wife Beatrice, daughter Beatrice (Ann) and daughter Helen.


Other people named Donald Sinclair include: