Fawlty Towers actress Claire Nielson dies aged 89
Nielson starred opposite John Cleese in the classic sitcom set in Basil Fawlty’s chaotic Torquay hotel.
Actress Claire Nielson, who appeared in a well-known episode of Fawlty Towers, has died at the age of 89.
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Nielson starred opposite John Cleese in the classic sitcom set in Basil Fawlty’s chaotic Torquay hotel.
She played Mrs Hamilton in the popular episode Waldorf Salad, in which her character arrives with her American husband, who later clashes with Basil Fawlty over the dish that gives the episode its name.
The episode, from the second series of Fawlty Towers, ends with Basil throwing his guests out of the hotel.
Nielson later said her agent had been unhappy that she had accepted the role, fearing it might damage her career.
She said: “Back then, pretty young women who did light entertainment stopped being offered dramatic parts but I’d always preferred comedy, so I didn’t care.”
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The Scottish actress also appeared regularly in sketches on The Two Ronnies, and had credits including The Dick Emery Show and Upstairs, Downstairs.
Her Glasgow background also helped her win a prominent role in the long-running Scottish Hogmanay programme Scotch and Wry alongside Rikki Fulton.
Over the course of her career, she appeared in television dramas including Z-Cars, Taggart and Monarch of the Glen.
She also took on film roles, including Barbara Grant in the 1971 adaptation of Kidnapped.
Nielson had a major part in the 1960s crime series Ghost Squad and appeared in numerous stage productions.
Born Claire Elizabeth Isbister in 1937, she was the daughter of doctor John Isbister and his wife Peggy.
She grew up in Glasgow and later said she had first become interested in acting after seeing a performance of Swan Lake.
After studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Dramatic Art, she moved to London to pursue a career in acting.
Away from the screen, Nielson was also a painter, wrote a children’s book titled The House at Strone, and helped set up Drama Pool in Stratford-upon-Avon, which ran acting workshops in schools.
She was also known as a keen cook and amateur pianist.
Nielson died on 29 April.