True story behind Siegfried Farnon from All Creatures - from wife to tragic end

Daily Record

a day ago

Siegfried Farnon is a standout character in Channel 5's adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small, and is based on the real-life figure of veterinary surgeon Donald Sinclair
Siegfried Farnon, the eccentric owner of Skeldale House veterinary practice, is a standout character in Channel 5's adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small, which has recently arrived on Netflix.
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The heartwarming family drama's inaugural series is now ready for streaming, drawing inspiration from the cherished books penned by Yorkshire vet Alf Wight, who wrote under the pseudonym James Herriot about his escapades as a country vet. The vibrant characters that inhabit the All Creatures books and their television adaptations are based on real-life individuals, including Siegfried, who was modelled after Alf's actual boss, Donald Sinclair.
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Samuel West, who portrays Siegfried on screen, discussed how the series represents his character and whether it aligns with Donald Sinclair's true experiences. He expressed contentment with the portrayal when asked about the inclusion of his character's history with his late wife. For those intrigued by the true story behind Siegfried Farnon, here's what happened to him, including aspects of his personal life.
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Donald Sinclair took over his veterinary practice in 1939, but the call of wartime duties led him to serve in the Royal Air Force the following year.
Alf Wight was recruited to run the practice during Donald's absence, but due to falsifying his age, Donald was soon asked to retire his RAF uniform and return to his veterinary duties.
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The Irish Times reveals that Donald Sinclair maintained a complicated relationship with how he was depicted in Alf's written works, calling it a "real test" of their friendship.
Robert Hardy, renowned for playing Siegfried in the original BBC adaptation, encountered the actual Donald Sinclair and observed that he appeared completely unaware of his own eccentricities.
Donald Sinclair died at his residence in 1995, merely two weeks following the death of his beloved wife Audrey, his companion for more than five decades.
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Actor Samuel, when speaking about his role to Masterpiece, revealed: "In the original books, Siegfried is a bachelor, but I was very pleased that they decided to go with what happened to the real Donald Sinclair, which was that his wife had died."
He felt this enhancement brought greater complexity, explaining: "I thought that was a proper piece of homework that made it much more interesting, for Siegfried to have that history, that backstory."
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He discovered richness in portraying someone who wasn't merely a former heartthrob but had also experienced a meaningful marriage, as he put it: "It's much more interesting to play somebody who was quite a beau in his youth, but had a deeply loving, and I think sexually very happy, relationship with his wife, which then ended without children."
Samuel depicted Siegfried as a character tormented by the memory of a past love: "He's felt a bit blocked ever since. He's still in love with his wife, and she's only four years dead. None of that really appears in the series- I'm talking about two things that happened four years, or 19 years, before the series begins- but it is all underneath."
He emphasised the significance of infusing his role with depth and realism, just as much as the storylines themselves: "It's not a Chekov play, but actually it becomes important; it's got to be believable. It's got to be textured on the same level. It's got to matter."
All Creatures Great and Small airs on My5