David Jason

He is the younger brother of actor Arthur White , who appears in many episodes of "A Touch of Frost" with him.

He became a father for the first time at age 61 when his partner Gill Hinchcliffe gave birth to their daughter Sophie Mae White on 26 February 2001.

He worked as a self-employed electrician before becoming an actor, initially in the theatre and later moving to television.

He did not find out until age 14 that he had a twin brother who had died at birth.

He was considered for the role of Corporal Jones in the BBC series "Dads Army" , which eventually went to Clive Dunn.

He received two awards at the British Television Awards. He got the awards for "Britains Best Actor" and "Britains Best Comedy Actor".

After discovering that there was already a "David White" registered with Equity, he took the name "David Jason". It has long and popularly been rumoured that the name "Jason" came from his twin brother who had died in infancy. This is incorrect. His twin brother died without being named, and he chose "David Jason" as his stage name from his favourite book at school Jason and the Argonauts .

In 2005, he was knighted in the Queen Elizabeth II s Birthday Honours. He collected the award from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on 1 December 2005, having secretly married his long-term partner Gill Hinchcliffe at the Dorchester Hotel in London the day before.

He was awarded an O.B.E. for his services to drama.

Bob Monkhouse was enthusiastic about David Jasons comic potential and attempted to put together a pilot film for him called "Jason" in the late 1960s-early 1970s.

A qualified dive master, he was taught to dive in the Cayman Islands.

He appeared in juvenile court at the age of 14 for stealing lead. Ironically, in the Season 1 finale of "Only Fools and Horses...." , Del Boy steals three tons of lead, but for use as a fallout shelter. He then appeared in court when he was 18 for riding a motorbike without L-plates; he was fined 10 shillings.

He has worked as a teaboy and a grease monkey in a garage. He lost his enthusiasm for being a mechanic when during Winter, the cold always found its way up his overalls while under a car; his parents were very disappointed.

His first acting role was as a monkey in a primary school play at the age of 9, but his first lead role was in a Cromwellian play, Wayside War as a 17th Century Cavalier at the age of 14. He was forced to volunteer by the headmaster and wound up enjoying it. He then joined amateur theatre not long after and left it at the age of 25 - he joined just to pick up girls. The name of the acting troupe was "The Incognito Players", and he went on to be the most successful member; he was later asked to be a patron, which he accepted.

He didnt watch television until the age of 13, when he saw the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II , she later knighted Jason. His family didnt hire a television until he was age 15, when ITV was first launched.

He attended Northside Junior School and than Northside Secondary Modern. He left school at the age of 15 to pursue acting.

Lots of his childhood clothes were hand-me-downs.

He penned his autobiography, My Life, in 2013.

During World War II, a human arm landed on the roof of his childhood home; the family thought it was a chicken that would feed them for two meals.

He started smoking at the age of 14.

The first review of his work was "David White looked like a young James Cagney and played, though only 16, with the ease of a born actor". He still remembers it but thought it unlikely.

He was born five months after the outbreak of World War II, he spent his infancy in war-torn North London, and lived at 26 Lodge Lane, Finchley. He was delivered at North Middlesex County Hospital. His childhood home is now a car park.

When he was 14, he worked as a grocery delivery boy at the local supermarket for almost no pay where he learned to ride a delivery bike. He always liked to ride a bike to work and home because it kept him at 8 stone and a 29 inch waist.

Although mostly known as a comic actor, this was not so at the beginning of his career. While in amateur theatre, he appeared in a production of "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams , and played one of Noahs sons, Ham ("the bad un").

He is a big fan of Ron Moody and Ruth Madoc.

He once played a raven on stage and prepared for the role by studying raven behavior at the Tower of London. In the Season 6 premiere episode of "Only Fools and Horses...." , Del Boy mentions how he once had a job at the Tower of London.

He co-founded Topaz Productions in the late 1980s.

His first experience of playing in the West End was as a pirate in a production of Peter Pan at the Strand; it was also his first experience of touring the country.

H learned to dive at the age of 18.

He had an on-off relationship with Phil Collins s older sister, which began when Collins was still living at home with his parents. As a result, the first rock concert Jason actually went to was Genesis with Collins on drums and Peter Gabriel on vocals at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in 1974.

He first appeared on television in a BBC pantomime, Mother Goose on Boxing Day.

Although against illicit substances, he did smoke a joint for the first time when he was 40; it was his only one.

He was given advice by Jon Pertwee when first starting his acting career.

A mystic in the late 60s predicted he had a big future as an actor.

He turned down the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) when he was 27.

He has had a few brushes with death throughout his life, e.g. electrocution; drowning, etc.

One of the top leading men on British television, despite his diminutive stature.

He didnt do any televised drama until he was 26, when he had a recurring role on "Crossroads" . Although the show has a bad reputation, hes defended it. After doing a guest spot, he was asked to become a regular but he declined because he didnt want to be tied down to playing just one character at this stage in his career.

His first public appearance with his changed name was on May 24th, 1965.

He was quite timid as a boy.

His family as a young man had Christmas chicken instead of turkey because it was cheaper.

He worked as an electrician, which involved licking a finger and poking live circuitry to see how much of a shock you got. He considered a career as an electrician but then went to drama school at the age of 24. When acting dried up in the early years of his career, he went back to work as an electrician.

He didnt get an agent until his mid-20s.

He decided to make acting his career at the age of 20 after his first relationship went nowhere. He began professional acting at the age of 25.

He once owned a treasured autograph of Spike Milligan. Later, Milligan wrote the Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town for "The Two Ronnies" , and Jason provided them (which he claims to be a master at).

His first car was a second-hand Ford Zephyr six-saloon with crimped fins and shiny chrome wing mirrors.

He changed his last name from White to Jason after there was already a David White in the acting profession. He at first tried David Whitehead but there was one of them too. He settled on Jason from Jason and the Argonauts, something he remembered from primary school.

West Side Story is his favorite musical.

He has a scar under his eye.

He was told he had what it took to make it as a professional actor at the age of 22.

He was a huge fan of The Goon Show and the first time he went to the theatre was to watch a recording of it.

He is a big fan of Dylan Thomas.

He is a big fan of the cult series "The Prisoner" .

He is a big fan of Buddy Holly.

He had no formal education.

He always likes to set money aside, but admits hes not very good with numbers so his accountants handle his finances - he treats them as friends.

Once, while staying as a guest in Ronnie Barkers house, he got slightly drunk and couldnt sleep; he saw a door and assuming it led to a flat roof, decided to get some fresh air to help him sleep even though he couldnt see a thing beyond the door. He reconsidered after worrying about cutting his feet on any stones. The next morning he found the door led to nowhere but a 30ft drop to a disused mill wheel; Barker had a balcony built to prevent any more near tragedies.

He still owns the credit board Phantom Raspberry Blower - David Jason from "The Two Ronnies" . Hes enormously proud of his contribution to "that little moment of comic history".

He landed the part of Del Boy in "Only Fools and Horses...." by making fun of director Ray Butts Cockney accent with a pitch perfect imitation.

During a horse riding lesson, the horse stepped on his foot, dislocating two of his toes; his injury was written into a play he was doing where the character had gout.

He likes light and bitter beer.

A driver used to take him and Ronnie Barker out looking for bric-a-brac. The more offbeat, the smaller it was, and the further away it was, the more Barker liked the shop.

He was a friend of Darth Vader actor David Prowse since the beginning of his TV career.

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were the biggest stars Jason ever worked with in his shortlived film career.

Ronnie Barkers decision to retire at the age of 59 disappointed Jason but he respected his decision.

He used to get poetry sent to him from Ronnie Barker. Barker was constantly playing with words and was very quick at composing verses.

Ronnie Barkers nickname for Jason on "Open All Hours" was little feed. Jason claimed he was there to be Barkers stooge, and was frustrated when episodes ran long and his part had to be edited down just to feed Barker.

He plays the trombone.

For "The Wind in the Willows" , Cosgrove Hall wanted Jason to play Ratty but he preferred Mr Toad. Everyone who had voiced Toad had made him unpleasant, but Jason made him into a lovable showoff. After Jason recorded an audition, he got the part.

He has done two sex scenes in his career.

He is allergic to pollen.

He got his big break in television at the age of 27 on "Do Not Adjust Your Set" .

Much of his early acting career involved physical comedy, but not much acting. He was afraid of becoming typecast as a comic actor.

The first time he went abroad was to Switzerland for a skiing holiday in 1970.

He became a big fan of the Bonzos after hearing "Im the Urban Spaceman".

He is a big fan of Laurel and Hardy.

He began working in radio in 1970.

He lost the part of Corporal Jones in "Dads Army" (to his chagrin) when the original choice became available after his show was canceled by the BBC and was offered Corporal Jones as compensation.

His first big West End role was in No Sex Please - Were British at the Strand in 1973, but his professional debut was in a Nol Coward production. He did No Sex Please - Were British for 18 months, six nights a week with two nights off for illness. After it was over, he was given a lighter and an engraved hollowed brick that he uses as a pen holder.

He can do voices and impressions, including Tony Benn , Julian Clary and John Wayne.

He is a big fan of Buster Keaton , he always tried to channel him whenever doing his own stunts.

He wanted to work with Ronnie Barker years before "Open All Hours" . He believed it profoundly affected the course of his life. He always considered him a mentor whenever they worked together. He never understood why Barker left ITV for the BBC because he wasnt in the know. He considered working with Barker on an entire series a dream outcome. The two became close friends. He claimed Barker was very wise and if he thought something was OK, that was good enough.

He is close friends with animator Brian Cosgrove , hes also a big fan of cartoons. Jason didnt know that Penfold from "Danger Mouse" was a hamster until a chagrined Cosgrove told him. Jason read for Dangermouse and Penfold, and Cosgrove almost named the character Supermouse. Of all the work he did with Cosgrove Hall, he considered "The Wind in the Willows" classic, successful and the most exciting. He loved the cast Cosgrove had managed to assemble, and said he was deeply dedicated to his craft.

He has size seven feet.

He was a friend of the late Bob Monkhouse. They used to like winding each other up. Monkhouse wanted to do a silent movie with Jason but his workload kept him busy. They both hail from Weston-Super-Mare.

He is a huge fan of Alistair Sim ever since he saw him in Scrooge . Jason considers Sim the definitive Scrooge.

He kept some of Del Boys shirts and sweaters after "Only Fools and Horses...." was finished. It would have felt wrong to throw them away.

When the pilot episode of "Only Fools and Horses...." went through a chaotic production, including going through three directors at one point, Jason privately felt the BBC were trying to sabotage the show.

Del Boys core business in "Only Fools and Horses...." is fly-pitching, although it was rarely seen. Jason loved doing the patter, the banter and the rhythm. He learned about fly-pitching from watching illegal street traders when he was living in London and doing theatre work. It was good research, and all his fly-pitching scenes were ad-libbed.

While waiting to do some gliding, somebody spotted him, and that led to people with cameras and their kids and even their dogs posing beside the glider, while he was strapped in, embarrassed and frustrated with this unwanted attention. It put him off gliding.

Once, he and Nicholas Lyndhurst brought a bag full of bangers into rehearsals on "Only Fools and Horses...." ; they loaded stacked chairs with them and the cubicle doors in the toilets. When production assistant Tony Dow unstacked the chairs, they went off, making him afraid to touch them. Jason and Lyndhurst thought it funny until a cleaning lady tried to mop the gents and nearly died of fright. They never pulled that prank again.

When he was first handed the script for the pilot episode of "Only Fools and Horses...." , Del Boy was the character that jumped out at him. He was expected to play Grandad but he had his heart set on Del, even though the show creator and writer John Sullivan felt he was wrong for the part; Sullivan envisioned Del a winner, whereas Jason was known for playing lifes losers.

He could forget lines he knew the night before.

He owns a house in the countryside to live but keeps a flat in London whenever hes working.

The BBC werent sure about casting him in the lead for "Only Fools and Horses...." initially because he and Nicholas Lyndhurst looked nothing alike; John Sullivan disagreed. Del Boy needed to be shorter to remove any sense of physical intimidation between the brothers, and to imply the suspected illegitimacy of the Trotters.

The famous scene from "Only Fools and Horses...." where Del Boy fell through the open bar flap derived from John Sullivan watching the exact same thing happen to a man in a wine bar, except he grabbed onto the fixed part of the bar so he didnt fall right over. Sullivan thought it funny for the mans body language, trying to recover his cool. Sullivan wanted a slip, stumble and a tree like fall; Jason thought Del should go all the way over - start to go sideways, and than go over without looking in the direction of the fall, which Jason thought was the key to the scene. There was a hidden crash mat, but it was a hard shot to get because it was hard not to look where Jason was falling; Jason had done a number of falls in the theatre so that came in handy. Just as funny was Triggers baffled reaction to Dels sudden disappearance. Jason gets people asking him about that fall all the time, and some never like to talk about anything else, but hes happy to be remembered for something so iconic.

He only ever called in sick once during an episode of "Only Fools and Horses...." for A Royal Flush. He lost his voice and needed three days to recover, putting it behind schedule.

He did "Only Fools and Horses...." and "Open All Hours" at the same time with occasional theatre work.

In 1989, after the end of the sixth series of "Only Fools and Horses...." , he won a BAFTA award for Best Comedy Performance. He put the award on his mantelpiece, next to the one for Best Actor he had already.

Always before a live studio recording of "Only Fools and Horses...." , he and Nicholas Lyndhurst used to go to the canteen and have the same meal, almost like a ritual or a superstition, because they used to get so nervous.

He went on a tribute show to mark the BBC Television Centres closing in 2012, as well as Ronnie Corbett , Miranda Hart and John Cleese.

Before the start of the sixth series of "Only Fools and Horses...." , Jason was annoyed about something and went to see John Sullivan. Sullivan was writing terrific scripts that were too long and had to be edited down to 30 minutes. Jason felt they were cutting more funny material than most sitcoms manage in a full episode. One edit that had particularly vexed Jason was during the Series 5 episode Tea For Three. After Del Boy returned from a disastrous hang-gliding session, he originally had a speech Jason described as "beautifully constructed, full of suppressed rage" about all of the places Del had visited. Jason considered it a comic masterpiece, but because the episode had overrun, half the speech got cut. Sullivan agreed with Jason that the episodes needed to be longer. Jason and Sullivan approached Gareth Gwenlan while he was producing Series 6 with the plan to extend the episodes from 30 to 50 minutes. Gwenlan didnt think that was possible since sitcoms were traditionally 30 minutes in length, and couldnt sustain a longer running time. Jason said that would be true of an average writer, but not one of Sullivans caliber. And yet they still keep cutting great material. Gwenlan than okayed the idea.

He is close friends with his "Only Fools and Horses...." co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst. He liked to call Lyndhurst Nick. They struck up an instant rapport in a motor-home while waiting to film any location shoots, and would mess about at every opportunity. They used to play pranks on the set, e.g. pretending to have fallen out to worry the crew, or nailing Lennard Pearces shoes to the floor or turning his costume inside out. Although Pearce mostly saw the funny side of things, that day he refused to work until director Ray Butt talked him around and Jason and Lyndhurst apologized. Jason claimed it was the only time Pearce lost perspective.

Yorkshire Television wanted Jason to play Pop Larkin in "The Darling Buds of May" . He admitted he was amazed the show went on to be a national, award-winning success. He had never read the book so went away and did so before accepting the part; he pronounced it a charming read, as well as lovely, but not much happened and didnt go anywhere. But the characters were strong, especially Pop Larkin, and he would be fun to play. Jasons condition was to shoot the series on film, because he didnt want it to be a studio production. At least on film, it would look good and have some quality about it, even if nothing happened.

He owns two two-seater sports cars.

Ronnie Barker and John Sullivan attended his 50th birthday party; they parked their cars in neighboring drives and roads so as not to spoil the surprise. On the birthday cake in icing was the scene from "Only Fools and Horses...." where Del Boy and Rodney end up with blowup dolls. Jasons wife thought it in poor taste and Jason saw her point, but he considered the baker an artist with the marzipan. Barker delivered a speech at the party, and Jason said it was a lovely, high-spirited evening, and the nicest of surprises, but he wasnt surprised though, because all the lights were off when he came home - something his wife never did.

On "The Darling Buds of May" , there was a famous scene where Jason shared a bath with Pam Ferris while eating supper. Jason thought about turning up to the set in a frog mask and flippers but couldnt go through with it. Jason and Ferris both wore swimming costumes and the water was colored up to protect their modestys. Jason considered that scene their icebreaker.

When Jason was cast as Detective Inspector Jack Frost, the character had to be cleaned up from the books, where Frost was a chain smoker, but Jason recently gave up smoking. He used to smoke four or five cigarettes a day, or in the evening with a drink, and didnt want to start again, and smoking was taboo on TV in 1992.

In the early days of "The Darling Buds of May" , Catherine Zeta-Jones was very nervous due to her lack of experience with television. Jason used to advise her to keep her eyes still while doing dialogue in closeup, something he used to do.

Jason grew a mustache for the role of Detective Inspector Jack Frost; it was his idea as he imagined Frost grew one in his youth to give himself a few extra years and more maturity. He lost the mustache between series to play other parts and than needed four weeks to grow it back as well as stop shaving at the right time ahead of shooting. Sometimes Jason missed the mark and had to help it along with a bit of "coloring-in", but it was always ready for filming.

Jason put on weight when playing Pop Larkin in "The Darling Buds of May" . It was because of all the food in the show; bread and ham, cheese, pickled onions, roast dinners, chocolate, etc. It was meant to show the Larkin familys generous spirit and carefree love of life. There were also fried breakfasts cooked fresh on the set on a little stove. One day on the set, the shooting schedule meant Jason sat down to breakfast five times, which meant it was piled with bacon and eggs. Jason asked if he could skip the fry-ups, so they switched to kippers, which was just as bad. The extra weight he put on meant he couldnt wear a dinner jacket to that years BAFTAs that fit the year before. He had to go on a few months of dieting to regain his former, "sylph-like" weight. "A Touch of Frost" also had a tough food regime that was hard on Jasons stomach, because Frost wasnt a healthy eater, e.g. bacon sandwiches, chips, fry-ups, etc. People used to remark on it to Jason, that he was eating badly.

On "The Darling Buds of May" , Jason once smuggled a cucumber into a bed scene with Pam Ferris. She had to deliver most of the dialogue and even though she knew it was there, she did the scene perfectly. It was only after the cameras stopped rolling that she wanted to know what the corpsing Jason was up to. Ferris is known for being very professional.

Jason was never asked if he wanted to pursue a personal project until the end of "The Darling Buds of May" . He decided he wanted to play a detective, which culminated in "A Touch of Frost" . Before he got the role, five books, all crime fictions in different areas by different authors were posted to him. Jason took them on holiday to Florida and read them over the next fortnight by the pool. Before Jason settled on Detective Inspector Jack Frost, he considered a Sherlock Holmes type detective because it was different from anything else he had done. Jason called from Florida saying he wanted Frost.

He knows how to milk cows, which came in handy when playing farmer Pop Larkin in "The Darling Buds of May" .

He owns a house in Buckinghamshire.

Neither Jason nor Tessa Peake-Jones were parents during the episode of "Only Fools and Horses...." when Raquel gave birth to Damien, so to make the scene realistic, they took advice from midwives at the West Middlesex Hospital while filming the scene.

Nicholas Lyndhurst couldnt attend Jasons after party for fifty people during his knighting ceremony in 2005 but John Sullivan did as well as Brian Cosgrove ; Jason took the opportunity to announce his second wedding, to rapturous applause and table thumping.

When alone in a caravan on a film shoot for "A Touch of Frost" , Jason turned it into a workshop, making models from plastic kits, or during the evening to relax. He liked to build ships and planes which than developed into rockets and than launchable rockets between two and five feet tall, with an engine and an explosive component that could fly between 500 and 900ft in the air; Jason liked the rockets best because you could get a performance out of them. Jason assembled them with tools packed in an old makeup case and from specialist parts from obscure sources across Yorkshire. Jason launched them for cast and crew at the back of Leeds Hospital for three years when they filmed in the mortuary; sometimes to great acclaim, sometimes not. Jason later built a launch pad from an old lighting stand and added a launcher with a key, lights and a 2-tone alarm. They were the campest thing you had ever seen in your life. The masterpiece was a Saturn V replica with one of the biggest engines so it was a complex build. It launched like the real thing by hovering above the pad and set off into the sky. Jason liked launching that one most, especially when they came back, which was never a sure thing, with a parachute that emerged from the nose cone. After constant use, it failed to launch at all, and was reluctantly retired.

On "The Royal Bodyguard" , the series had an armorer who looked after all the weaponry. He along with his platoon in Afghanistan watched The Jolly Boys Outing, an episode of "Only Fools and Horses...." to cheer themselves up, and it did. Jason was staggered and moved.

Filming "A Touch of Frost" meant spending a lot of time away from home, at the studios in Leeds or on location in Wetherby, Harrogate, Dewsbury and all local stations. Yorkshire Television made it easy on Jason by renting out a cottage rather than pay for a hotel, especially since Jason could cook for himself; he just wanted somewhere simple to go at the end of the day to clear his head. Yorkshire Television found Jason an old farmers cottage without central heating, so he had to light a fire; on warm evenings he sat out in the garden which was always a pleasure. When asked did he get lonely, he said he didnt, because he enjoyed the quiet time. He also had his own driver, on call 24hrs a day, who collected Jason from Buckinghamshire for the 3hr drive to Yorkshire while he worked on his scripts, stopping along the way for a bacon and egg roll and a cup of tea ("a very Frost-like meal"). Jason lived in a spartan farm cottage while the cast stayed at a hotel.

Jason liked the darkness of "A Touch of Frost" after the lightness of "Only Fools and Horses...." and "The Darling Buds of May" because it showed audiences he could play both, but lightness became a part of Frost too.

He didnt name his son David so things wouldnt get complicated around the house.

Jason got a letter from someone saying they saw a house on the market identical to Toad Hall from "The Wind in the Willows" ; it was three miles from Jasons house. He went looking for it and found it. He said it was wonderful and seemed to go on forever, it even had a lake, fed by its own spring. It wasnt Toad Hall, but he could imagine living in it. It was twice the value of the house he owned then. He thought about it but had to pay full price when he lost a coin toss (despite his reputation as a wheeler-dealer). But just driving up to the house made him realize how much he wanted it.

Behind the cottage where Jason lives is the River Taff and a grassy mountain where he can have a think about things. It has a wonderful view.

He used to go to a hotel periodically for seminars to go through scripts, plot developments and story ideas for "A Touch of Frost" .

In September, 2008 a press release went out about Detective Inspector Jack Frosts retirement. Not because of lack of storylines or Jason losing interest in the character (he would have happily played him forever). The problem was Jasons age: at 68, Jack Frost was the oldest copper on the force. He would have retired ten years before or sooner, so he bowed out.

When his daughter Sophie-Mae was born (named after the girl from The BFG, where Jason voiced the title character in the movie), he thought about doing what Del Boy did when Damien was born from "Only Fools and Horses...." but didnt.

He filmed episodes of "A Touch of Frost" with Christmas Specials of "Only Fools and Horses...." in 1996.

Former PM Tony Blair sent a letter to Jason asking if he would like to become a knight bachelor. Jason suspected a prank, considering it may have been Brian Cosgrove who hired Jason to play Dangermouse, Count Duckula, Mr Toad and the BFG, but the offer was genuine.

During the Gulf War, Jason met someone in a pub who worked at RAF Command Headquarters. He told Jason they race 3-wheel vans against each other, paint them yellow with Trotters Independent Traders down the sides of them, like the van from "Only Fools and Horses...." . Jason went down to have a look, but he didnt see a race. Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Buster Merryfield all sent a Trotters van out to Kuwait. They slipped it into a Hercules plane among other stuff on a supply run and when it was unloaded the crew would find the van, filled up with chewing gum, toothpaste, cake and "Danger Mouse" and "Count Duckula" tapes from Brian Cosgrove with labels saying Debbie Does Dallas and Unzipperdedoodah and all sorts to amuse them. Jason didnt ask for any publicity because he didnt want anyone to think it was just for that, but a private joke between the RAF and the Trotters. The van was put in the hold and covered up with medical supplies and ammunition and flew to Kuwait, where its discovery brought some light relief.

Marriage is like throwing yourself into a river when you only wanted a,drink of water.

It was a long time before TV wanted me - I would have had to commit,murder to get a part on the box at one time.

Perhaps being a character actor on radio was, in retrospect, the best,training I could get.

Comedy is a funny business, which you have to take seriously. It,requires a lot of thought, energy and adrenaline, so when you return,home you want to calm down, recharge your batteries and not be the life,and soul of the party.

[on amateur theatre] This was where I cut my teeth - the first stages of,my acting journey.

Hell hath no fury like a man spurned and on a motorbike.

[on needing stitches several times as a boy] I probably only needed to,go one more time to qualify for my own set of needles.

[on the late 1950s] A period I remember with great affection. My life,seemed to be coming together in this period, or settling into a rhythm.

I was a person who rather liked his home comforts.

I was going to do the unsteady thing. I was going to become an actor.

[on his first audition] My tongue had taken on the thickness of a can of,Spam.

One thing which I definitely had in my favor was determination.

My two favorite activities in the world: diving and flying. I am rarely,happier than when deep in the water or high in the sky. Psychiatrists:,help yourself.

[on returning to work as an electrician when acting dried up during the,early years of his career] It kept my feet on the ground.

[on his height] I was made to realize very early that however this,acting life of mine panned out, romantic leads were probably going to,be hard to come by.

All actors are a mix of confidence and doubt - of bulletproof,self-belief one minute, and trembling insecurity the next. Its what,makes us such a joy to be around.

[when his first agent got him work in an ad] Visions of Hollywood movies,danced in my mind, but Hollywood would have to wait.

[on his first professional role] I could hardly breathe with the thrill,of it. But it was completely tiddly. And I was completely green and,oblivious.

(Alan) Ladd was one of my earliest cinema heroes.

Sometimes you take your life in your hands just walking up the street.

[on his first car] I thought that was going to be the passport to,international jet-set pleasure with members of the opposite sex. In,fact, I mostly ended up playing taxi driver for all my car-less male,mates.

[on going to drama school] Performing what we might call a reverse,Nelly, I unpacked my trunk, metaphorically speaking, and said hello to,the circus.

No actor, to my knowledge, has ever been described as steady.

Comedy lies in how you draw out that time and fill it - edging gradually,closer, almost committing, backing off, starting again, and hoping to,pull the audience in and out with you.

Me and alcohol learned to be careful around one another. Tales of,tippling actors are legion.

I was used to directors helping an actor to draw the nuance out of a,character, as tended to happen in the theatre. In television, you were,supposed to know that already.

[on seeing someone roll a joint] It was a total novelty for me, and I,have to admit, it rather fazed me. Alcohol I could happily entertain,the concept of, but the thought of illicit substances made me nervous.

Lofty ambitions aside, what I loved about acting was the chance it gave,you to adapt.

[on people during World War II] Physical affection and displays of,emotion were rare, and moments of intimacy, too. That was how people,were.

[on his childhood home] So tiny that when you opened the front door, you,almost fell up the stairs.

I was an unknown actor, so there were no expectations. No one was,expecting me to deliver. That came later. I was free to bury myself in,work and enjoy it. I learned from this why so many people find solace,in painting and drawing.

It amuses me that the conversation which gave rise to so much of my,career in television took place in the tiny, run-down bar of the,Bournemouth Pier Theatre.

[on first meeting Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Terry Jones] They seemed,a bit posh. Absolutely sure of themselves in a way I could never have,imagined being in those days. They were highly educated, very,articulate and quite experienced. They were very chummy with each other,and a bit cliquey.

[auditioning for a musical] It was my duty to be up for absolutely,anything at this crucial formative stage in my professional life.

[on working with the Dulux sheepdog in an ad] He was just a lovely dog,with an unusually keen interest in interior decorating. I thought he,looked slightly smaller in the flesh. But then people often say the,same about me. He was a total nightmare.

[on his character on Do Not Adjust Your Set] The whole point of Captain,Fantastic was that it was a parody of the silent era. If you lost that,you lost everything about it.

[on Bob Monkhouse] He was the first person I knew who had satellite,television, presumably so he could plunder the airwaves for gags 24,hours a day. Bob was an early adopter of new technology.

I have never been a naturally assertive or confrontational person. But I,knew what I wanted and I made sure I stood firm and got it.

[in the 70s] There was no way that I was a name you could put up outside,a theatre and expect it to bring in the crowds.

[on hang gliding] It was a wonderful way to relax and get away from the,job. The cheapest way to get into the air, and the cheapest kind of,aircraft money could buy.

[on radio] I love the immediacy of it.

[on acting in the West End] This whole period was a huge learning curve.

I could perform a reliable pratfall.

[jokes] Some fall on stony ground - beware the in-joke.

He saw the bigger picture at all times.

I turned up when I was told to turn up, I stood where I was told to,stand and I said the words I was told to say - the definition of,film-acting.

Very few people blow a raspberry as well as I do; an area of expertise,in which I could be described as a world leader.

Diving grew into one of my great passions.

[Danger Mouse] I loved that mouse.

[on his Hollywood days] An unforgettable period for me. I was constantly,pinching myself to check that it was really me. Seven days of tourism.

A good comedian is never on holiday.

[Nicholas Lyndhurst] My mate.

[Del, Rodney and Grandad Trotter, the original trio from Only Fools and,Horses] The Three Stooges.

[Lennard Pearce, who played Grandad in Only Fools and Horses] Lamented.

I had that thoroughly drilled into me.

[World War II] Those five years of global conflagration had nothing to,do with me. I associate my earliest days with the smell and taste of,brick dust.

[having your lines DLP] Dead Line Perfect.

[the 70s] These were years when I felt like I was learning all the time.

[Only Fools and Horses] A series that definitely did work.

[having an article written about him in TV Times for the first time] It,made me feel pretty special - like some kind of top gun.

[the ability to stay in character] Why not, if it helps you. Ronnie,Barker could slip in and out of character effortlessly.

[a delivery bike] Not as straightforward as it may look. Riding a bike,is like. . . well, riding a bike.

[BBC2] The backwater for a brand new comedy series.

[Open All Hours] The chance to play opposite Ronnie (Barker) in an,entire series was a dream outcome.

[himself and Nicholas Lyndhurst] A pair of silly Buddhas.

[the makeup chair] Quite uncomfortable and not a little boring, but you,lump it.

[the ability to slip in and out of character] The sign of true comfort,in a role. Some actors never come out of character.

Mr Nobodies with rich fantasy lives: are we beginning to detect a,certain theme emerging in my professional roles?,Could I do a convincingly suave and appealing phone manner? Yes, I have,to say I could.

[getting to carry a series] A real vote of confidence.

[after the Daily Mirror compared him to Buster Keaton] As comparisons,go. . . well, I was ready to accept that one.

People always say that the essence of a sitcom is people trapped by,their circumstances.

[going with Ronnie Barker to antique and junk shops] The tinier and the,more offbeat the shop was, and the further it was into the middle of,nowhere, the happier Ronnie was.

In the mid-70s, phone calls were only made possible by someone sitting,at a switchboard with a fistful of plugs.

[blocking] Going through the script and working out all the positions on,the set during the scenes.

[industrial action] Very 1970s.

Any way you could find to save money while out on tour was always,welcomed.

[finding somewhere to hide in a hurry] Not uncommon in farces, or,certain draconian bed & breakfasts too, as I well knew.

[John Sullivan, the creator and writer of Only Fools and Horses] He had,a warm personality and was extremely easy to like.

[single beds] Narrow as a plank.

[scantily clad] Popular phrase.

Richard (Wilson) had great timing and I admired him enormously and was,very pleased for him with the success he went on to have.

[student beds] Monastically narrow.

[hapless characters in the first part of his TV career] The parts I was,getting at this time.

[a sharp intake of breath] The noise people make, sucking air past their,teeth.

A wonderful feeling, being part of the creative process.

[encephalitis] I had no idea what that was, or even how to pronounce it.

[playing Mr Toad in The Wind in the Willows] I just about managed to,hold my own.

[a hotel room] A sterile environment.

[watching cartoons as a kid] The color and the vibrancy and the,silliness made a wonderful impression on me.

[spilling a drink on someone] What larks.

[Cosgrove Hall] That first connection was the start of so much pleasure,for me.

[the Wind in the Willows] Classic. Very successful. What a cast Brian,(Cosgrove) had managed to assemble.

[a large brandy] Poison. Even the smell of it made the head swim.

[Brian Cosgrove] Deeply dedicated to his craft. Good company.

[Sir Michael Hordern] One of the theatrical greats and a real hero of,mine. I could never have stood on a stage with him doing Shakespeare,and been competitive.

[going bald] Time had performed its evil depredations.

[Ronnie Barker] Very wise, and if he thought it was OK, that was good,enough.

[Maureen Lipman, Hattie Jacques and Roy Kinnear] Distinguished company.

It was easier to carry a quill around than a typewriter.

Be careful with a Flymo on a slope.

Everyone in a new play gets nerves on a first night.

[Hong Kong entertainment] As far removed from a matine performance of,Aladdin in Wimbledon over the Christmas period as it is possible to,get.

[never knowing where you are in a play] Not an especially useful trait,in that line of work.

[at the Jakarta Hilton] It was like being in some kind of fairytale.

[watching an exotic dancer in Hong Kong] I had no idea that you could,use an unpeeled banana for quite those purposes, or press a ping-pong,ball into service like that - nor that it would shoot quite so high,into the air when you did so. Table tennis has never felt the same to,me since.

[cling film] It will keep you extremely fresh.

The makeup department is a wonderful thing.

[Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubah, Kuala Lumpur and Egypt] Places that were,just a vague rumor in a distant atlas.

[getting lost in Hong Kong] Happens from time to time.

[himself] The idea that acting could open up experiences to someone from,a terraced house in Lodge Lane seemed staggering to me.

[while flying on a 747 over Iran and Iraq] Somewhere way below us,people were firing rockets and bombs at each other. We, meanwhile, were,suspended at 35,000ft, in our unworldly little bubble, sipping,cocktails, chinking glasses and saying chin-chin.

Life is notoriously short.

[his knowledge of art history] Fairly minimal.

My grasp of music is not the best.

[the eyes going back and forward and the eyebrows going up and down] The,manner of someone contemplating magic.

[his character Granville from Open All Hours] Seemingly eternal shopboy.

[old fairground slot machines] Great, historic machinery.

[Leslie Philips] A legend of British comedy.

[being a team player] What you need to be in a touring production,unless the whole thing is going to implode horribly.

[flying for 23 hours] You get a bit stir-crazy, stuck in a tube that,long.

[500 a week] Handsome money.

[Ronnie Barker] He was constantly playing with words and was very quick,at composing verses.

[egg and bacon sandwiches] Salmonella on legs.

[his childhood home] There was very little for burglars to help,themselves to.

[Wellington boots] A fantastic breakthrough.

[his first radio] I kept it in my bedroom, twitching the whiskers of,wire to find voices or music, and lying in bed in the dark, listening,to the great wide world.

[the Trotters in Only Fools and Horses] A cross-generational trio.

[Del Boy, his character from Only Fools and Horses] He had a Cockney,accent you could have rolled up and beaten someone over the head with.

[the BBC sitcom Citizen Smith] Highly successful.

[becoming a Sir] Heady, heady times.

[BBC coffee] Famously filthy.

[he and Nicholas Lyndhurst getting nervous before a recording of Only,Fools and Horses] Why do we do this to ourselves?,Some audiences would be worried for you.

[the script for the pilot episode of Only Fools and Horses] Bright and,full of life. The more I thought about Del (Boy), and the more I,thought about the script I had seen, the more I felt there was,something potentially wonderful there for me.

[during location shoots on Only Fools and Horses and when the actors,took a break in filming] We sat in the back of a cheap second-hand,motor-home, with the sink and the stove stripped out, and in their,stead, a battered sofa, a knackered chair and a rack for your clothes.

[remembering the first read-through for the pilot episode of Only Fools,and Horses] When the three of us (he, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Lennard,Pearce) began to put our voices to the lines, the magic was in the,room. All the component parts just fitted. The whole thing was sounding,like it had been written for us. When we reached the end of our read,silence fell on the room.

[his TV awards] A fistful. Mantelpiece getting a little crowded.

[Only Fools and Horses] Happy days.

[creating the character of Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses] I was doing,my best to think comedy-drama, not sitcom.

[Nicholas Lyndhurst] Nick.

[Kenneth MacDonald, one of his co-stars on Only Fools and Horses],Jovial.

[Del Boy] He only appeared to have won things which it subsequently,turned out he had lost. But he was a winner by mentality.

[appearing in The Color of Magic] Waiting for a better job to turn up.

[the cast of The Darling Buds of May] One big happy family.

[The Darling Buds of May] Even more happy days.

I hate shopping for clothes for myself and would rather shut my fingers,in a kitchen drawer than stand in a store on Oxford Street holding up,shirts against myself and saying "what do you think?" Shopping for,clothes for a character, on the other hand, was something different. I,utterly loved it. It was a total escape.

Nick (Lyndhurst) and I recognized in each other a kindred urge to mess,about, whenever possible.

[firecrackers] Quality entertainment.

[his first impression of Nicholas Lyndhurst] Shiny-faced.

[his first impression of John Sullivan, the writer and creator of Only,Fools and Horses] He was very quiet.

[his opinion of Del, Rodney and Grandad after the pilot episode of Only,Fools and Horses] They were real people who just happened to be very,funny. I felt very, very excited indeed.

[Only Fools and Horses] Heady days.

[fashion] Not really my area of expertise, and never has been.

[Terry and June] Designed for sitcom figures.

Only Fools and Horses got off to a ragged and inauspicious start.

[Only Fools and Horses] The series grew into something better.

Ken (MacDonald) loved the show (Only Fools and Horses) and the people in,it and could become quite emotional about his attachment to everyone.

[gin and tonic] Medicinal.

John (Challis, one of his co-stars on Only Fools and Horses) was,charming, well spoken, an actor of great weight, and an absolute gent,to work with - another proper team player.

[Only Fools and Horses] We had the makings of a tight team.

[after the pilot episode of Only Fools and Horses went through a chaotic,production] I think they must be trying to sabotage us.

[Boycie from Only Fools and Horses] Oh-so-superior.

[cigarettes] Equally medicinal.

[A Touch of Glass, the famous chandelier episode of Only Fools and,Horses] There was a lot of pressure on that piece of filming.

[a director yelling Cut] The magic word.

[Series 2 of Only Fools and Horses] The series in which the show broke,through the glass chandelier.

The prospect of commitment, solid commitment, troubled me.

The closer to London, the more expensive the house.

I have always been very driven and determined to fill the hours.

[A Touch of Glass, the famous chandelier episode of Only Fools and,Horses] Classic.

[the East] It was so tricky to get out of London in that direction.

I liked the country life. As much as I loved London, I found the quiet,and isolation of the countryside had started appealing to me really,strongly.

[Only Fools and Horses avoiding the axe] Suddenly, deep in the heart of,the BBC, faith was renewed, the candle re-lit, the flag run back up the,flagpole. Order du jour! as Del might have put it. Only Fools had been,granted the time to grow.

[Grandad in Only Fools and Horses] A silent presence.

[Uncle Albert from Only Fools and Horses] Lovable.

Life was a bit topsy-turvy but no less enjoyable for that. I was very,busy and very content.

[Lynda Bellingham] Great and lovely.

[Buster Merryfield] He had been a fit young man.

[losing Lennard Pearce] Only Fools and Horses seemed set fair and,sailing steadily in the right direction. We could have no idea of the,scale of the setback the show was about to endure. Those of us on the,show had grown to think of him as family too, though. We mourned his,loss as you would mourn the loss of a family member.

[Only Fools and Horses losing its first BAFTA nomination] We were the,nearlys, but not quites. We were stoic enough about it, though. And,also, thoroughly refreshed.

[when Buster Merryfield joined Only Fools and Horses] Happy years to,come.

I was happy to have my substance exploited.

Buster (Merryfield) must be just about the only person who wrote away,for a role in an established television sitcom (Only Fools and Horses),and got it.

[crashing into the audience on a sitcom] Delivering lines without,waiting for the laughter to die down.

[Ray Butt, one of the directors on Only Fools and Horses] He did love a,gin and tonic, that man. Purely recreationally of course.

Fame would operate to restrict my life.

There was a (Second World) war on. There was a lot of death about.

[he and Nicholas Lyndhurst after Only Fools and Horses became a giant,success] Both of us were beginning to learn some lessons about fame and,beginning to make adjustments.

As a baby, I was given a carrot as a pacifier.

[his height] Less than statuesque.

[he, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Buster Merryfield appearing on the Royal,Variety Performance in 1986] The nerves between the three of us would,have powered a wind turbine.

[the day he was born] My memories are bound to be a bit patchy.

[a glider] A glorified Perspex tube.

I was to get most of my growing done by about the age of fourteen when I,reached five foot six and my body decided that it had had enough of,lengthening and left it at that.

[Buster Merryfield refusing to join him and Nicholas Lyndhurst for a,drink] All the more for me and Nick.

[the answer to questions during the production chaos on A Royal Flush, a,notoriously troubled episode of Only Fools and Horses] Fuck knows.

You want to be watching television on Christmas Day, not appearing live,on it.

[nerves evaporate] They will when an audience is immediately responsive.

[the Royal Variety Performance in 1986] A lovely interlude.

[Bob Monkhouse] My old colleague.

[on filming] The peculiar sights you would see and walk past and find,people taking absolutely for granted, as if they were the most normal,thing in the world.

In television the money has always gravitated towards drama.

[on a proper theatrical exit in a Shakespeare play] You go, you pause,you slightly come back, you go again. Play it right, and you could,virtually guarantee a round of applause, no matter what had happened in,your exit speech.

I loved being part of huge set pieces. It enabled me to give some rein,to my film-actor fantasies. It was certainly very different from the,slightly grab-it-and-run Only Fools and Horses shoots.

You should never hold an artist back from realizing his vision.

[winning BAFTAs] This, to my astonishment, was getting to be a bit of a,habit.

[playing on bomb sites as a child] The (Second World) war had gifted us,the perfect playground.

The world of entertainment was moving on rapidly.

[his first thoughts after reading the novel of The Darling Buds of May],I thought it was charming - a bucolic piece about a ramshackle,convention-snubbing farming family who woo the tax inspector into,moving in with them in order to deflect him from inspecting their,rather dodgy tax situation.

[waiting for the next acting job] Like Mr Micawber, I was hoping for,something to turn up.

[during his childhood] Girls might as well have been another species for,all that we had to do with them at that stage.

[the baker who did his 50th birthday cake] The man was an artist with,the marzipan.

[Tessa Peake-Jones and Gwyneth Strong, two of his co-stars from Only,Fools and Horses] Those two knew what they were doing and fitted,straight into the team.

[his 50th birthday party] It was a lovely, high-spirited evening, and,the nicest of surprises.

[best actor at the BAFTAs] Even to be shortlisted in that category was,an honor.

Times have changed, and customs with them.

[The Darling Buds of May] The set constantly hummed with the smell of,frying bacon and the crew would be walking around with drool hanging,out of their mouths.

[Pop and Ma Larkin from The Darling Buds of May] Loving, cheeky,generous, trusting.

[Pop Larkin] The role made a few unusual demands on me.

Altogether the cast (of The Darling Buds of May) felt like a family off,the set as well as on it. We genuinely liked each other and I think an,extra degree of warmth came through because of that.

[Catherine Zeta-Jones] She was extremely beautiful, and you knew the,camera was going to love her. She was also as lovely a person as she,looked.

Philip (Franks in The Darling Buds of May) was so perfectly cast. He had,sent most of his career in the theatre and he was a great team player,because of that.

[before he got cast as Pop Larkin in The Darling Buds of May] If someone,ever asks you if you would be interested in milking a cow, say yes. You,never know when it might come in handy in your professional life.

Kids have minds like sponges.

[driving an old Army vehicle, painted up to look like a Rolls-Royce in,The Darling Buds of May] Largely unrelated to what we generally think,of as driving these days. It had a crash gearbox, with a lever that,virtually tore your shoulder out of its socket, and steering which,provided a comprehensive upper-body workout.

[being helped into bed, pajamas and with a plastic bottle] The indignity,that the elderly know.

[The Darling Buds of May] The series was a high-quality piece of work,altogether. We owed a lot to the whole team put together.

Alas, I was wrong. Showbusiness can be a very cruel industry.

[his ideas for Heroes and Villains, when Del Boy and Rodney dress up as,Batman and Robin] They had to be tired, tatty and ill-fitting, but to,get the full comedy out of the moment, they should look like Batman and,Robin. When we finally got that shot of them running through the smoke,it just lent itself even more to the ridiculous.

The message of (The) Darling Buds (of May) was the message of Only Fools,(and Horses) too: that the most important thing is what happens at home,and with the family.

[playing Batman in Only Fools and Horses] The dream role, satisfying the,burning aspiration to play a superhero which had been planted in me by,the Dan Dare comic strips of my childhood.

[on Heroes and Villains, the Batman and Robin episode of Only Fools and,Horses] One of the rare occasions on which Batman has been cast shorter,than his crime-busting partner. Still, that was Only Fools and Horses,for you - never inclined to do things conventionally. That episode is,still one that people go back to and talk about. The sight of Del Boy,and Rodney running through the streets in full costume, the least,likely world-savers you have ever seen, struck a loud bell with viewers,which just carried on ringing.

[Al Capone] A kind of (Del Boy) Trotter in his way, albeit a bit more,violent.

[meeting Michael Douglas] My first sight of this great Hollywood star,was as he came towards me, hand extended, just out of the pool,dripping wet, with Bermuda shorts on. All very relaxed.

Only Fools and Horses seemed to be about as popular as it was possible,for a television show to get. Perfick!,How hard it is and how unfair it seems, letting go of someone you know,so well.

I was a young lad who had lived among the bricks and mortar of London.

A fairly deep streak of eccentricity ran through the family.