22 January 2024 , 23:48
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Sir David Jason has recalled how he and co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst left Only Fools and Horses bosses "quaking in their boots".
The actor, who is known for playing Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter, recalled the time when he and Nicholas caused a stir on set. Nicholas played Del Boy's hapless younger brother Rodney as the show ran from 1981 to 2003. David, 83, has now shared what it was like working on set.
He recalled: "One day, Nick and I were in our very small caravan on location. We were all fed up because nothing was happening so Nick and I said 'Why don't we stage a huge row and you can storm out and say you're leaving and I can shout at you saying 'don't you ever come back again'."
"'I never want to work with you'," he continued. "The whole crew went stiff. Five minutes went by and the producer and director came to see me and they were quaking in their boots. They asked what's going on and I told them to go see Nick. When they got to him, I couldn't contain myself any longer and roared with laughter," he confessed. "They went from white to purple in their faces. I don't think the producer was much impressed."
David and Nicholas created 'rage' on the set of Only Fools and Horses (BBC)He insisted in a documentary about the making of the show: "You couldn't have had a better co-partner than Nic. We liked and respected each other so much, we were genuinely good friends." He mentioned that from the very first script run-through, the actors felt straight away that "there was magic in the room".
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Last year, Nicholas wowed fans by coming back to acting with a part in the new version of the comedy show Frasier. The 62-year-old star, who had not been seen on our screens since 2016, plays a cheeky and tipsy professor named Alan Cornwall.
In 2022, David revealed that the pair didn't see each other as much as they'd like. He admitted: "He's much more – how can I say? – self-contained, perhaps, than he used to be. So, unfortunately, we don’t see each other as much as I would like to. But that’s how things work out sometimes."
In a recent interview, Sir David also recalled his emotions after acting out his last-ever scenes. He said: "We got a standing ovation in that studio for seven minutes. They wouldn’t let us go." Director Tony Dow added: "I remember being in that studio and saying to the floor manager, ‘That’s it, that’s the end of Only Fools And Horses’. The whole place exploded, and the audience went potty."
David recently admitted he "would love" to reprise his iconic role, however, the show has little chance of a return due to the death of its creator, John Sullivan. Sir David told The Sun: "I don’t think we could do another episode of Only Fools And Horses because the brains behind it, Mr John Sullivan, is unfortunately no longer with us." John passed away at the age of 64 in 2011 and he was also responsible for all 64 episodes of Only Fools And Horses that was aired between 1981 and 2003.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]