Comments

Disenchanted with life as an electrician, David Jason turned his attention to acting and soon, through a natural talent for making people laugh, found himself working with the leading lights of British comedy in the ’60s and ’70s – Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Bob Monkhouse and Ronnie Barker. Barker would become a mentor to David, leading to hugely successful stints in ‘Porridge’ and ‘Open All Hours.’

It wasn’t until 1981, kitted out with a sheepskin jacket, a flat cap, and a clapped-out Reliant Regal, that David found the part that would capture the nation’s hearts: the beloved Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter in ‘Only Fools and Horses.’ Never a one-trick pony, he had an award-winning spell as TV’s favourite detective ‘Jack Frost,’ took a country jaunt as Pop Larkin in the ‘Darling Buds of May,’ and even voiced a crime-fighting cartoon rodent in the much-loved children’s show ‘Danger Mouse.’

But life hasn’t all been so easy. Missing out on a key role in ‘Dad’s Army’ was a early professional setback, and he almost lost his life drowning in a freak diving accident. Along the way, he lost some of his nearest and dearest.

Born in 1940, he grew up amidst the austerity of post-war Britain, a formative period that imbued many an individual with sound values and a philosophical perspective on life. Researching his background, it came as no surprise to find that some people can’t stand him, a fact I feel sure he can accept with a shrug of his shoulders.