David Jason: The Life Story Behind the Only Fools Star
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David Jason is one of the most loved actors in Britain, and he has been loved for so long that it is hard to imagine British television without him. For millions of people, he will always be Del Boy Trotter, the market trader in Only Fools and Horses who dreams of becoming a millionaire, who sells goods from a suitcase, and who says, This time next year, we’ll be millionaires. He played Del Boy with such energy, such humour, and such heart that audiences laughed at him and loved him at the same time. They could see that he was a dreamer, that he was a little bit dishonest, and that he loved his family more than anything in the world.
Behind that famous comedy role is a serious and deeply talented actor. David Jason has played Granville in Open All Hours, a quiet shop assistant who longs for a better life, and Detective Inspector Frost in A Touch of Frost, a tough and clever policeman who solves crimes in a small town. He has won BAFTAs, he has been knighted, and he has become one of the most respected actors in Britain. He did not become famous overnight. He worked for many years in the theatre, in radio, and on television, before he found the role that made him a star.
What makes his story worth telling is the way he has always played ordinary men with extraordinary skill. Del Boy is not a rich man, Granville is not a hero, and Frost is not a perfect policeman, but David Jason makes each of them feel real, funny, and human. This is the story of a boy from Edmonton, in north London, who became one of Britain’s greatest actors, and who did it by working hard, by being funny, and by never forgetting where he came from.
A Boy From Edmonton and a Love of Acting
David John White was born on 2 February 1940 in Edmonton, in north London. His father was a fishmonger, and his mother was a cleaner, and the family lived a modest and hardworking life. Edmonton in the 1940s was a working-class area, full of families who worked hard to make a living, and David grew up in that world. He was a bright and lively boy, and he showed an early interest in acting. He took part in school plays, he enjoyed making people laugh, and he discovered that he had a talent for it.
As a young boy, he was evacuated during the Second World War, and he spent time away from London, living with other families in the countryside. It was a difficult time for many children, but David learned to be independent, to make friends quickly, and to look after himself. He also learned about the kindness of strangers, and about the way ordinary people help each other in hard times. Those lessons stayed with him for the rest of his life, and they shaped the way he played characters who are kind, loyal, and determined.
When he left school, he did not go to drama school. He worked as an electrician, and he took evening classes in acting, because he loved performing and he wanted to try. He joined a local theatre group, he took part in plays, and he found that he was good at it. He was not a polished or grand actor. He was a natural actor, with a gift for comedy and for playing real people, and people noticed. He decided to try acting as a career, even though it was a risky choice, and even though his family worried about him. He was determined, and he was willing to work hard.
He changed his stage name from David White to David Jason, because there was already an actor named David White, and he needed a name of his own. He chose Jason from the film Jason and the Argonauts, which he had seen and loved. It was a small decision, but it was an important one, because it marked the start of a new life. He was no longer David White, the electrician from Edmonton. He was David Jason, an actor, and he was ready to make his way in the world.
Early Work in Theatre, Radio, and Television
David Jason began his professional career in the theatre, working in repertory companies across Britain. Repertory theatre was a hard training ground for young actors. They played many different parts in a short time, they learned new plays every week, and they worked long hours for little money. David did that work with energy and with skill, and he built a reputation as a reliable and talented actor. He could play comedy and drama, he could play young men and older men, and he could hold a stage with confidence. Directors began to notice him, and he was given bigger roles.
In the 1960s, he also began to work in radio and on television, taking small roles in comedies and in dramas. He appeared in the radio series The Navy Lark, and he worked with many of the best comedy writers and performers of the time. He learned how to use his voice, how to time a joke, and how to work with other actors. He was in demand because he was versatile, because he was professional, and because audiences liked him. He could make people laugh with a single line, with a single look, or with a single gesture, and that is a rare and valuable skill.
One of his early television successes was in the series Do Not Adjust Your Set, a children’s comedy show in which he worked with Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, who would later become Monty Python. The show was funny, clever, and full of energy, and it showed David’s gift for comedy. He was part of a group of young comedians who were changing British television, and he was learning from them all the time. He did not become famous overnight, but he was building a career, one job at a time, and he was becoming known as an actor who could be trusted to deliver a good performance.
During these years, he also appeared in films, taking small roles that let him show his range. He was not a leading man in the usual sense, but he was a character actor who could steal a scene with a single line. He worked hard, he learned from older actors, and he kept improving. He was patient, and he knew that a good career takes time to build. He was in his thirties before he found the roles that would make him famous, but he was ready for them when they came.
Granville and Open All Hours
In 1976, David Jason was cast as Granville in Open All Hours, the BBC sitcom created by Roy Clarke, starring Ronnie Barker as Arkwright, a miserly shopkeeper. Granville was Arkwright’s nephew and shop assistant, a young man who was quiet, kind, and a little bit shy, who longed for a better life, and who was in love with the nurse who lived across the road. David played him with great skill, showing Granville’s humour, his frustration, and his hope, and he became a favourite with audiences.
Open All Hours ran from 1976 to 1985, and it became one of the most loved sitcoms in British television history. It was a gentle and funny show, about a small shop, about a miserly shopkeeper, and about a young man who wanted more from life. David’s Granville was the heart of the show. He was the person the audience cared about, because he was kind, because he was honest, and because he was trying his best. Ronnie Barker was a brilliant comedian, and David learned a great deal from working with him. He has said that Barker was a generous and kind partner, and that he taught him how to time a joke and how to play a scene.
The success of Open All Hours showed David’s gift for playing quiet and gentle characters. Granville was very different from Del Boy, who would come later, and David played both of them with equal skill. He could play a shy shop assistant and a loud market trader, and he could make both of them feel real. That versatility is rare, and it is one of the reasons his career has lasted so long. He was not typecast as one kind of character. He could play many kinds, and he did them all well.
In 2013, David returned as Granville in Still Open All Hours, a revival of the sitcom in which Granville had taken over the shop from Arkwright. The show ran until 2019, and it was loved by audiences who had grown up with the original series. For many viewers, it was a joy to see Granville again, older and wiser, but still kind, still funny, and still trying his best. David played him with the same warmth that had made the original series a hit, and he showed that a character can grow old gracefully, if the actor loves him enough.
Del Boy and Only Fools and Horses
In 1981, David Jason was cast as Del Boy Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, the BBC sitcom created by John Sullivan. Del Boy was a market trader from Peckham, in south London, who lived with his younger brother Rodney, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, and his grandfather, and later his Uncle Albert. Del Boy dreamed of becoming a millionaire, he sold goods from a suitcase, he drove a yellow three-wheeled van, and he was always coming up with a new scheme to make money. He was funny, he was charming, and he was a little bit dishonest, but he loved his family more than anything in the world.
David played Del Boy with total commitment. He wore a camel coat, a flat cap, and gold jewellery, he spoke in a loud and confident voice, and he delivered lines that became part of British culture. This time next year, we’ll be millionaires, Lovely jubbly, and You plonker, Rodney are lines that millions of people still quote today. The show ran from 1981 to 2003, with Christmas specials that became a tradition in British homes. It was watched by millions of people, and it is still regarded as one of the greatest sitcoms Britain has ever made.
What made Del Boy work was not only the jokes. It was the way David played the love between Del Boy and Rodney, and between Del Boy and his family. Del Boy was a dreamer, but he was also a brother who would do anything for Rodney, a son who loved his mother, and a man who wanted a better life for the people he loved. David understood that, and he played Del Boy with a heart underneath the comedy. Audiences laughed at Del Boy, but they also loved him, because they could see that he was trying his best, even when his schemes went wrong.
The show also showed David’s gift for physical comedy. He fell through a bar, he fell off a chair, and he made audiences laugh with his body as well as with his words. The scene where Del Boy falls through the bar in the Nag’s Head is one of the most famous moments in British comedy, and it is still shown today. David played it with perfect timing, and he made it look easy, even though it was hard to do. He was a brilliant comic actor, and Only Fools and Horses proved it to the world.
Detective Frost and a Serious Actor
In 1992, David Jason took on a very different role, as Detective Inspector Jack Frost in A Touch of Frost, the ITV drama series based on the novels by R. D. Wingfield. Frost was a tough and clever policeman in a small town, who solved crimes with a mixture of intuition, hard work, and a disregard for the rules. He was gruff, he was funny, and he was deeply human. David played him with great skill, showing Frost’s humour, his anger, and his compassion, and he became a favourite with audiences.
A Touch of Frost ran from 1992 to 2010, and it was watched by millions of people in Britain and around the world. It was a serious drama, but it was also funny, because Frost was a funny man, even when he was dealing with murder. David played him with a depth that came from years of experience, and he showed that he could be a dramatic actor as well as a comic one. He won awards for the role, and he became known as one of the best television actors in Britain.
The success of A Touch of Frost showed that David was not only Del Boy. He was an actor who could play many kinds of men, and who could carry a serious drama series on his own. He was in his fifties when the show began, and he was playing a leading role in a drama that was watched by millions of people. That mattered, because it proved that an actor can have a long career, and that he can keep finding new challenges, even when he is already famous for one role.
During these years, David also appeared in other dramas, including Porterhouse Blue, in which he played a college porter, and in a range of films and stage roles. He was in demand because he was versatile, because he was professional, and because audiences trusted him. When David Jason appeared in a programme, viewers knew that they would see a good performance, delivered with skill and with warmth. That trust is hard to earn, and it is even harder to keep for fifty years, but he has kept it.
A Knighthood, Family, and a Long Life
David Jason was knighted in 2005 for his services to drama, and he became Sir David Jason. He was proud of the honour, and he accepted it with grace. He has also won many BAFTA awards, including Best Actor for his work in Porterhouse Blue and for Only Fools and Horses, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest British actors of his generation. These honours matter, but they are not the whole story. The real measure of his career is the number of people who have watched his work, laughed at his comedy, and been moved by his performances.
His personal life has been lived mostly out of the public eye. He has a daughter, Sophie Mae, who was born in 2001, when David was sixty-one years old, and he has spoken with warmth about being a father later in life. He has said that becoming a father changed his life, and that it gave him a new sense of purpose. He lives in Buckinghamshire, he enjoys a life that is busy but not frantic, and he continues to take on new roles when they interest him.
He has also written memoirs, including My Life, in which he talks about his childhood, his career, and his family with humour and with honesty. He has spoken about the importance of hard work, about the need to be kind to other people, and about the joy of making audiences laugh. He is known for his kindness, for his professionalism, and for his ability to make everyone around him feel at ease. Younger actors who work with him often say that he is generous, that he listens, and that he helps them to do their best work.
In recent years, he has continued to act, choosing roles that interest him and working with people he respects. He appeared in the film The Colour of Magic, and he has taken on television roles that let him show different sides of his talent. He has also been involved in charity work, and he has used his public profile to support causes he believes in. He is a national treasure in Britain, and he is loved by audiences of all ages.
A Market Trader Who Became a Knight
David Jason’s life is a story of talent, of hard work, and of a willingness to play ordinary men with extraordinary skill. He began as a boy from Edmonton, he worked as an electrician, he trained in the theatre, and he became a star as Granville, as Del Boy, and as Frost. That is a long and remarkable journey, and it shows what can happen when a person is willing to work hard and to keep learning. He did not become famous overnight. He became famous by being good, by being funny, and by being ready when the right role came along.
He showed that a market trader can be a hero, that a shop assistant can be a star, and that a policeman can be a funny and human man. He showed that comedy and drama are not separate things, and that a great actor can do both with skill and with heart. His story is an inspiration to young actors, especially to young men from working-class backgrounds who want to become actors and who want to be proud of where they come from.
His work will be remembered for a long time. Only Fools and Horses is still watched today, Open All Hours is still loved, and A Touch of Frost is still praised. David Jason is part of all of those stories, and he helped to make them what they are. He is a part of British culture, and he will be remembered as one of the greatest actors Britain has ever produced.
Porterhouse Blue and a BAFTA for Drama
In 1987, David Jason played Skullion in Porterhouse Blue, a television drama based on the novel by Tom Sharpe, about a Cambridge college that is threatened by change. Skullion was the head porter, a man who had worked at the college for many years, who was loyal to its traditions, and who was horrified by the idea of women students and modern ideas. David played him with great skill, showing Skullion’s loyalty, his humour, and his sadness, and he made audiences care about a man who was, in many ways, a relic of a past age.
The role was a long way from Del Boy, and it showed that David could play a serious and complex character, not only a comic one. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his work in Porterhouse Blue, and it was a major moment in his career. He was forty-seven years old, and he was being recognised as one of the best dramatic actors in Britain, as well as one of the best comic actors. He has said that he loved playing Skullion, because the character was so different from anything he had played before, and because the writing was so good.
Porterhouse Blue also showed David’s gift for playing men who are loyal to a place, to a tradition, and to a way of life, even when that way of life is changing. Skullion loved his college, he loved its history, and he wanted to protect it, even when he knew that change was coming. David understood that, and he played it with great care. He did not make Skullion into a joke. He made him into a real man, with real feelings, and audiences recognised that, and they loved him for it.
My Take:
When I think about David Jason, I think about Del Boy Trotter, and I think about how much that character means to Britain. I have watched Only Fools and Horses many times, and each time I have laughed at the same jokes, because they are so well written and so well performed. Del Boy is a dreamer, he is a little bit dishonest, and he is always coming up with a new scheme, but he loves his family, and he would do anything for Rodney. I think that is why audiences love him. He is not a perfect man, but he is a loving man, and he tries his best, even when his schemes go wrong. David Jason played him with a heart that made the comedy work, and I admire that very much.
I love the scene where Del Boy falls through the bar, and I think it is one of the funniest moments in British comedy, but I also think it is easy to forget how hard it is to do physical comedy well. David fell through that bar with perfect timing, and he made it look easy, even though it must have been painful and difficult. I think that is a skill that comes from many years in the theatre, where you learn how to use your body, how to time a fall, and how to make an audience laugh without hurting yourself too much. I respect that skill, and I think it is one of the reasons David is such a great comic actor.
What I admire most about David is his range. He played Granville, a quiet and shy shop assistant, and he played Del Boy, a loud and confident market trader, and he played Frost, a tough and clever policeman, and he played each of them with total truth. I think that range is rare, and I think it shows how good he is. Many actors can play one kind of character well, but few can play three very different characters, and make each of them feel real. David can do that, and he does it with ease. I think that is because he understands people, and because he has spent his life watching them, listening to them, and learning from them.
I also think about his early life as an electrician, and about what it must have been like to leave a safe job to become an actor. I imagine a young man from Edmonton, working as an electrician, taking evening classes in acting, and dreaming of a different life. I think that takes courage, because acting is a risky career, and there is no guarantee of success. David took that risk, and he worked hard, and he built a career that has lasted for more than sixty years. I find that inspiring, because it tells me that it is never too late to change your life, if you are willing to work hard and to take a chance.
There is something I find sad in his story, and it is the sadness of Del Boy himself. Del Boy dreams of becoming a millionaire, but he never quite gets there, except for one brief moment when he and Rodney do become millionaires, and then lose it all again. I think that is a sad and human thing, because many people dream of a better life, and they work hard for it, but they never quite achieve it. David played that dream with great care, and he showed that Del Boy’s dream was not only about money. It was about dignity, about respect, and about giving his family a better life. I think that is why audiences love Del Boy, even when they laugh at him.
I respect his work as Frost as well, because it showed a different side of him. Frost is a policeman who is gruff, who is funny, and who is deeply human. He solves crimes, but he also cares about the people he meets, and he is not afraid to break the rules when he thinks it is right. David played him with a depth that came from years of experience, and he showed that he could be a dramatic actor as well as a comic one. I think that is a difficult thing to do, and I think it shows how good David is. He is not only a comedian. He is an actor, in the fullest sense of the word.
I also think about his knighthood, and about what it must have felt like to be knighted for services to drama. He was a boy from Edmonton, from a working-class family, and he became Sir David Jason. That is a remarkable journey, and it shows what talent and hard work can do. I imagine him receiving that honour, and thinking about the long road that had brought him there, from a small theatre in the provinces to the greatest stages in Britain. He did not become a knight overnight. He worked hard, he learned his craft, and he earned his place. I find that inspiring, and I think it is a lesson for anyone who is waiting for their chance.
I think about his daughter Sophie Mae, and about what it must be like to become a father at sixty-one. I think it must have been a joyful and surprising thing, and I think it must have changed his life in a wonderful way. He has spoken about being a father later in life with warmth, and he has said that it gave him a new sense of purpose. I admire that, because it shows that life can still surprise you, even when you are older, and that it is never too late to find new joy. I think that is a hopeful message, and I think many older parents will understand it.
When I compare David with other British actors, I see a man who chose a steady and honest path. He did not try to be a Hollywood star, he did not try to be the most famous actor in Britain, and he did not try to shock people. He tried to be good, and he tried to be useful, and he tried to enjoy his work. That steady path has given him a long career, a good reputation, and a life that seems calm and happy. I think there is a lesson in that for young actors. You do not have to be the loudest person in the room. You can build a career slowly, one good job at a time, and you can end up with something that lasts.
I think the lesson of his life is about loyalty. Del Boy is loyal to Rodney, Granville is loyal to Arkwright, and Frost is loyal to the people he serves. David is loyal to his family, to his friends, and to his audiences, and he has shown that loyalty through his work. He has worked with the same writers, the same actors, and the same directors for many years, and he has built relationships that last. I think that loyalty matters, because it tells us that a good life is not made by chasing fame. It is made by looking after the people you love, and by doing your best for them, day after day.
I also think about the young actors who watch his work today, and about what they can learn from him. They can learn that a working-class boy from Edmonton can become a knight, that a market trader can be a hero, and that playing ordinary men is not a small thing. They can learn that comedy and drama are not separate, that a funny scene can also be a sad scene, and that a sad scene can also be funny. David has taught all of those lessons through his work, and I think he will keep teaching them for a long time to come.
In the end, I think David Jason teaches us that a great actor does not have to be grand or distant. He can be warm, he can be funny, he can be ordinary, and he can be extraordinary at the same time. He can play Del Boy, Granville, and Frost, and he can make each of them feel like a real person. I will remember him as an actor who made British television funnier, warmer, and more human, and I think that is a wonderful thing to be remembered for.
I keep thinking about the phrase, This time next year, we’ll be millionaires, because it is such a hopeful and sad phrase at the same time. Del Boy says it with such confidence, and such belief, that you want to believe him, even when you know that it probably will not happen. I think that is the heart of the show, and I think David understood it perfectly. He played a man who never gave up hope, even when life was hard, and that is a beautiful thing to show on television. I hope that audiences keep watching Only Fools and Horses for many more years, because it is a show about hope, about family, and about never giving up.
I also admire the way he has handled his long career, because he has never tried to be a star in the usual way. He has not chased fame, he has not chased money, and he has not chased scandal. He has chased good work, and he has found it in the theatre, in films, and on television. That is a steady and honest path, and it has given him a long career and a good reputation. I think there is a lesson in that for anyone who wants a long and happy life.
I think about the future, and about what David will do next, and I feel hopeful, because he is still working, still learning, and still surprising people. He is not an actor who is looking back at a famous past. He is an actor who is still looking forward, still taking on new roles, and still enjoying the work. I will keep watching whatever he does next, and I think many other people will too.
I also think about the people of Peckham, and about how Del Boy has become a symbol of that place, and of London, and of Britain. He is a market trader, he is a dreamer, and he is a man who loves his family. I think that is a true and important image, and I think David gave it to us with great skill. He showed us that a man from Peckham can be a hero, and that his story matters as much as the story of a king or a queen. That is a wonderful thing for an actor to do.
I also think about his work in Porterhouse Blue, the television drama in which he played Skullion, a college porter at Cambridge, and about how different that role was from Del Boy. Skullion was a quiet and loyal man, who had worked at the college for many years, and who was threatened by change. David played him with great skill, showing his loyalty, his anger, and his sadness, and he won a BAFTA for the role. I think that is a remarkable achievement, and it shows how good David is as a dramatic actor, not only as a comedian.
I think about his memoirs, and about the way he writes about his life with humour and with honesty. He does not pretend that his life was easy, and he does not pretend that he was always successful. He talks about his childhood in Edmonton, about working as an electrician, about his early years in the theatre, and about becoming famous, and he does it in a way that makes you feel as if you are listening to a friend. I think that is the same quality he brings to his acting, and I think it is why people trust him.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is David Jason best known for?
He is best known for playing Del Boy Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, Granville in Open All Hours, and Detective Inspector Frost in A Touch of Frost. Del Boy is the role most people remember first.
When and where was David Jason born?
He was born on 2 February 1940 in Edmonton, north London, as David John White. His father was a fishmonger, and he worked as an electrician before he became an actor.
Why did David Jason change his name?
He changed his stage name from David White to David Jason because there was already an actor named David White. He chose Jason from the film Jason and the Argonauts, which he had seen and loved.
What was Open All Hours about?
Open All Hours was a BBC sitcom that ran from 1976 to 1985, starring Ronnie Barker as Arkwright, a miserly shopkeeper, and David Jason as his nephew and assistant Granville. It was revived as Still Open All Hours from 2013 to 2019.
Who did David Jason play in A Touch of Frost?
He played Detective Inspector Jack Frost, a tough and clever policeman in a small town, in the ITV drama series A Touch of Frost, which ran from 1992 to 2010.
Was David Jason knighted?
Yes, he was knighted in 2005 for his services to drama, and he became Sir David Jason. He has also won several BAFTA awards during his long career.
What is the famous line from Only Fools and Horses?
Del Boy often said, This time next year, we’ll be millionaires, and Lovely jubbly, and he called Rodney a plonker. These lines have become part of British culture and are still quoted today.
