The actors Only Fools and Horses star David Jason nearly lost the part of Del Boy to
We can't imagine anyone else playing the role of Del Boy Trotter!
Throughout his long career, actor Sir David Jason has been known for a plethora of leading roles.
He played Detective Inspector Jack Frost in the eponymous A Touch of Frost, Granville in Open All Hours and even Mr Toad in The Wind in the Willows.
But of all the characters that make up his extensive and decorated works, none are quite so famous as the legendary Del Boy Trotter in Only Fools and Horses.
The happy-go-lucky trader is widely considered one of the greatest comedy characters in the history of television, and an iconic character in British culture.
But Jason was not originally first, second or third in line to play the cheeky wheeler and dealer.
According to Jason’s memoir Open All Hours , the 80-year-old was actually the fifth choice to play Del Boy after a number of other actors were considered.
Enn Reitel, the comic Scottish actor and voice impressionist, was first considered for the role, according to Jason.
But after Reitel turned down the role, the show’s producers approached Jim Broadbent to play Del.
Broadbent, who firmly established himself as a British acting export playing the likes of Horace Slughorn in the Harry Potter films and Frank Butterman in Hot Fuzz, already had an extensive history of supporting roles at the time.
But Broadbent turned down the offer to play Del because he was already working on a play, according to Jason.
After Broadbent, actors Robin Nedwell and Billy Murray are said to have been considered for the leading role.
Nedwell is known for playing Duncan Waring in the comedy series Doctor in the House, while Billy Murray is a household name among Eastenders fans for playing legendary Walford gangster Johnny Allen.
But in the end, producers approached Jason, who at the time was in his 40s, to play Del.
In his book, Jason wrote that it made sense for him to be picked last because the other actors considered were of a similar height to co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst.
But now, Jason doesn’t think it would’ve made sense for Del to be so tall.
He wrote: “The smaller man punching up is always funnier than the bigger man punching down.
“Without that disparity in height, some of Del’s bossiness could have looked like bullying.”
