Nicholas Lyndhurst

Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst (born 20 April 1961)[1] is an English actor and former child actor. He is best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003).[2] Lyndhurst has also acted in other sitcoms including Goodnight Sweetheart (1993–1999, 2016) (as Gary Sparrow), Going Straight (1978), Butterflies (1978–1983), The Two of Us (1986–1990), The Piglet Files (1990–1992) and After You've Gone (2007–2008). He also starred in the comedy-drama series Rock & Chips (2010–2011) and co-starred in the procedural crime drama New Tricks (2013–2015).

Nicholas Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst in 2011
Born
Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst

(1961-04-20) 20 April 1961
Emsworth, Hampshire, England
EducationCorona Theatre School
OccupationActor
Years active1973–present
Spouse(s)
Lucy Smith
​
(m. 1999)​
ChildrenArchie Lyndhurst
RelativesFrancis Lyndhurst (grandfather)

Lyndhurst won two National Television Awards for his role in Goodnight Sweetheart, as well as being nominated for a British Comedy Award and three British Academy Television Awards for his role in Only Fools and Horses.

Early life

Lyndhurst was born and raised in Emsworth, Hampshire. He attended East Wittering Primary School.[3] and later attended Corona Theatre School[4] in Hampton, London.

Career

Lyndhurst appeared in various television adverts and children's films in the 1970s, before winning the starring role of Tom Canty/Prince Edward in a BBC Television version of The Prince and the Pauper, directed by Barry Letts and transmitted in January 1976.[5]

Lyndhurst gained increased national recognition two years later in two BBC sitcom roles, Raymond Fletcher, the teenage son of Ronnie Barker's Norman Stanley Fletcher in Going Straight, and Adam Parkinson, a son of Wendy Craig and Geoffrey Palmer in Carla Lane's Butterflies. This was followed by playing Dobson in the BBC drama series To Serve Them All My Days in 1980-81.

He achieved national stardom in another BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, in which he played Rodney Trotter, the younger brother of the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter, played by David Jason. Only Fools and Horses first aired in 1981 and rapidly increased in popularity until it reached its peak in 1996 with its Christmas Day show in the UK. In a BBC poll in 2004, it was voted Britain's Best Sitcom by television viewers. Lyndhurst appeared in the show from the very start, right up to its final airing at Christmas 2003.

In 1986, Lyndhurst had a minor part in the film Gunbus/SkyBandits. The film went straight to video and was never seen in British cinemas. During the mid 1980s and 1990s, Lyndhurst also played Ashley Phillips in ITV's The Two of Us which co-starred Janet Dibley and MI5 agent Peter "Piglet" Chapman in The Piglet Files, as well as in a number of stage performances.

From 1993 to 1999, he played the lead character of Gary Sparrow in the time travelling sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart. At around the same time, he was the face and voice on the TV and radio commercials for the telecommunications chain People's Phone. Lyndhurst also admits declining an opportunity to play the lead role of Gary in the 1997 British film The Full Monty.[6]

From 1997 to 1999, Lyndhurst was the public face of the stationery chain store WH Smith, starring in their adverts as all four members of one family. He won a BAFTA for his acting in the adverts. In 1999, he played the villainous Uriah Heep opposite Daniel Radcliffe and Dame Maggie Smith in David Copperfield.

In 2006, he appeared as Cruella de Vil's chauffeur, Reg Farnsworth, at the Children's Party at the Palace.

In 2007, Lyndhurst returned to the BBC with his first new sitcom in fourteen years, After You've Gone, in which he plays a divorced dad moving back into the marital home to look after his daughter (Dani Harmer) and son (Ryan Sampson) together with his mother-in-law, played by Celia Imrie, after his ex-wife goes to work as a recovery nurse on a third world disaster relief mission.

Lyndhurst played Freddie Robdal, the 1960s gangster father of Rodney Trotter, in Rock & Chips, the prequel to Only Fools and Horses. The show centres on Del Boy, Robdal and Joan Trotter in early 1960s Peckham. It was first broadcast on 24 January 2010, with another special transmitted on 29 December 2010, and the final episode at Easter 2011.

In 2013 he joined the cast as a regular of Series 10 of New Tricks.[7] In 2014 Lyndhurst revived his Only Fools and Horses character Rodney Trotter in a return Sport Relief Special, which aired on 21 March 2014.

In 2016, Lyndhurst revived his Goodnight Sweetheart character Gary Sparrow in a one-off special episode, which aired on 2 September 2016.[8]

In 2017, Lyndhurst played the role of Star Keeper in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel at the English National Opera.[9]

In 2019 he played the Governor/Innkeeper in Man of La Mancha for English National Opera at the London Coliseum opposite Kelsey Grammer as Cervantes/Quixote, Danielle de Niese as Aldonza/Dulcinea and Peter Polycarpou as Sancho.[10]

Personal life

Lyndhurst lives in East Wittering, West Sussex with his wife Lucy, a former ballet dancer, the couple married in Chichester, West Sussex, in 1999.[3][11] Their son, Archie Lyndhurst (born 4 October 2000), was an actor and appeared as Ollie Coulton in CBBC comedy series So Awkward.[12] On 22 September 2020, Archie was found dead at his home in Fulham, West London, Officers believe he died from a short illness. On 16 January 2021, Lyndhurst's wife Lucy Smith revealed that Archie died in his sleep from a brain haemorrhage caused by acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.[13] In a statement, Lyndhurst said he and his wife were "utterly grief stricken and respectfully request privacy".[14]

Lyndhurst's hobbies include underwater diving, beekeeping and piloting his own aeroplanes.[3][15][16] Lyndhurst is the grandson of Francis Lyndhurst, a theatrical scenery painter and film director, who set up an early film studio at Shoreham Fort, Shoreham-by-Sea.[17]

Filmography

Television
Year(s) Title Role Notes
1974 Heidi Peter
1975 Anne of Avonlea Davy Keith
1976 The Prince and the Pauper Prince Edward/Tom Canty
Peter Pan Tootles
1978 The Tomorrow People Karl Brandt 1 episode: "Hitler's Last Secret"
Going Straight Raymond Fletcher 4 episodes
Play of the Week: Fairies Brian Grant
1978–1983, 2000 Butterflies Adam Parkinson 4 series and 1 special
1979 Father's Day Philip Television film
1980 To Serve Them All My Days Dobson 4 episodes
1981 Spearhead Private Wilson 4 episodes
1981–1996, 2001–2003, 2014 Only Fools and Horses Rodney Trotter 7 series and 15 specials
1982 Play for Today: A Mother Like Him Young Police Constable
1983 The Michael Barrymore Show Supporting actor 6 episodes
1986–1990 The Two of Us Ashley Philips 4 series
1990–1992 The Piglet Files Peter Chapman 3 series
1993 Stalag Luft Chump Cosgrove
1993–1999, 2016 Goodnight Sweetheart Gary Sparrow 6 series and 1 special
1996 Gulliver's Travels Clustril
1999 David Copperfield Uriah Heep Miniseries
2000 Thin Ice Dr. Graham Moss One-off BBC drama
2002 The Life and Times of Aly Martin-Smith Aly Martin-Smith
2003 Murder in Mind Alan Willis 1 episode: "Landlord"
2007–2008 After You've Gone Jimmy Venables 3 series
2010–2011 Rock & Chips Freddie Robdal 3 episodes
2013–2015 New Tricks Dan Griffin[18] 3 series
2013 Peter Panzerfaust Significant cast member
2017 The Story of Only Fools and Horses Himself 6 episodes
2019 So Awkward Johnny 1 episode: "Awardatarian"

Film

Radio

References
  1. "Birthday's today". The Telegraph. 20 April 2012. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2014. Mr Nicholas Lyndhurst, actor, 51
  2. "Nicholas Lyndhurst: 'The golden age of television is over'". The Daily Telegraph. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  3. "WATCH: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Nicholas Lyndhurst". Spirit FM. 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  4. "Corona Theatre School forced to close". BBC. 2013. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  5. "The Prince and the Pauper". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  6. "Nicholas Lyndhurst: Only Fools and Horses would never be made today". Radio Times. 2013. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  7. New Tricks at BBC Media Centre Archived 27 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 December 2012
  8. Goodnight Sweetheard at BBC Media Centre Archived 21 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 December 2012
  9. "Nicholas Lyndhurst joins cast of ENO's Carousel | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  10. Man of La Mancha Archived 22 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine - English National Opera website (2019)
  11. https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/how-nicholas-lyndhurst-tries-to-escape-the-plonker-label-of-his-only-fools-and-horses-days-6611677.html
  12. "Nicholas Lyndhurst: 'I wanted to be an actor from the age of eight' - Profiles - People - The Independent". Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  13. "Archie Lyndhurst: CBBC star died in his sleep, says mother". BBC. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  14. "Nicholas Lyndhurst says he is 'utterly grief stricken' following his son's death". ITV News. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  15. "Lyndhurst: I said no to diving show - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  16. "Only Fools and Horses: Where are they now?". The Telegraph. 16 January 2014. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  17. "Film Studio". Shoreham Fort. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  18. "Wall to Wall - New Tricks Series 10". Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
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