Sir David is best known for his role as Del Boy in the BBC sitcom, along with shows, A Touch of Frost, Open All Hours, and The Darling Buds of May.
But before becoming a household name and a British national treasure, Sir David spent his time in the London suburb of North Finchley.
@thismorning ‘People identify with that character, not me’. Sir David Jason shares how he really feels about living in the shadow of iconic character ‘Del Boy’ for over 40 years ❤️ #ThisMorning ♬ original sound – This Morning
The area of London where Sir David Jason grew up
Born David White, the actor grew up in post-war London as the son of a fishmonger and a cleaning lady.
In 2013, Sir David opened up about his childhood with The Scotsman, describing memories of playing on bombsites and learning to play the fool to not get bullied.
Sharing with the publication: “I was very shy and had low self-esteem, the only way to stop yourself getting beaten up was to turn your hand to being an idiot.”
@radiox David Jason shared with @CHRIS MOYLES the last gift that the comedy legend left him before his death in 2005 🥹 #davidjason #sirdavidjason #ronniebarker #onlyfoolsandhorses #thetworonnies #openallhours #chrismoyles #thechrismoylesshow #radiox #foryou #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Radio X
Sir David was inspired to become an actor after his older brother Arthur had won a scholarship to a drama school, and the local amateur dramatic group were short on boys, seeing him sign up.
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He attended Northfield Secondary Modern after failing his 11-plus in 1951.
Leaving school at 15, he had few aspirations and at 20 worked as an electrician before trying to give professional acting a go.
After several years of auditions, in 1965 Sir David made his TV debut in the BBC pantomime as a funny policeman and soon began his decades-long career.
