Only Fools and Horses star David Jason sacked on Dad's Army 'in hours' and replaced by favourite
Before hitting the big time with Only Fools and Horses, Sir David Jason's career had a rocky start. The 84 year old actor was famously fired from Dad's Army just three hours into filming, following a brutal decision by the BBC.
Despite securing smaller roles in shows like Mother Goose and Doctor at Large, Jason's early break came when he auditioned for the part of Lance Corporal Jones in Dad's Army. His performance impressed show creators Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who thought he could play an older character convincingly.
However, BBC boss Bill Cotton had other ideas, opting for Clive Dunn instead. Reflecting on the swift turnaround, David revealed: "I was cast at 12 o'clock and sacked by three."
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He also missed out on playing Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em in 1973, as BBC chiefs doubted his "star quality," reports the Express.
Yet, Jason's portrayal of Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses became the pinnacle of his career, following notable parts in Open All Hours and Porridge with Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. Interestingly, before his acting days, Sir David worked as an electrician, a stark contrast to his life on screen.
Looking back at those days, he shared: "When I first started work I was an apprentice electrician. When you are an apprentice to any trade, you have to absorb all sorts of traits you're bumping into people who are bricklayers, plasterers, pipe benders, plumbers. And if you're interested in making things, it leaves its mark."
"You get interested in how a plumber bends a piece of pipe, and that sort of thing is still with me, I still love bending pipes."
Jason revealed that he managed to land his role in Open All Hours after forging a close relationship with co-star Ronnie Barker on set. He admitted: "The reason I got to work with Ronnie on Open All Hours was because of the little bits that I had done in his other series.
"He played this wonderful, bumbling character, and I was playing this hundred-year-old gardener. It was just working with him and understanding how he approached things."