David Jason

David Jason

Birth : 1940-02-02, Edmonton, London, England, UK

History

English actor and comedian. He played Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the long-running BBC comedy series Only Fools and Horses, and Detective Inspector Jack Frost on the ITV crime drama A Touch of Frost. Other high-profile television roles were as Granville in the sitcom Open All Hours, and Pop Larkin in the comedy drama The Darling Buds of May as well as the voices of Mr. Toad in The Wind in the Willows, Danger Mouse and Count Duckula. His last original appearance as Del Boy was in 2014, while Jason retired his role as Frost in 2010. One of the best loved actors in British popular culture, in September 2006 Jason topped the poll to find TV's 50 Greatest Stars, as part of ITV's 50th anniversary celebrations. He was knighted in 2005 for services to drama. Jason has won four British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), (1988, 1991, 1997, 2003), four British Comedy Awards (1990, 1992, 1997, 2001) and six National Television Awards (1997, 2001, 2002 twice).

Profile

David Jason
David Jason

Movies

Comedy Classics: Porridge
Narrator
An homage to the prison comedy series Porridge, created by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. This documentary examines how Ronnie Barker’s Fletch influenced Slade Prison’s characters. There is also a look at 1978’s Going Straight, Porridge: The Movie, the US remake On the Rocks, and the 2017 reboot starring Kevin Bishop and Ricky Grover.
We Love Only Fools and Horses
Tribute celebrating the iconic sitcom featuring classic archive material. We meet the insiders to find out exactly why this sitcom is one of the most successful TV shows ever.
David Jason: Britain's Favourite TV Star
Sir David Jason is a bona fide TV legend and one of the finest actors of his generation. As part of Channel 5's latest series of tribute documentaries, we celebrate his life and remarkable career. Narrated by Sue Johnston, we tell the real story behind his greatest TV creations, from Pop Larkin to Granville, Jack Frost to Del Boy and much more. We chronicle the superstar's early-stage career and hear what his fellow thespians really thought of the dashing young actor.
Michael Palin: A Life on Screen
In this documentary, Michael Palin tells the story behind his success, after being honoured with a special award at the Baftas in 2013. With an outstanding career in television and film, this special delves into the archives to showcase some of Michael's incredible work, featuring an in-depth interview with the man himself.
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter (archive footage) (uncredited)
Documentary celebrating the British sitcom and taking a look at the social and political context from which our favourite sitcoms grew. We enjoy a trip through the comedy archive in the company of the people who made some of the very best British sitcoms. From The Likely Lads to I'm Alan Partridge, we find out the inspiration behind some of the most-loved characters and how they reflect the times they were living in.
World Cup 1966: Alfie's Boys
Self / Presenter
A retelling of England's only World Cup victory, fifty years later, placing special emphasis on the work of manager Sir Alf Ramsey.
Come Rain Come Shine
Executive Producer
David Jason stars as cockney ex-docker Don Mitchell in this emotional drama. Don is incredibly proud of his son David’s affluent lifestyle. The cars, the detached house and private schooling for the children were things Don could only dream about as a young man. His wife Dora, on the other hand, has doubts about her son’s financial affairs. When David’s life starts to unravel under a mountain of debt, family bonds are tested to the limit.
Come Rain Come Shine
Don Mitchell
David Jason stars as cockney ex-docker Don Mitchell in this emotional drama. Don is incredibly proud of his son David’s affluent lifestyle. The cars, the detached house and private schooling for the children were things Don could only dream about as a young man. His wife Dora, on the other hand, has doubts about her son’s financial affairs. When David’s life starts to unravel under a mountain of debt, family bonds are tested to the limit.
Albert's Memorial
Harry
One-off comedy drama that follows the story of three World War II veterans: Harry, Frank and Albert. It is October 2000 and, at the age of 76, Albert's dying wish is to be buried on the little hill outside Hinderburg in Germany where he watched the Russians take position in the closing stages of the Battle for Berlin. The notion of Harry and Frank transporting Albert's body after his death is a crazy one, but life is short, friendship precious and, after all, the trio have known each other for more than half a century.
Hogfather
Albert
It's the night before Hogswatch, usually a time of joy on Discworld, but there are suspicious going-on and the criminal underworld is abuzz. The beloved Hogfather - the jolly bearer of glee and pork-related gifts for children everywhere - has vanished. Suddenly, Discworld's entire mythical system is under threat. The fate of this magical time rests in the hands of a very motley group: A band of wizards headed up by a mystical university president named Mustrum Ridcully (Joss Ackland), a loyal manservant called Albert (David Jason), a level-headed governess called Susan Sto Heilt (Michelle Dockery), and her grandfather, who happens to be - Death (Marnix van den Broeke).
Ghostboat
Jack Hardy
Jack Hardy is the sole survivor of a mysterious submarine disaster in World War II. Now, in 1981, the ill-fated submarine Scorpion has resurfaced, miraculously intact. Naval Intelligence need Hardy's expertise to retrace the course and mission that led to her original disappearance. But what's waiting for them under the grey waters of the Baltic Sea turns out to be much worse than the Russian submarines they're expecting. Wherever Scorpion has been all this time, it's brought some very bad luck back with it...
Prehistoric Park
Narrator
A BBC miniseries about Nigel Marvin's quest to bring the extinct dinosaurs through time to Prehistoric Park.
The Final Quest
Director
Three old friends reminisce about their old haunts. Hearing that a coffee bar they frequented in their youth is reopening with a rock 'n' roll theme, Dave, Charlie and Ronno decide to pay a visit. Third film in The Quest Trilogy.
The Final Quest
Dave
Three old friends reminisce about their old haunts. Hearing that a coffee bar they frequented in their youth is reopening with a rock 'n' roll theme, Dave, Charlie and Ronno decide to pay a visit. Third film in The Quest Trilogy.
The Second Quest
Director
Three old friends are reunited after one was involved in an accident. They reminisce about their motorbike trip to the Isle of Man to ride the TT course. Second movie in The Quest Trilogy.
The Second Quest
Dave
Three old friends are reunited after one was involved in an accident. They reminisce about their motorbike trip to the Isle of Man to ride the TT course. Second movie in The Quest Trilogy.
The Story of Only Fools and Horses
How did John Sullivan first dream up Del Boy and Rodney Trotter ? Actors David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst team up with the writer to reveal how the enduring sitcom was created. Featuring celebrity fans, the stories behind the storylines and memorable scenes from the comedy.
The Quest
Creator
Three elderly men, Dave, Ronno and Charlie, meet at Charlie's retirement party and reminisce about their teenage "quest" in the 1950s to get laid. This had involved travelling on their motorbikes up to the Lake District "where all the girls shag like rabbits" - but things hadn't turned out quite as they had planned. First movie in The Quest Trilogy.
The Quest
Director
Three elderly men, Dave, Ronno and Charlie, meet at Charlie's retirement party and reminisce about their teenage "quest" in the 1950s to get laid. This had involved travelling on their motorbikes up to the Lake District "where all the girls shag like rabbits" - but things hadn't turned out quite as they had planned. First movie in The Quest Trilogy.
The Quest
Dave
Three elderly men, Dave, Ronno and Charlie, meet at Charlie's retirement party and reminisce about their teenage "quest" in the 1950s to get laid. This had involved travelling on their motorbikes up to the Lake District "where all the girls shag like rabbits" - but things hadn't turned out quite as they had planned. First movie in The Quest Trilogy.
All the King's Men
Capt. Frank Beck
Feature-length drama about the mystery of Sandringham Company, which disappeared in action at Gallipoli in 1915. Commanded by Captain Frank Beck, their estate manager, the men advanced into battle, were enveloped in a strange mist and never seen again.
Father Christmas and the Missing Reindeer
(voice)
On Christmas Eve, Father Christmas is all set to deliver his huge consignment of presents to the children of the world when he makes a terrible discovery - his reindeer are missing!
March in Windy City
Steven March
Retired MI6 agent Steven March is called back into action by his former employers. His task is to assassinate Chicago politician Dan Paterson, an ambitious and ruthless Russian who March has encountered before. March's task is made more difficult when Paterson's daughter is kidnapped, apparently by Chinese gangsters.
The Snow Queen
Eric
Far away, in her vast ice palace, the Snow Queen plots to rule the world by deflecting all the sun's warmth away from Earth so that it freezes over. But her mirror breaks, and on her mission to find all the missing pieces, she kidnaps Tom, who has part of the mirror in his body. Can his sister Ellie save Tom, and stop the evil Queen from achieving global dominance?
The Bullion Boys
Billy Mac
Based on a true story. In 1940, Britain's gold reserves were transferred for safety to Liverpool because of the threat of a German invasion. The top-secret operation was known only to a handful of security men and senior bank officials... and a group of Liverpool dockers who handle the move. Billy Mac, the dockers' leader, hatches an ingenious plan to steal some of the gold bars from under the noses of the guards.
Amongst Barbarians
George
Amongst Barbarians is set far away from Margaret Thatcher's Britain in Penang, Malaysia, a former British colony, where two young Englishmen have been arrested for drug trafficking. As they both face the death penalty, their relatives travel to Penang to come to their rescue. However, they soon find out that there is nothing they can do to save the boys' lives. In the course of their futile attempts at influencing the authorities, their racism becomes more than apparent. The question which is never made explicit is of course who the real barbarians are. Wall's play is based on a true story and featured David Jason's first straight acting role on TV.
The BFG
The BFG (voice)
Sophie is snatched from her orphanage early one morning by the BFG (Big Friendly Giant), whom she witnesses engaged in mysterious activities. She is soon put at ease, as she learns that BFG's job is to collect, catalog and deliver pleasant dreams to children. She joins him that night, but a mean giants follow them, planning to eat the children of the world.
The Wind in the Willows: A Tale of Two Toads
Toad (voice)
Designed with young audiences in mind, this award-winning animated film (created with labor-intensive stop-motion techniques) brings Kenneth Grahame's classic children's book to life. When the villainous Weasel and his crew of thugs kidnap an unsuspecting Toad and send an impostor to take over Toad Hall, Badger, Rat and Mole aren't fooled. But can they figure out a way to save their friend before it's too late?
The Wind in the Willows
Toad
One spring, Mole decides that he can ignore the spring cleaning for a little longer, and begins a series of adventures with his new friend Rat. They go for a picnic on the riverbank, on a caravan expedition with Toad, until Toad switches allegiance to his new car and his reckless driving makes Mole and Rat search out Badger for help in curbing Toad's profligate habits. But Toad gets away from them and gets a 20-year sentence from the magistrate for theft, reckless driving, and Gross Impertinence. While Toad works his wiles on the jailer's daughter and escapes jail dressed as a washer woman, Badger tries to guard Toad Hall from the machinations of the Weasels and is badly beaten. And it requires a plan of attack and all four comrades to regain Toad Hall.
The Odd Job
The Odd Job Man
Arthur Harris is a happily married man who returns from his job to discover that his wife, Fiona, is leaving him. Devastated he gets really drunk and tries to commit suicide. After a few setbacks and while he is trying to electrocute himself with a lamp, the door bell rings. An odd man in a leather coat asks if there are any odd jobs that he can perform. Arthur hires the man to kill him. The next day his wife returns, but the man he hired is still trying to kill him...
The Water Babies
(voice)
This children's fantasy tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who discovers a complex underwater world where young children are held prisoner by an evil shark and an eel.
Royal Flash
Mayor
Cowardly rogue Harry Flashman's (Malcolm McDowell) schemes to gain entry to the royal circles of 19th-century Europe go nowhere until he meets a pair of devious nobles with their own agenda. At their urging, Flashman agrees to re-create himself as a bogus Prussian nobleman to woo a beautiful duchess. But the half-baked plan quickly comes unraveled, and he's soon on the run from several new enemies who are all calling for the rapscallion's head.
White Cargo
Albert Toddey
David Jason's most famous film appearance of the 1970's was opposite Graham Chapman in 'The Odd Job' but five years earlier he played the lead role in this very low budget comedy. His character is a daydreamer but he manages to get caught up in an adventure involving the hugely underated Imogen Hassall. There is even an appearance from a pre Darth Vader Dave Prowse although his character closer resembles the one he played in 'Callan'.
Under Milk Wood
Nogood Boyo
The delightful if peculiar story of a day in the life of a small, Welsh fishing village called "Llareggub" in which we meet a host of curious characters (and ghosts) through the 'eyes' of Blind Captain Cat.
David Jason's Greatest Escapes
Presenter
Actor David Jason examines wartime escapes that inspired films and TV dramas. He begins his journey in Germany at Colditz Castle, where William Neave tells how his father Airey fled dressed as a German soldier. He then heads to Poland to visit the setting for The Great Escape, where former Stalag Luft III internee Ken Rees describes how he helped dig the tunnel immortalised on the big screen. David also meets a Frenchwoman who sheltered an escaped Briton - and learns how a love story developed.