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David Jason
Sir David Jason OBE was born David John White (February 2, 1940) in Edmonton, London.
He started his television career in 1964. He played many parts in television series and also acted in radio comedies until he found his most enduring and popular role in 1981: Del Boy in "Only Fools and Horses".
In this role Jason popularised some slang words and phrases; examples being the mild insults "dipstick" and "plonker", and the celebratory "loverly jubbly".
Including Christmas specials, Only Fools and Horses ran for sixty-two episodes ending with the three-part Christmas special in 1996, the last part of which drew in an audience of 24.3 million.
During the run of Only Fools, David also secured other TV roles including the part of a Cambridge porter, Skullion, in the TV adaptation of Tom Sharpe's black comedy novel Porterhouse Blue which was made in 1987, and the role of Ted Simcock in 1989's A Bit of a Do.
The Darling Buds of May (with co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones) helped David to create another memorable TV character in 1991, that of Sid "Pop" Larkin, the head of the Larkin household in rural Kent during the 1950's.
Written (originally) by experienced TV writer Bob Larbey the series was adapted from H.E. Bates original (five) novels and perfectly captured the feel good factor running through the gentle stories. In the process the British public were given another catchphrase in Pop Larkin's summing up of a satisfying situation, which was always "perfick".
In 1992 Jason tackled possibly one of his most daring roles to date. With him firmly in the publics mind as a comedic character actor he took on the role of the deeply pessimistic and ageing policeman Detective Inspector William "Jack" Frost in the TV series A Touch of Frost. Based on R.D. Wingfield's stories and set in fictional Denton, Jack is a scruffy looking detective in the Columbo mould, perceptive and thorough but with a grudge against authority. It could have failed -but it didn't. Thanks to a perfectly pitched performance by Jason A Touch of Frost was an instant hit with the viewing public and brought in an average audience of 16 million viewers during its original five year run.
In 1993, David Jason was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and twelve years later, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2005, he was knighted for services to acting. The actor said he was "humbled" by the "fantastic tribute".
He nursed long-time partner Myfanwy Talog prior to her death in 1995 after a long battle with breast cancer. He married his second wife, Gill Hinchcliffe, with whom he has a daughter, in a secret ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London on 30 November 2005.
Sources: Wikipedia, Television Heaven
Links
David Jason at IMDb.com
Fansite
BBC Interview (with video)
Fansite
BBC: Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses Fansite