Sir David Jason's Biography

Sir David Jason was born David White on 2 February 1940.

David Jason is most famous for his role as 'Del Boy' Trotter in the very successful BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. The show consistently achieved high audiences and the Christmas 1996 episode peaked at around 25 million viewers.

Like Michael Caine, David Jason is the son a Billingsgate porter. It took a long time for him to gain prominence. He started out as an electrician.

At 25 he joined Romney Repertory Theatre and spent two decades on the stage, adopting the name David 'Jason' after his favourite film, Jason and the Argonauts. Meanwhile he took various parts in television series. He appeared in Crossroads, and he played 'Captain Fantastic' in the brilliant Do Not Adjust Your Set, a children's comedy show enjoyed by adults.

David Jason then started working on shows with Ronnie Barker. From 1969 to 1970 he played 'Dithers' in Hark at Barker, from 1974 to 1977 he played 'Blanco' in Porridge, and then he gained the major role of 'Granville' in Open all Hours from 1976 to 1985.

His period as 'Granville' crossed over with his most famous role as 'Del Boy' in Only Fools and Horses, which ran from 1981 to 1991 as well as various specials after that.

Other notable performances were as the college servant 'Skullion' in Porterhouse Blue (1987) for which he picked up a BAFTA; as Pop Larkin in The Darling Buds of May and as Detective Inspector Jack Frost in A Touch of Frost.

David Jason told The Radio Times, "I love doing Frost, but shows like Ghostboat and Discworld keep me on my toes."

Discworld is a two-part drama for ITV set on a submarine for which David Jason grew a beard; whilst Discworld is a Sky One dramatisation of the Terry Pratchett novel.

David Jason is a private man and once said:

"As an actor you have to communicate all the time. So when I get home I'd rather dig the garden or take the dog for a walk than, say, go out to lunch and start communicating again."

David Jason is keen on flying. Already the holder of a glider pilot's licence, in May 2005 Jason passed his test to fly a two-seater helicopter.

In June 2005 David Jason was knighted. He received his knighthood on December 1, 2005 and on the same day announced that he had secretly married partner Gill Hinchcliffe, whom he had met on the set of ITV's A Bit of a Do in 1989.

In 2007 Sir David Jason reprised his role as Des Parker in an ITV series Diamond Geezer. He originally played the role in a one-off in 2005.

In September 2006, in a poll of ITV viewers, Sir David Jason was named their favourite TV star.

In September 2008, Sir David Jason announced that he was giving up his role as Det Insp Jack Frost in ITV1's A Touch of Frost.

In April 2010 eight million watched the final episode of A Touch Of Frost, 18 years after the first episode was broadcast.

In 2010, Sir David Jason was cast as a former dock worker in a new ITV1 drama, Come Rain Come Shine, and as Harry, a World War II veteran in Albert's Memorial.

In January 2011, Sir David Jason won the best drama performance award at the National Television Awards for his work on A Touch Of Frost.

In April 2011, the BBC announced that David Jason would star in a BBC One comedy series The Royal Bodyguard.

In 2012, Sir David Jason went behind the camera and directed the pilot of Pearly Gates, a sitcom about a firm of undertakers.

In July 2017, the BBC revealed that Sir David Jason earned over £200,000 from licence fee revenue in their financial year 2016/7.

In 2022, Sir David was surprised when BBC Breakfast replayed to him his first ever appearance on television, which was transmitted on Christmas Day 1965.

In March 2023, the BBC reported: "Sir David Jason has revealed he has a daughter with an actress from Port Talbot.

"Abi Harris, 52, is said to have been born in 1970 after he and her mum, Jennifer Hill, had a relationship."