The Only Fools and Horses star who was told he’d get fired if he laughed during iconic scene

One of the completely traditional Only Fools and Horses scenes almost led to a pair of its stars being sacked only for laughing.

Nicholas Lyndhurst, who performed Rodney on the iconic sitcom, revealed in an interview with TV legend Michael Parkinson that he and David Jason, who in fact performed Del Boy, have been almost fired for guffawing whereas filming a scene.

The scene in query got here in season two, episode seven ‘A Touch of Glass’, and concerned breaking an especially costly chandelier, which Grandad, Rodney and Del Boy had been employed to scrub.

“I was almost fired due to that scene,” Nicholas recalled, “I’m a little bit of a giggler in terms of that kind of stuff.

The damaged chandelier value the manufacturing firm £6,000 to have made up by a props maker

“So Ray Butt our producer got here as much as me and he stated ‘This chandelier value six grand, we’ve solely received one, we will solely afford one, if you snicker that’s the whole scene blown.

“‘If we blow the scene the BBC received’t purchase the collection and that might be all the way down to you. If you snicker I’ll hearth you’.”

This is why if you watch the scene again, you will discover each David and Nicholas staring straight at one another slightly than the chandelier after it breaks to keep away from getting the giggles.

The chandelier genuinely did value £6,000 regardless of being a pretend one, and just one was made by prop firm Trading Post.

In actuality although as a result of the shot was being filmed from a number of cameras and angles, had the 2 actors cracked it will have been straightforward sufficient to edit round, however Butt allow them to assume in any other case so as to add much more stress and humour to the scenario.

Read More
Read More

The thought for the whole chandelier gag really got here from one thing that occurred to author John Sullivan’s father. In the Nineteen Thirties he and different workmen have been becoming a brand new heating system right into a stately residence and needed to transfer chandeliers, with the very same mix-up you see within the episode coming to go.

The complete episode was written round this story with the smashed chandelier at all times meant because the climax.

You can watch the complete scene on the BBC Comedy Greats YouTube channel right here.

Did you understand how a lot was driving on this scene? Let us know within the feedback right here.

0 GettyImages 1028621910

MyLondon’s sensible new publication The 12 is filled with information, views, options and opinion from throughout the town.

Every day we’ll ship you a free e mail at round 12pm with 12 tales to maintain you entertained, knowledgeable and uplifted. It’s the proper lunchtime learn.

The MyLondon workforce tells London tales for Londoners. Our 45 journalists cowl all of the information you want – from City Hall to your native streets.

Never miss a second by signing as much as The 12 publication right here.

Recommended For You