Nicholas Lyndhurst facts: Only Fools and Frasier actor's age, wife, family and career revealed

10 October 2023, 13:19

Nicholas Lyndhurst is one of the most recognisable faces on British television, having starred in some of the most popular and acclaimed sitcoms of the past four decades.

From his breakthrough role as the hapless Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses to his time-travelling adventures as Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart, Lyndhurst has entertained millions of viewers with his comic timing, versatility and charm.

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Here are all the important facts about the beloved British actor.

1. What are Nicholas Lyndhurst's most famous TV and film roles?

   

   Among his many roles include:

   • Rodney Trotter in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses, playing the younger brother of the main character, Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter (David Jason), from 1981 to 2003.
   • Gary Sparrow in the comedy-drama series Goodnight Sweetheart, which won him two National Television Awards. He played a time-traveller who had a double life in the present and the past, from 1993 to 1999 and 2016.
   • Freddie Robdal in the comedy-drama series Rock & Chips, which is a prequel to Only Fools and Horses. He played the father of Rodney Trotter in 2010 and 2011.
   • Danny Griffin in the procedural crime drama series New Tricks, which is about a team of retired detectives solving cold cases. He played a former undercover officer from 2013 to 2015.
   • Alan Cornwall in the reboot of the sitcom Frasier. He played a British friend of Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in 2023.
   • In Butterflies, Nicholas Lyndhurst played Adam Parkinson, one of the two teenage sons of Ria and Ben Parkinson. Adam was a regular character in all four series of the sitcom, which aired from 1978 to 1983.

2. How old is Nicholas Lyndhurst and where was he born?

   

   Nicholas Lyndhurst is 62 years old as of 2023. He was born on April 20, 1961 in Emsworth, Hampshire.

   His parents were Joe Lyndhurst and Liz Long. They met at the holiday camp run on the farm owned by Lyndhurst's grandfather, Francis Lyndhurst, a theatrical scenery painter and film director. They separated when Lyndhurst was very young, got back together and separated permanently when he was a bit older.

   Joe Lyndhurst had an affair and started a family with another woman by the time Lyndhurst was eight, leaving him and his mother "poverty-stricken".

3. How did Nicholas Lyndhurst get his start in acting?

   

   Nicholas Lyndhurst got his start in acting as a child, studying at Corona Theatre School in Hammersmith, London.

   He appeared in various television adverts and children’s films in the 1970s, such as The Adventures of Black Beauty and The Prince and the Pauper. He gained national recognition in 1978, when he played Raymond Fletcher, the son of Ronnie Barker’s character in Going Straight.

4. Who is Nicholas Lyndhurst's wife and does he have children?

   

   Nicholas Lyndhurst's wife is Lucy Smith, a former ballet dancer. They got married in Chichester, West Sussex, in 1999.

   They had one child, Archie Lyndhurst, who was also an actor. He appeared in the CBBC series So Awkward as Ollie Coulton.

   Sadly, Archie died from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at the age of 19 in 2020.

   Nicholas and Lucy live in West Wittering, West Sussex.

5. How tall is Nicholas Lyndhurst?

   Nicholas Lyndhurst is thought to be around 6 ft 1½ in (186.7 cm) tall.