Nicholas Lyndhurst Biography

English actor Nicholas Lyndhurst began performing from an early age, but he remains best known for his work with the television series Only Fools and Horses and Goodnight Sweetheart. He can currently be seen on After You’re Gone.

Nicholas Lyndhurst was born April 20, 1961 in Emsworth, Hampshire, England.

Displaying a penchant for acting early on, Lyndhurst attended the Corona Stage Academy as a child. Like many actors before him, his first acting gigs were television commercials. He made his television debut, however, in 1973. In an uncredited role, Lyndhurst played “shot cabin boy” in Bequest to the Nation with Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson.

He followed with a more substantial role in 1974’s Heidi with Emma Blake as the title character. By 1976, Lyndhurst had landed his first starring role. He played both Tom Canty and Prince Edward in the popular Mark Twain novel, The Prince and the Pauper.

His first recurring role on a television series came in 1978 with a five-episode stint on Going Straight. He transitioned from this role into Butterflies, in which he took part from 1978 to 1983. He played Adam Parkinson opposite fellow series regulars Wendy Craig, Geoffrey Palmer, and others.

Most audiences know Lyndhurst, however, for his time as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses. He first took the role in 1981, and he shared the screen with David Jason and Roger Lloyd Pack until the show’s conclusion in 2003.

Outside of this series, Lyndhurst had a small role in The Piglet Files before landing another notable role in 1993. In this year, he first started playing Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart. Landing the lead role, Lyndhurst headed the series until its last episode in 1999.

While filming the popular television series, Lyndhurst also increased his exposure with a part in the 1996 film Gulliver’s Travels opposite Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Ned Beatty, and many others.

1999 not only marked the end of Lyndhurst’s time with Goodnight Sweetheart, but it was also the year he appeared in the well-received adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic David Copperfield. Winning a spot among an all-star cast, Lyndhurst shared the screen with Emilia Fox, Maggie Smith, Daniel Radcliffe, Ian McKellen, Imelda Staunton, Bob Hoskins, and others.

Most recently, he has been playing Jimmy Venables in the comedic series After You’re Gone.

In his personal life, Lyndhurst married Lucy Smith on September 1, 1999. They are currently still together and have one child.

The family currently resides in Sussex, England.

Possessing a diverse array of interests, Lyndhurst counts his hobbies as everything from flying to beekeeping to surfing.