Quotes

I think I prefer comedy, because there is no better feeling then to hear someone laughing- it's to do with making people happy.

We just knew that whatever else we did, however good we were in other roles, the most famous thing we'd ever do was Only Fools and Horses (1981). It was just so big. But it was wonderful to be in something that meant so much to people.

[on Roger Lloyd Pack] Speaking as a rather theatrical actor myself, I sort of quite envied him the ability to suggest something by doing absolutely nothing.

Jamaica Inn (2014) looks very good but I haven't heard a single word...Either the actors are mumbling or the sound track is faulty.

[on Doctor Who (1963)] Tom's [Tom Baker] a lot of people's favourite Doctor. He loved a laugh. We had some great times, that was one of the happiest jobs I ever did.

Playing so many villains is really quite difficult for me because I can't fight. I've never been able to fight. I can play football and cricket and all that but I can't run and I can't fight.

Sad news of Lynsey de Paul, beautiful and talented singer/songwriter. Storm in a Teacup, one of my favourite songs.

For me an appearance in Doctor Who (1963) in 1976 came along at the right time. I had got to a point in my life where I had wanted to give up acting. It had got to a point that I had even opened up a garden centre. This did not work and my mother had to bail me out financially. So when I got the call to appear as a villain in Doctor Who (1963) it came at the right time. It was a great job and I had so much fun. From doing that I had the chance to appear in a play, which lead to appearing in a Tom Stoppard play at The National Theatre. So what happened is I went from a bad time to having a wonderful period in my life.

Cynical tweeters seem to enjoy sneering about actors who do panto or trade off their most famous TV character, but as Only Fools started in 1981, modern directors are too young to be familiar with my other work. They only know me as Boycie. Of course, I would love to do some serious drama but I'm also well aware that I'm extremely fortunate to have been part of such an iconic series.

Increasingly I got identified for that role [Boycie]. I didn't mind. I always found humour in things.

There's a part of me that wants to do a really searing serious role. To sit down and be a dad whose daughter has done wrong, or misbehaving or something like that. I've got a hankering to do that as well.

The whole yuppie, Thatcher thing was very aspirational. She was encouraging people to get out there and be a bit selfish, I suppose; take care of your own life, with everybody else second. That attitude was fashionable at the time. But it's a very different world now.

You've got to be so careful - the BBC are being so careful about what they're putting out and I think the world has changed. I think it's just gone too far. I'm just one of those people who's never done what all these people are being accused of anyway. What does worry me is the impact on free speech. If you've had an opinion about something, someone's going to find that somewhere. With the Internet it's become much more difficult.