MY CAREER HIGH POINT
Only Fools hero David says cartoon gave him more joy than Del Boy
DEL Boy legend Sir David Jason says Danger Mouse was his most enjoyable role.
The Only Fools And Horses star said voicing the classic 80s cartoon character had been the high point of his career.
Sir David, 81, played Del in hit comedy Only Fools for 22 years.
But he revealed voicing the secret agent rodent brought him more joy than playing the Cockney wheeler dealer alongside brother Rodney.
He said: “It wasn’t like work. We were getting paid to enjoy ourselves – and I probably looked forward to it as much or more than any other job I’ve done. I enjoyed playing a character that came to life for the animators just as much as I enjoyed playing a character in real life.”
He was the voice of Danger Mouse for 11 years from 1981 to 1992, along with late comedy star Terry Scott, who voiced his partner Penfold. Sir David, who also played Granville in Open All Hours and DI Jack Frost in A Touch Of Frost, said playing the children’s favourite tested his acting ability.
Speaking on the 40th anniversary of Danger Mouse in a commemorative magazine special, he added: “To me it was an opportunity to really enjoy my own skills.
“When I was younger, my mother used to take me to the cinema. “They always showed a cartoon before the main feature and the cartoon was always the highlight for me. So I’d always been in love with cartoons.”
The show followed the battles of Danger Mouse and Penfold as they took on evil Baron Greenback and his henchmen. At one point during the early 80s it got viewing figures of 21million – higher than Coronation Street. A reboot was launched in 2015, featuring Pointless host Alexander Armstrong in the title role.
Sir David has previously claimed the role made him more famous in the US than Del Boy Trotter did in the UK.