Nicholas Lyndhurst, renowned for his iconic role in “Only Fools And Horses,” has made a return to television, dedicating this significant moment to his late son, Archie. In an emotional tribute at the end of the first episode of the Frasier reboot, a message will read: “In loving memory of Archie Lyndhurst.” The tragedy of Archie’s death due to a brain haemorrhage in October 2020 led Nicholas to step away from the spotlight.
But before this comeback, Lyndhurst contemplated quitting acting altogether in 2021. In January 2022, reports emerged that Lyndhurst may never return to TV, given the profound impact of his son’s passing. Close friend and writer Laurence Marks expressed concerns in an interview with the Daily Star Sunday. Marks stated, “He has always kept himself to himself and now he’ll do that more than ever. Now he’s lost his son, he’ll never come out again. I doubt we will see him do any more acting.“
“I would like to say we will see him act again, but I don’t think we will. We will have to live on the visual memories of him and we have loads of them. We have got to be grateful for that.”
Lyndhurst battles back to acting return
However, against the odds, the Goodnight Sweetheart star has found solace and strength. Lyndhurst has made his return with a role in the reboot of the US sitcom “Frasier.” In this new series, Nicholas plays the character Prof Alan Cornwall, a tweedy old friend of the eponymous psychiatrist. Despite initial doubts about returning to acting, Lyndhurst has taken on a character, Prof Alan Cornwall, known for his British charm, booziness, and non-politically correct humour.
In an interview, Nicholas Lyndhurst expressed the emotional impact of being on set for the Frasier reboot. Things got particularly emotional for him when he heard Kelsey Grammer playing the piano. He described Kelsey as the “most genuinely charming man” and shared a touching moment, saying, “He composes the most beautiful music, just tinkling there on the piano, and it made me cry.”
About his character, Nicholas explained to the Daily Star, “Alan is British, boozy… I thought, ‘Yeah, I can do that’. He’s very non-PC. My character comes out with whatever he wants to say. He drinks too much. He doesn’t think enough. He’s very lazy. He’s a college lecturer, but he doesn’t really like any of his students at all.“
Star full of praise for Kelsey Grammer
“He’s a bit of a Mickey taker. He likes teasing people and there are some characters in this cast that are very easy for him to tease. So he just keeps himself amused by drinking scotch and teasing people.” Nicholas reckons a lot of comedy writers are too worried about offending people these days.”
Lyndhurst praised the efficiency and expertise of Kelsey Grammer, who not only reprised his role but also directed the series. Speaking about Kelsey, Nicholas said, “He knows where the camera wants to be… He’s just a delight.” The Frasier reboot, available on streaming service Paramount+, is anticipated to captivate audiences with its clever and fearless approach to comedy.