Sir David Jason reveals honest thoughts on Ronnie Barker
The star best known for his role as Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses worked with Barker on the BBC series Open All Hours.
The actors first worked together on Hark at Barker in 1969 before coming together again to star in Open All Hours, which ran for four series.
In 2005, Ronnie died aged 76 after retiring from television in 1988 when he was just 59.
Speaking to The Times, Sir David opened up about working with Ronnie, sharing: "I was going to say Ronnie was always up to no good but that's unfair; he was great fun and he was great company.
"Whenever I'm working or with people, if anything happens to make me laugh, I often am reminded of working with Ronnie."
The actor added: "I have such fond memories of his off-screen stuff that nobody else can ever see.
"One day, we were at rehearsals for Open All Hours, and Ronnie and I did something that was not in the script.
"Whatever it was, we made ourselves laugh — fall about laughing — and as we came off the set Ronnie was still giggling away and he said to me, 'Aren't we lucky to be doing something that makes us laugh and we're getting paid for it?'
"That very moment has stuck with me forever."
Alongside his work in Open All Hours, Ronnie was known for his role as Norman Stanley Fletcher in Porridge, set in the fictional HMP Slade.
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When Ronnie announced his retirement in 1988, it came as a shock to many, including Sir David.
Writing in his autobiography, This Time Next Year, Sir David said: "I felt it was far too soon for a man of Ronnie's talents to be stepping down... but there was nothing I or anyone else could do or say to change his mind.
"He was adamant, and it was hard to challenge him on it because I knew he had his own personal reasons for being so. Put bluntly, he feared the work might one day kill him."
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