His beloved Only Fools and Horses character Del Boy was known for his signature catchphrases and his belief that he could fluently speak foreign languages.
And Sir David Jason has revealed that he even considered using one of Del Boy’s popular lines on his own personal coat of arms.
The Open All Hours actor, 80, said he toyed with the idea of using ‘lovely jubbly’, ‘this time next year, we’ll be millionaires’ or ‘you know it makes sense’ as a motto on his ‘rather strange’ crest.
Catchphrases: Sir David Jason (pictured in March 2017) revealed that he considered using one of his Only Fools and Horses character Del Boy’s popular lines on his own personal coat of arms
But he eventually opted for the higher-end Latin phrase Conata Perficere, which means to achieve what one attempts, The Mirror reported.
Speaking to the publication, he said: ‘I have this rather strange coat of arms but it is representative of things that happened to me or things I have loved, so it is very identifiable.
‘To achieve what you attempt is what I really have always done in my life – or tried to.’
The coat of arms, which he sought help with after admitting he was no good at ‘these posh things’, includes the most important elements of David’s life, such as the masks of tragedy and comedy.
Comedy: The actor, 80, (pictured with co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst) considered using ‘lovely jubbly’ or ‘this time next year, we’ll be millionaires’ as a motto on his ‘rather strange’ crest
He also told the publication that he finds it ‘difficult to cope’ with being noticed in public and always wears a big coat and cap when he leaves the house.
But David jokingly added that the ‘dreaded Covid-19’ means he can ‘go anywhere’ as he really is ‘Mr Anonymous’ due to having to wear a face mask.
The TV star recently revealed that he was never supposed to play the famous part of Derek Trotter, better known by his nickname Del Boy.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast last month, he explained that the director had originally assumed he was there to audition for Grandad due to his acting background.
Only Fools and Horses: David played Del Boy for ten years alongside co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst, who portrayed his impressionable younger brother Rodney Trotter
He explained: ‘When I went into the interview with the director and (writer) John Sullivan, because I’d played so many silly old fart parts, like Blanco in Porridge and the 100 year old gardener in Hark at Barker, they thought I’d come up for the grandad part.’
‘When I said no, I wanted to read Del Boy, that’s the part, that is the part that I want, and so they said, well go on see if you can read that and the rest I suppose is history.’
In David’s memoir A Del of a Life, published on October 29, he claimed he was fifth in line for the part, with Enn Reitel and Jim Broadbent first being offered the role.
He said that he was also told that both Robin Nedwell and Billy Murray were considered before the part was handed to him.
Not first choice: In his memoir, David claimed he was fifth in line for the role of Derek Trotter, better known as Del Boy, with Enn Reitel and Jim Broadbent first being offered it
Despite this, David still managed to grab the role of Del Boy and starred alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played his impressionable younger brother Rodney.
And Lennard Pearce instead starred as the hilarious Grandad, whose full name was Edward Kitchener Trotter, until his death in 1984.
Only Fools and Horses ran for a staggering ten years from 1981 until 1991, with Christmas specials airing until 2003.
But the hit comedy was turned into a West End musical by the same name last year, featuring book, music and lyrics by Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan.