Ten Questions with Nicholas Lyndhurst
The veteran UK sitcom star on the joys of LA sunshine and working with his pal Kelsey Grammer on a revived US classic
Jay Brooks / Camera Press
- Adam Tanswell
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As lovable “plonker” Rodney in Only Fools and Horses, Nicholas Lyndhurst reached comedy legend status in the UK. His star ascended further thanks to roles in sitcoms like Goodnight Sweetheart, The Two of Us and Butterflies, as well as turns in more serious fare like New Tricks and the comedy drama Rock & Chips. Now, the 63-year-old has traded Peckham for Hollywood, as he returns to play a slightly sozzled Brit abroad in series two of Frasier, the revival of the classic US sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer.
From one classic sitcom to another — how did you end up working on Frasier?
Kelsey and I worked together in Man of La Mancha at the London Coliseum. He was sensational. The Coliseum holds two and a half thousand people. It’s the largest stage in London and to watch what Kelsey did eight times a week was just stunning. In rehearsals, he said to me, “If Frasier ever comes back, would you be interested?” My response was, “Duh! Of course.” That was in 2019, so it’s been bubbling under for quite a long time – I’m very pleased to be part of it.
Did the two of you hit it off immediately?
I’d say so. We come from similar histories, so we have a lot in common.
Frasier is filmed with a live studio audience. Do you get nervous?
I’m quite used to the live audience, so that’s not been a problem. But the way Frasier is written and the way it’s shot are very different from the UK. The writing team is big here, and the rewrites happen every day. In the UK, if we were shooting in front of an audience on a Sunday, we’d lock in the script on a Friday, at the latest. At that point, you’d have at least a day to figure out what you’re doing. Here, the script changes daily. It even changes when the audience is in the building!
Haston/Paramount+
How do you cope with that?
You’ve got to keep on your toes! You can’t learn it too early because, personally, I find it difficult to forget a script. You keep one half of your brain going, “That’s probably going to change, so don’t set it in stone yet.”
What sort of feedback do you get from the studio audience?
Well, they love Kelsey. There’s a tangible feeling of love towards him in the studio every week – and rightly so. For me, it’s great because I can just get on with things. It’s lovely to be on a team again.
I probably pinch myself every 20 minutes in this job
Your character Alan Cornwall is incredibly English. Are you a Brit consultant for the writers?
Maybe there are times when I will say to an American writer, “That’s not how we’d say it.” I’ll Anglicise some of the dialogue, but very rarely. The writers are good guys. They know what they’re doing.
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So, have you made the move to Hollywood for good?
No, no, no. I’m just here for the duration of the show. I’ll go home to the UK afterwards, but it’s absolutely wonderful to be here for now. I’m in my mid-60s – at this stage of my career, I wasn’t expecting to be walking through the gates of Paramount Pictures every morning. I probably pinch myself every 20 minutes in this job, because working with Kelsey and working in this building is heartstoppingly wonderful.
How do you like to unwind in Los Angeles?
I love the sunshine, that’s been great; I like going to the beach. Apparently, the weather is horrible at home – here, it’s sensational. And if you look hard enough, there’s some great history to be found here. I’ve enjoyed going to see where Stan Laurel lived, he was always a hero of mine. Buster Keaton’s studio is literally down the road, too. I often think that if it wasn’t for Laurel and Keaton, we probably wouldn’t be here now. They were pioneers. I very much wanted to pay my respects.
Do you have any more work lined up in LA?
To be honest, this takes up quite a lot of the year. I’ve got no plans for anything else at the moment.
Do you keep up with television back home in the UK?
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I actually haven’t watched television for quite a long time. My living room faces the garden, not the TV, because that feels a bit “worky”. I watch the news and I watch some documentaries, but otherwise I don’t turn on the TV very often. I don’t stream, or binge… I know that’s not the answer you want to hear – but no!
Authors
Adam Tanswell
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