Nicholas Lyndhurst has been on a "voyage of discovery" when it comes to his family history. Raised by his mother, Liz Long, after his father, Joe Lyndhurst, left the family for another woman, the Only Fools and Horses star had limited information about his paternal side.
Speaking with the MailOnline in 2019, Nicholas recalled learning more about his grandfather, the British film pioneer Francis Lyndhurst, when a local museum in Shoreham-By-Sea approached him.
© David M. Benett, Getty Images"I didn't know much about my family history until recently because my mother and father split up when I was so young," the actor explained.
"But my grandfather, Francis, was a set designer at the [London] Coliseum. When war was declared there was the threat of air raids, and most of the theatres decided not to do anything too frivolous. But the owners of the Coliseum said: 'We are going to do the best bloody pantomime London's ever seen.' A huge deal. And Francis designed the scenery."
© ITV/Shutterstock"They asked me to open an exhibition they were putting on about my grandfather's work. I didn't really want to because I don't like public stuff that much, so I snuck in there one day – with my hat on as a disguise – and had a look around.
"There was my grandfather, being a pioneer filmmaker in Shoreham in the early 1900s, before he was a set designer," noted Nicholas. "I read a book called Hollywood-By-Sea that was lent to me. He knew many huge music hall stars of the day. I wonder what the fishermen made of people like Marie Lloyd coming down to the beach in their gloves to make movies."
Sadly, there are no existing copies of Francis Lyndhurst's films, as many of them were destroyed in a World War Two bombing. Nonetheless, Nicholas is still aware of his ancestor's achievements, though information may be limited.
Speaking with The Guardian in 2015, Nicholas said: "My father's father was a film pioneer. He had one of the first moving picture companies in England: The Sunny South Film Company. They made silents.
"He set it up with cronies from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where he was a scenic designer. My uncle Richard was an actor with Donald Wolfit's company. All these weird things I've found in the last few years. My father died, and I don't have anyone to ask. This is a voyage of discovery."
Nicholas' grandfather passed away nine years before he was born, so the Only Fools and Horses favourite never got to meet Francis in real life. Regardless, he has a newfound pride in Francis and has clearly inherited his grandfather's passion for all things entertainment.
