David Jason admits he never thought he'd land a top TV show after his screen debut in 1965.
The Only Fools and Horses star, 82, made his first TV appearance as King Goose in a pantomime production of Mother Goose.
However, while the actor may not have fancied his chances at fame, 31 years later David went onto star in the Only Fools and Horses. One of the sitcom's Christmas specials was watched by 23million people.
According to the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, the programme had one of the biggest audiences ever recorded for a single show in the UK.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, David said: "It's been a journey. You would never, ever have thought that could possibly happen from playing the King of Goose Land on television... you're lucky if you got another job."
Recalling his first TV appearance, he explained: "The thing about it is you've got a poor, working-class family, and because television was still quite new then, it wasn't in everybody's house.
"But then to have one of your own, one of your family actually on the television itself was an amazing achievement."
The actor added his family 'never made a big deal' about his fame with his father teasing him, saying: "Oh, you silly b****r, is that you flying about?", in order to keep his son's feet on the ground.
Earlier this year, David recalled the Only Fools scene which brought him to tears as he remembered the late John Challis, who played second-hand car dealer Boycie.
The star remembers 'the sheer fun' of 1989's special, The Jolly Boys' Outing.
In his book, The Twelve Dels of Christmas, David says the "high jinks" started to unfold when the cast were onboard the coach to Margate, in quotes obtained by The Sun.
"The magic of Only Fools is compressed into this single sequence – the gang of friends that the cast had become, and the sheer fun of it all. And so many of those faces no longer with us, of course," he wrote.
David: "Nowadays the glimpse of John Challis reaching across to swipe my hat off is so poignant that I practically have to close my eyes, and the whole thing is a world that’s gone."
The star was also involved in another iconic episode in the Peckham-based show.
The one where Del falls through the bar after telling Trigger to play it cool in front of the "couple of sorts" who have just walked into the Nags Head is comedy gold.
The episode has been voted the funniest British sitcom scene, but it turns out David actually refused to rehearse the hilarious sketch, preferring to keep it "fresh" for the audience.
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