John Challis says Nicholas Lyndhurst has "moved on" from 'Only Fools And Horses'.
John Challis
The 78-year-old actor - who played Aubrey 'Boycie' Boyce on the classic sitcom - has admitted despite the 59-year-old star and his character Rodney Trotter remaining popular with fans, he doesn't want to appear at conventions or keep talking about the show because he wants to move on with his career.
He is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper as saying: "In terms of the show Nicholas has really become quite reclusive about it and wants to move on to other areas, which is fine.
"But it's a bit of a shame because he gets mentioned every time I go out and talk to people."
However, John insisted he understands and feels for Nicholas, whose son Archie tragically died aged 19 last year.
He added: "He is such a fabulously popular character I think people out there would just love to see him. But he's been through a horrible time, of course, losing his son."
Although Nicholas doesn't attend conventions, John was delighted to be joined by Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter actor Sir David Jason, 80, for the first ever time at a fan event last year.
He said: "David had a really great time and I think he was knocked out by the reaction of people."
While David is happy to embrace the show's legacy, is adamant he doesn't want the series to ever be remade as the magic that the cast and writer John Sullivan created simply cannot be repeated.
Asked if a reboot would ever work, he recently said: "The answer there is no. No, no, no, the writing would be the same name, but also don't forget, one of my flags that I like to wave, is that it's a team effort, and it's not just the character of Del and Rodney, and Uncle Albert, or Grandad, as it were.
"But it was all the other peripheral characters, you know, Boycie, Marlene and all of those, how beautifully played they all were."
Tagged in Sir David Jason Nicholas Lyndhurst