A while ago I heard that David Jason felt haunted by his role of Del Trotter in Only Fools and Horses feeling the character has followed him around for decades and overshadowed all the other work he's done.
I personally disagree with David. Those of us in the UK who know David's work will remember him for Open All Hours, A Touch of Frost, The Darling Buds of May, The Wind in the Willows, and so much more. The guy's been acting since the sixties for goodness sake so that's a lot of work.
True, maybe Del Trotter is the role that instantly comes to mind when you think of David Jason but is that really such a bad thing? To create such a phenomenal character, loved by generations takes a lot of talent and it's proof that he's got it in spades.
But I've noticed that other actors have said the same thing about roles that made them famous and that the public still love. It always feels a bit disappointing to me that the actors who played these much-loved roles don't always feel the same way the public does.
What's that all about?
I agree with Sherbette and I can see it from both sides. To us fans, certain roles, characters, and works are very dear to us. But to the artist, they want all the work they've done to be equally acknowledged. There has to be a compromise so everyone is happy.
I remember when New Kids made their comeback in 1994. They seemed eager to distance themselves from their old look and style of music. When asked about the hits that made them famous, they very unenthusiastically stated that they'd do them all in one big medley when on tour. They were joking (in part) but it was clear that they wanted to get away from their former life and focus on their current album (Face the Music) which is understandable but it was very disappointing to us fans that they didn't think their old stuff had the right stuff. I'm glad that since their return in 2008, they've got the balance right between old and new material. So everyone's happy!