Lennard Pearce, born Leonard Pearce, (9 February 1915 — 15 December 1984), was a British actor best known for playing Grandad in Only Fools and Horses.
After training at RADA, he joined a performance tour in Germany. His future co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst claimed that one performance was attended by some of the higher-ups of the Nazi Party, who came backstage after the show to congratulate the cast. Adolf Hitler himself shook Pearce's hand and following the war, Pearce regretted not taking the opportunity to kill Hitler himself. In the war itself, Pearce was a member of ENSA.
Throughout The '60s, Pearce worked in the theatre, even understudying for Stanley Holloway in My Fair Lady's original West End production. He also appeared onstage alongside actors such as Laurence Olivier and Anthony Hopkins. In 1966, Pearce starred in a production of The Rivals alongside David Jason, who he would go on to star with in Only Fools and Horses.
Pearce's early TV work gave him roles in Dixon of Dock Green, The Wednesday Play, Dr. Finlay's Casebook, Sykes, and Coronation Street. Later on, he appeared in Hammer House of Horror, Play for Today, and Bless Me Father.
In 1981, Pearce was cast as Grandad in Only Fools and Horses' first three series, playing the grandfather of the aforementioned Jason and Lyndhurst. By the time filming started on Series 4, Pearce was in poor health due to his heavy smoking and suffered a heart attack while filming the first episode of the new series, "Hole in One". While in hospital, the series' writer John Sullivan assured Pearce that he wouldn't be written out and that once he recovered, he could play Grandad again.
After being discharged, Pearce died of a second heart attack at the age of 69. Grandad was killed off, with the episode "Strained Relations", opening with his funeral.
Works on TV Tropes he appeared in:
Series- Dixon of Dock Green, episode "Act of Violence" (1965) — Mr. Kemp
- Coronation Street, 1 episode (1969) — Mr. Bracegirdle
- Sykes, episode "Uncle" (1972) — Club Member
- Hammer House of Horror, episode "Witching Time" (1980) — Rector
- Play for Today, episode "Name for the Day" (1980) — Patient
- Bless Me Father, episode "Porgy and Bess" (1981) — Clerk of the Court
- Only Fools and Horses, 22 episodes (1981-83) — Grandad Ted Trotter
- Minder, episode "The Balance of Power" (1984) — George
