Nicholas Lyndhurst has denied claims he is retiring from acting following the death of his son Archie.
Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas, 60, and his wife Lucy were left devastated when Archie died at the age of 19 in 2020 from a brain haemorrhage.
And the star’s close friend, writer Laurence Marks, 73, said this weekend that Nicholas may not return to public life after his heartache, something the actor’s camp insists is ‘ridiculous’.
Laurence told the Daily Star Sunday: ‘Nicholas underwent tragedy. It must have broken his heart. It would break anyone’s heart.
‘He has always kept himself to himself and now he’ll do that more than ever. Now he’s lost his son, he’ll never come out again. I doubt we will see him do any more acting.’
However, a representative for Nicholas told MailOnline: ‘It is complete nonsense that Nicholas Lyndhurst is retired or retiring.
‘Of course he and his wife are devastated by the sudden loss of their young son but Mr. Lyndhurst will continue his career with any parts and scripts that attract him. He continues to constantly receive offers.’
They added that Nicholas had been approached to appear on a new television show this summer.
Nicholas’ wife Lucy shared an emotional tribute to their son Archie to mark one year after his death in September last year.
The Only Fools an Horses star and his partner were left devastated when Archie died at the age of 19 from a brain haemorrhage.
Lucy took to Instagram to share some heartfelt words about her son, who was known for playing Ollie Coulton on CBBC comedy So Awkward, writing: ‘It’s so hard to believe that it’s already been a week since we passed a year without you.
‘Thank you to everyone who came to show their love for our magical boy. Your friendship and kindness is beyond amazing and incredibly appreciated.
‘To have to live without you is the biggest test of endurance we will ever face. We miss you every second of everyday. Life threw us the cruelest card.
‘Who would have thought that the silence in a home could be so deafening. We love you with every fibre of our being Archie. That will never change.
‘And we are beyond grateful and honoured for every moment we had.
‘Some people aren’t lucky enough to experience such love, but our days were filled with it from the moment we awoke to the moment we slept.
‘We love you and miss you more than words could ever describe, the vocabulary simply doesn’t exist. Thank you for choosing us.
‘We hold on tight to every treasured memory, we are lucky, the list is endless.
‘You are, and always will be the most extraordinary human being I will ever have the privilege to know.
‘Love you to the moon and back and beyond. Forever.’
Lucy shared a picture of Archie standing against a background of clouds as well as one with the words ‘big love’ illuminated in the middle of a wicker heart outside.
She also shared an image of three candles burning with the words ‘big love Archie’ written across the sides of them.
Archie died in his sleep at home in September last year and in January this year Lucy spoke out to reveal he had an intracerebral haemorrhage caused by acute lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukaemia – an incredibly rare condition which kills about 800 people a year.
The teen starred in So Awkward as Ollie Coulton and also appeared as a young Jack Whitehall in the BBC’s Bad Education in 2014.