The Only Fools and Horses actor who also starred in the British version of Friends
Gina Bellman appears in a 1989 episode of the long-running sitcom
Actress Gina Bellman is probably most well-known for playing Jane Christie in Coupling, Britain’s answer to the smash hit sitcom Friends – but, did you know that she was also in an episode Only Fools and Horses?
In an episode of the famous BBC sitcom, originally aired in 1989, Bellman plays holiday representative in Majorca, Spain.
Del Boy, Rodney and Cassandra visit Spain after Rodney wins an art competition but the organisers believe he is 14, forcing them to lie through their teeth about his age. Bellman’s character Carmen is at times suspicious of Rodney’s age but she can’t find any proof of it.
It’s a small role, but for any fans of both Coupling and Only Fools and Horses, it is fun to see Bellman appear in an old episode of the sitcom before she became the ‘histrionic’ Jane.
This was one of Bellman’s first acting roles, before going on to star in Coupling and Jekyll. Both Coupling and Jekyll were run by Steven Moffat, a director and writer with an impressive number of writing credits behind him within the British canon – including Doctor Who and Sherlock.
Coupling was seen as Britain’s answer to Friends, because of many key similarities between the two shows. Airing on BBC for four years, it followed the lives of six friends in their early thirties as they deal with dating, sex, friendship, and other mishaps.
It debuted to unimpressive ratings but surged in popularity over the course of the series, and won ‘Best TV Comedy’ at the 2003 British Comedy Awards. Bellman’s character Jane is the ex-girlfriend of Steve, a character based on Steven Moffat himself.
In the late 2000s, Bellman became one of the main characters in Leverage, which is a Robin Hood-style heist show, where a team of thieves steal from rich businesses and give back to those they’ve wronged.
