Only Fools and Horses fans only just realising Cassandra star has famous parents
Gwyneth Strong played Cassandra Trotter in classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses from 1989 until 2003.
Gwyneth Strong made her name as the wife of Rodney Trotter in classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses – but she isn’t the only famous one in her family. Best known for playing Cassandra in the iconic BBC Britcom, Gwyneth has also starred in everything from EastEnders to Silent Witness.
Now 65, she landed her first acting job aged just 13 when she was cast in the Royal Court Theatre production of Live Like Pigs. She went on to appear in horror film Nothing but the Night when she was still in school, and had a role as Princess Dagmar in Edward the Seventh while attending Holland Park School. It made sense for Gwyneth to get into acting from an early age, considering both her parents were in the industry. Her dad Colin Strong was a famed director, who worked on everything from The Old Grey Whistle Test to Till Death Us Do Part. He directed 69 episodes of Michael Parkinson’s chat show, along with Joni Mitchell’s music video for the live version of Help Me.
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Her mum Mair, meanwhile, worked for the BBC in a production role. Sadly Mair was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 63, with Gwyneth revealing: “The diagnosis was grim; she was given only 18 months to live.
“The doctors continued to treat her and she had further surgery and two cycles of chemotherapy. We made a point of always spending as much time with her as we could and trying to have some good moments together when she wasn’t having treatment or feeling too unwell.”
She sadly died in 2000, and Gwyneth admitted: “I still miss my mum every day and so wish she was still with us to share big family moments.”
Gwyneth carried her famous ties over to her love life, too, marrying soap star Jesse Birdsall. Best known for his roles in Footballers’ Wives and Hollyoaks, Jesse tied the knot with Gwyneth in 2000 and they welcomed two children of their own together – Oscar and Lottie.
