Cassandra Trotter
Encyclopedia
Cassandra Louise Trotter (née Parry; born 16 June 1966) is a fictional character
from the British sitcom
Only Fools and Horses
. She was portrayed by Gwyneth Strong
.
) and his wife Pam (Wanda Ventham
), Cassandra was an ambitious employee of the local bank. She made her first Only Fools and Horses appearance in the episode Yuppy Love
, in which she was an attendee of Rodney
's adult education
class. The two first met when they accidentally mixed up their raincoats in the cloak room, and met again at a disco later that night, at which Rodney's friends Mickey Pearce and Jevon unsuccessfully ask her for a dance. Rodney then bet £20 that he would be successful and, to their horror, she agreed to dance with him. Cassandra also offered to give him a lift home, and they exchanged telephone numbers. However, as he was ashamed to take her home to Nelson Mandela House, he pretended he lived in a more upmarket location on King's Avenue and was duly left stranded as it began to pour with rain, again getting their coats mixed up leaving Rodney to walk home.
Originally John Sullivan
wanted to make Cassandra a girlfriend of Trigger, Denzil or an admirer of Boycie
, but decided that like he planned to do with Del, Rodney needed a long term relationship.
Their relationship blossomed throughout the sixth series; In The Unlucky Winner Is...
she went to Spain with Rodney and Del, and had to pretend to be Del's wife, and Rodney's stepmother. In Sickness and Wealth
, Rodney announced that they were engaged; they married in the final episode of series 6: Little Problems
, after which they moved into their own flat. Her marriage to Rodney was not without its problems; Rodney was envious of Cassandra's privileged upbringing and her qualifications. When Cassandra wanted to build herself a career at the bank, Rodney was outraged, as he wanted her to be little more than a housewife, and have his dinner on the table for when he got home from work.
After a year of being married she and Rodney split up in The Jolly Boys Outing (the 1989 Christmas special), when he punched her boss and broke his nose. In the next episode aired Rodney Come Home
(Christmas special 1990), they broke up again, which started an ongoing split between the pair. This split carried on throughout the duration of series 7. In The Chance of a Lunchtime
Del played matchmaker between the two, reuniting them. However, the two were only together for an hour before Cassandra saw Rodney with an ex-fiancē of Del Boy's. Assuming that Rodney was cheating on her, Cassandra locked him out of the flat. They were ultimately reconciled in Three Men, a Woman and a Baby
but after just getting back together they were interrupted by a phone call that Raquel
had gone into labour and Del wanted Rodney to be there for the birth. The episode Miami Twice
saw them trying to patch up their relationship, and in Mother Natures Son
they were back together properly, and stayed together ever since. The later episodes saw them attempting to conceive a child, and Cassandra was promoted to head of small business investment at the local bank. They later had a daughter, Joan (named after Del and Rodney's late mother), in Sleepless in Peckham
.
Rodney announced that Cassandra was pregnant in "Heroes and Villains
" to the overjoyed Trotters, but she later miscarried at the end of "Modern Men
"; when Rodney answers the phone to a nurse, who explains that Cassandra has been rushed to hospital. When they arrive at the hospital, Del warns Rodney not to get upset around Cassandra, as she will be very emotional, though, when Del sees Cassandra lying in the bed, he bursts out crying and has to be led out of the room by Rodney, who does not want to upset his wife.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British sitcom
British sitcom
A British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
. She was portrayed by Gwyneth Strong
Gwyneth Strong
Gwyneth Strong is an English actress. She is probably best known for her role in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses as Cassandra, who was married to Del Boy's brother Rodney.-Career:...
.
Biography
The intelligent, slightly-spoiled daughter of the owner of a successful paper merchant, Alan (Denis LillDenis Lill
Denis Lill is a New Zealand-born British actor.Some of his many film and television roles include Fall of Eagles , Edward the Seventh , Survivors , The Scarlet Pimpernel , as William Knox d-Arcy, the Australian oil pioneer in Persia, in Reilly: Ace of Spies , Rumpole of the Bailey , Mapp &...
) and his wife Pam (Wanda Ventham
Wanda Ventham
Wanda Ventham is an English actress, mainly on television. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama....
), Cassandra was an ambitious employee of the local bank. She made her first Only Fools and Horses appearance in the episode Yuppy Love
Yuppy Love
"Yuppy Love" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 6, and was first screened on 8 January, 1989...
, in which she was an attendee of Rodney
Rodney Trotter
Rodney Charlton Trotter is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.-Personality:Rodney's personality was based on the experiences of series creator John Sullivan, who also had an older sibling and, like Rodney, claimed to have been a dreamer and...
's adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
class. The two first met when they accidentally mixed up their raincoats in the cloak room, and met again at a disco later that night, at which Rodney's friends Mickey Pearce and Jevon unsuccessfully ask her for a dance. Rodney then bet £20 that he would be successful and, to their horror, she agreed to dance with him. Cassandra also offered to give him a lift home, and they exchanged telephone numbers. However, as he was ashamed to take her home to Nelson Mandela House, he pretended he lived in a more upmarket location on King's Avenue and was duly left stranded as it began to pour with rain, again getting their coats mixed up leaving Rodney to walk home.
Originally John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
wanted to make Cassandra a girlfriend of Trigger, Denzil or an admirer of Boycie
Boycie
Terrance Aubrey Boyce best known as Boycie is a fictional character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses played by John Challis. His story is continued in the spin off series The Green Green Grass, which began filming in June 2005, in which Boycie and family have fled from a gang of...
, but decided that like he planned to do with Del, Rodney needed a long term relationship.
Their relationship blossomed throughout the sixth series; In The Unlucky Winner Is...
The Unlucky Winner Is...
"The Unlucky Winner Is..." is an episode of the BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fourth episode of series 6, and was first screened on 29 January, 1989.-Synopsis:...
she went to Spain with Rodney and Del, and had to pretend to be Del's wife, and Rodney's stepmother. In Sickness and Wealth
Sickness and Wealth
"Sickness and Wealth" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 6, and was first screened on 5 February, 1989.-Synopsis:...
, Rodney announced that they were engaged; they married in the final episode of series 6: Little Problems
Little Problems
"Little Problems" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 6, and was first screened on 12 February, 1989...
, after which they moved into their own flat. Her marriage to Rodney was not without its problems; Rodney was envious of Cassandra's privileged upbringing and her qualifications. When Cassandra wanted to build herself a career at the bank, Rodney was outraged, as he wanted her to be little more than a housewife, and have his dinner on the table for when he got home from work.
After a year of being married she and Rodney split up in The Jolly Boys Outing (the 1989 Christmas special), when he punched her boss and broke his nose. In the next episode aired Rodney Come Home
Rodney Come Home
"Rodney Come Home" is the ninth Christmas special episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December, 1990.Unlike the other Christmas specials, this episode is not a one-off story, but sets up story arcs that run throughout the following series...
(Christmas special 1990), they broke up again, which started an ongoing split between the pair. This split carried on throughout the duration of series 7. In The Chance of a Lunchtime
The Chance of a Lunchtime
"The Chance of a Lunchtime" is an episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of series 7, and first broadcast on 6 January 1991.-Synopsis:...
Del played matchmaker between the two, reuniting them. However, the two were only together for an hour before Cassandra saw Rodney with an ex-fiancē of Del Boy's. Assuming that Rodney was cheating on her, Cassandra locked him out of the flat. They were ultimately reconciled in Three Men, a Woman and a Baby
Three Men, a Woman and a Baby
"Three Men, a Woman and a Baby" is an episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 7, and was first broadcast on 3 February 1991...
but after just getting back together they were interrupted by a phone call that Raquel
Raquel Turner
Rachel "Raquel" Turner is a fictional character from the BBC television sit-com Only Fools and Horses, in which she was Del Boy's longtime girlfriend...
had gone into labour and Del wanted Rodney to be there for the birth. The episode Miami Twice
Miami Twice
"Miami Twice" was a two-part Christmas special edition of the British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The first episode, on screen subtitle The American Dream, was first screened on 24 December 1991. The second episode of Miami Twice was first screened the following day on 25 December 1991...
saw them trying to patch up their relationship, and in Mother Natures Son
Mother Nature's Son (Only Fools and Horses)
"Mother Nature's Son" is a Christmas special episode of the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses. It was first broadcast on 25 December 1992.-Synopsis:...
they were back together properly, and stayed together ever since. The later episodes saw them attempting to conceive a child, and Cassandra was promoted to head of small business investment at the local bank. They later had a daughter, Joan (named after Del and Rodney's late mother), in Sleepless in Peckham
Sleepless in Peckham
"Sleepless in Peckham" is an episode of BBC sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 25 December 2003 as the third and final part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy, and as the final episode of the entire series.-Synopsis:...
.
Rodney announced that Cassandra was pregnant in "Heroes and Villains
Heroes and Villains
"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, co-written by the group's leader Brian Wilson and lyricist Van Dyke Parks. Originally intended by Wilson to be the centerpiece of the ambitious but shelved album Smile, a re-recorded version of the song was released on Smiley...
" to the overjoyed Trotters, but she later miscarried at the end of "Modern Men
Modern Men (Only Fools and Horses)
"Modern Men" is an episode of the BBC sit-com, Only Fools and Horses. It was the second episode of the 1996 Christmas trilogy, and was first screened on 27 December 1996.-Synopsis:...
"; when Rodney answers the phone to a nurse, who explains that Cassandra has been rushed to hospital. When they arrive at the hospital, Del warns Rodney not to get upset around Cassandra, as she will be very emotional, though, when Del sees Cassandra lying in the bed, he bursts out crying and has to be led out of the room by Rodney, who does not want to upset his wife.