George A. Cooper
- Acting
- March 7, 1925 · Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
- November 16, 2018
Biography
George Alphonsus Cooper was born in Leeds in 1925. After training as an electrical engineer and architect he was called up for National Service, working for the Royal Artillery in India. During that period he became interested in performing and on his discharge joined Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop in Manchester. To avoid confusion with American actor George Cooper he used his middle initial in his stage name. His first appearance on television was in 1946. Over the next fifty years, he was a regular on the screen developing a career out of portraying slightly bumbling authoritarian characters. In 1964, he won a recurring role in ITV's Coronation Street playing businessman Willie Piggott who famously tried to bribe Ken Barlow to give his son Brian a pass on his tech exam. He had regular roles in Z-Cars and Dixon of Dock Green. In 1960, he appeared in the West End play Billy Liar playing the father of the title character, later reprising the role in the 1973 television series. He appeared in comedies such as Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Sykes and Mind Your Language. In 1985, he took on the role of no-nonsense caretaker Eric Griffiths in the incredibly successful children's drama Grange Hill, playing the role for seven years and earning a place in the hearts of a generation of children. His last TV appearance was in a 1995 episode of Casualty. He died in a nursing home in Hampshire on 16th November, 2018.
Known for
Filmography
- The Ties That Bind Us · Cherub (archive footage)
- Fair Game · George
- Heartbeat · Walter Pettigrew
- Nice Work · Mr. Wilcox Snr
- Customers From Hell
- Casualty · Albert Collins
- Reunion at Fairborough · Bartender
- Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle · Alf
- Amy · Will Johnson
- The Star Chamber · State Senator Walden
- Red Monarch · Kaganovitch
- Q.E.D. · Lord Eastleigh
- Somewhere More Central · Uncle Joe
- Terry and June · Mr. Ridge, Uncle Bob
- Turning Year Tales · Alan
- The Light Princess · King
- The Upchat Connection · Mr Hutcheson
- Grange Hill · Mr. Griffiths
- Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat · Man
- A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story · Mr. Twitchell
- All Creatures Great and Small · Mr. Crump
- Mind Your Language · Mr Short
- BBC2 Play of the Week · Man
- The New Avengers · Burt Brandon
- Trial by Combat · 2nd Leather Jerkin
- Decorators Limited · Porter
- Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done · The Pirate King (Voice)
- Awkward Customers · Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog
- Wonder Woman · Gen. Clewes
- Two's Company · Mr. Begley
- Shadows · Higgs
- Dawson's Weekly
- Billy Liar
- Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
- The Bouncing Boy · Ashcroft
- Crown Court
- Sykes · Arthur Coats
- Bless This House · Mr. Wilson
- What Became of Jack and Jill? · Trouncer
- The Villa Maroc · Lionel
- Lifting Safely
- Justice · Supt. George Grover
- The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes · Inspector Beedel
- Office Party · Manager
- Budgie · Det. Inspector Shepherd, Inspector Shepherd
- Roll On Four O'Clock · Ted Crampton
- I Can't See My Little Willie · Frank Palmer
- The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer · Blacket
- Play for Today · Ashcroft, Frank Palmer
- Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It · Mr. Tundish
- Doomwatch · Thomas Prentice
- Start the Revolution Without Me · Dr. Duval
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre · Ted Crampton, Bert Clarke
- Dracula Has Risen from the Grave · Village Landlord
- The Strange Affair · Supt. Kingsley
- The Expert · Arnold Bottomley
- The First Lady
- The Ronnie Barker Playhouse · Badger
- Smashing Time · Irishman
- The Confession · Albert Verdoni
- Man in a Suitcase
- ITV Playhouse · Albert Verdoni, Mr. Tundish
- In Two Minds · Mr. Winter
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · Mr. Fawcett
- Doctor Who: The Smugglers · Cherub
- King of the River · Reverend Ackroyd
- Life at the Top · Graffham
- Ferry Cross the Mersey · Mr. Lumsden
- Public Eye · Alec Payton
- The Wednesday Play · Mr. Winter
- Sherlock Holmes
- Theatre 625 · Arkwright, Governor
- The Bargee · Official in Office
- Nightmare · John
- Espionage · Leo Winters
- Tom Jones · Mr. Fitzpatrick
- Sergeant Cork · Mr. Bellamy
- The Cracksman · Fred
- The Saint · Harold Laker, Milton Ourley
- The Brain · Thomas Gabler