Person
George A. Cooper
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
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…
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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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2008
The Ties That Bind Us
Movie Cherub (archive footage)
-
1994
Fair Game
Movie George
-
1992
Heartbeat
TV show Walter Pettigrew
-
1989
Nice Work
TV show Mr. Wilcox Snr
-
1989
Customers From Hell
Movie
-
1986
Casualty
TV show Albert Collins
-
1985
Reunion at Fairborough
Movie Bartender
- 1984
-
1984
Amy
Movie Will Johnson
-
1983
The Star Chamber
Movie State Senator Walden
-
1983
Red Monarch
Movie Kaganovitch
-
1982
Q.E.D.
TV show Lord Eastleigh
-
1981
Somewhere More Central
Movie Uncle Joe
-
1979
Terry and June
TV show Mr. Ridge
-
1979
Turning Year Tales
TV show Alan
-
1978
The Light Princess
Movie King
More credits
-
1978
The Upchat Connection
TV show Mr Hutcheson
-
1978
Grange Hill
TV show Mr. Griffiths
-
1978
Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat
Movie Man
-
1978
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
Movie Mr. Twitchell
-
1978
All Creatures Great and Small
TV show Mr. Crump
-
1977
Mind Your Language
TV show Mr Short
-
1977
BBC2 Play of the Week
TV show Man
-
1976
The New Avengers
TV show Burt Brandon
-
1976
Trial by Combat
Movie 2nd Leather Jerkin
-
1976
Decorators Limited
Movie Porter
-
1975
Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done
Movie The Pirate King (voice)
-
1975
Awkward Customers
Movie Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog
-
1975
Wonder Woman
TV show Gen. Clewes
-
1975
Two's Company
TV show Mr. Begley
-
1975
Shadows
TV show Higgs
-
1975
Dawson's Weekly
TV show
-
1973
Billy Liar
TV show
-
1973
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
TV show
-
1972
The Bouncing Boy
Movie Ashcroft
-
1972
Crown Court
TV show
-
1972
Sykes
TV show Arthur Coats
-
1972
Bless This House
Movie Mr. Wilson
-
1972
What Became of Jack and Jill?
Movie Trouncer
-
1972
The Villa Maroc
Movie Lionel
