GEORGE A. COOPER

George A. Cooper
George A. Cooper
Gender: Male
Known for: Acting
Birthday: March 7, 1925
Deathday: November 16, 2018
Place of Birth: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK

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.

Filmography

Starring

Cherub (archive footage)
1994·
Fair Game
George
1992·
Heartbeat
Walter Pettigrew
1989·
Nice Work
Mr. Wilcox Snr
1986·
Casualty
Albert Collins
1984·
Amy
Will Johnson
State Senator Walden
Kaganovitch
Uncle Joe
Eric, Uncle Bob, Mr. Ridge
Mr. Griffiths
Burt Brandon
2nd Leather Jerkin
Porter
Mr. Begley
Gen. Clewes
The Pirate King (voice)
Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog
1972·
Sykes
Arthur Coats
Mr. Wilson
Lionel
Ashcroft
1971·
Justice
Supt. George Grover
Inspector Beedel
1971·
Barlow
Manager
Frank Palmer, Lionel, Ashcroft
1970·
Doomwatch
Thomas Prentice
Ted Crampton
Arnold Bottomley
Supt. Kingsley
Village Landlord
Mr. Fawcett
Irishman
Mr. Winter
Albert Verdoni
Reverend Ackroyd
Alec Payton
Graffham
Mr. Lumsden
Official in Office
1964·
Nightmare
John
1963·
Espionage
1963·
Tom Jones
Mr. Fitzpatrick
Fred
1962·
The Saint
Milton Ourley, Harold Laker
Tom Farquhar
1962·
Z-Cars
Examiner (Uncredited)
1962·
The Brain
Thomas Gabler
Burgess
Ancient Pistol, Earl of Northumberland
Doug Savage
Inspector Fitchitt, Mr. Jackson, Bob Sanders, George Day
Chief Inspector
Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)
Hotel Porter
Harry
Monty Pitman, Jackson, Topper Brown
1952·
Okinawa
Yeoman