George A. Cooper
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
All Movies (48)
- The Ties That Bind Us2008 · as Cherub (archive footage)
- Fair Game1994 · as George
- Customers From Hell1989
- Reunion at Fairborough1985 · as Bartender
- Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle1984 · as Alf
- Amy1984 · as Will Johnson
- The Star Chamber1983 · as State Senator Walden
- Red Monarch1983 · as Kaganovitch
- Somewhere More Central1981 · as Uncle Joe
- The Light Princess1978 · as King
- Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat1978 · as Man
- A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story1978 · as Mr. Twitchell
- Trial by Combat1976 · as 2nd Leather Jerkin
- Decorators Limited1976 · as Porter
- Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done1975 · as The Pirate King (voice)
- Awkward Customers1975 · as Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog
- The Bouncing Boy1972 · as Ashcroft
- Bless This House1972 · as Mr. Wilson
- What Became of Jack and Jill?1972 · as Trouncer
- The Villa Maroc1972 · as Lionel
- Lifting Safely1972
- Office Party1971 · as Manager
- Roll On Four O'Clock1970 · as Ted Crampton
- I Can't See My Little Willie1970 · as Frank Palmer
- The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer1970 · as Blacket
- Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It1970 · as Mr. Tundish
- Start the Revolution Without Me1970 · as Dr. Duval
- Dracula Has Risen from the Grave1968 · as Village Landlord
- The Strange Affair1968 · as Supt. Kingsley
- Smashing Time1967 · as Irishman
- The Confession1967 · as Albert Verdoni
- In Two Minds1967 · as Mr. Winter
- Doctor Who: The Smugglers1966 · as Cherub
- Life at the Top1965 · as Graffham
- Ferry Cross the Mersey1965 · as Mr. Lumsden
- The Bargee1964 · as Official in Office
- Nightmare1964 · as John
- Tom Jones1963 · as Mr. Fitzpatrick
- The Cracksman1963 · as Fred
- The Brain1962 · as Thomas Gabler
- In the Doghouse1962 · as Examiner (Uncredited)
- Hell Is a City1960 · as Doug Savage
- A Night to Remember1958 · as Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)
- Violent Playground1958 · as Chief Inspector
- Miracle in Soho1957 · as Foreman
- Fortune Is a Woman1957 · as Hotel Porter
- The Secret Place1957 · as Harry
- Okinawa1952 · as Yeoman
All TV Shows (65)
- Heartbeat1992 · as Walter Pettigrew
- Nice Work1989 · as Mr. Wilcox Snr
- Casualty1986 · as Albert Collins
- Terry and June1979 · as Mr. Ridge
- Terry and June1979 · as Uncle Bob
- Terry and June1979 · as Eric
- Grange Hill1978 · as Mr. Griffiths
- All Creatures Great and Small1978 · as Mr. Crump
- Mind Your Language1977 · as Mr Short
- BBC2 Play of the Week1977 · as Man
- The New Avengers1976 · as Burt Brandon
- Wonder Woman1975 · as Gen. Clewes
- Two's Company1975 · as Mr. Begley
- Shadows1975 · as Higgs
- Dawson's Weekly1975
- Billy Liar1973
- Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em1973
- Crown Court1972
- Sykes1972 · as Arthur Coats
- Justice1971 · as Supt. George Grover
- The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes1971 · as Inspector Beedel
- Budgie1971 · as Det. Inspector Shepherd
- Budgie1971 · as Inspector Shepherd
- Play for Today1970 · as Ashcroft
- Play for Today1970 · as Frank Palmer
- Play for Today1970 · as Lionel
- Doomwatch1970 · as Thomas Prentice
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre1969 · as Ted Crampton
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre1969 · as Bert Clarke
- The Expert1968 · as Arnold Bottomley
- The First Lady1968
- The Ronnie Barker Playhouse1968 · as Badger
- Man in a Suitcase1967
- ITV Playhouse1967 · as Albert Verdoni
- ITV Playhouse1967 · as Mr. Tundish
- ITV Playhouse1967 · as Grimston
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle1967 · as Mr. Fawcett
- King of the River1966 · as Reverend Ackroyd
- Public Eye1965
- Public Eye1965 · as Alec Payton
- The Wednesday Play1964 · as Mr. Winter
- Sherlock Holmes1964
- Theatre 6251964 · as Arkwright
- Theatre 6251964 · as Governor
- Espionage1963 · as Leo Winters
- The Saint1962 · as Harold Laker
- The Saint1962 · as Milton Ourley
- Dr. Finlay's Casebook1962 · as Tom Farquhar
- Z-Cars1962
- The Avengers1961 · as Burgess
- The Avengers1961 · as Maxwell Barker
- Danger Man1960 · as Blatta
- An Age of Kings1960 · as Earl of Northumberland
- An Age of Kings1960 · as Ancient Pistol
- No Hiding Place1959
- Saturday Playhouse1958 · as George Day
- Saturday Playhouse1958 · as Bob Sanders
- Saturday Playhouse1958 · as Mr. Jackson
- Saturday Playhouse1958 · as Inspector Fitchitt
- Armchair Theatre1956 · as Vincenzo Galassi
- Armchair Theatre1956 · as Dennis Fleming
- Armchair Theatre1956 · as Manager
- Dixon of Dock Green1955 · as Topper Brown
- Dixon of Dock Green1955 · as Jackson
- Dixon of Dock Green1955 · as Monty Pitman