George A. Cooper
Acting • Born 1925-03-07 – Died 2018-11-16
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
103 credits
Hell Is a City
Movie • 1960
Doug Savage
What Became of Jack and Jill?
Movie • 1972
Trouncer
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
Movie • 1968
Village Landlord
Nightmare
Movie • 1964
John
The Bouncing Boy
Movie • 1972
Ashcroft
Okinawa
Movie • 1952
Yeoman
Ferry Cross the Mersey
Movie • 1965
Mr. Lumsden
A Night to Remember
Movie • 1958
Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)
The Strange Affair
Movie • 1968
Supt. Kingsley
The Bargee
Movie • 1964
Official in Office
The Cracksman
Movie • 1963
Fred
Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle
Movie • 1984
Alf
Fair Game
Movie • 1994
George
Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It
Movie • 1970
Mr. Tundish
The Confession
Movie • 1967
Albert Verdoni
The Brain
Movie • 1962
Thomas Gabler
Somewhere More Central
Movie • 1981
Uncle Joe
Amy
Movie • 1984
Will Johnson
Decorators Limited
Movie • 1976
Porter
The Secret Place
Movie • 1957
Harry
Awkward Customers
Movie • 1975
Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog
In Two Minds
Movie • 1967
Mr. Winter
Trial by Combat
Movie • 1976
2nd Leather Jerkin
Red Monarch
Movie • 1983
Kaganovitch
Smashing Time
Movie • 1967
Irishman
The Light Princess
Movie • 1978
King
Roll On Four O'Clock
Movie • 1970
Ted Crampton
I Can't See My Little Willie
Movie • 1970
Frank Palmer
The Villa Maroc
Movie • 1972
Lionel
Fortune Is a Woman
Movie • 1957
Hotel Porter
Life at the Top
Movie • 1965
Graffham
The Star Chamber
Movie • 1983
State Senator Walden
Bless This House
Movie • 1972
Mr. Wilson
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
Movie • 1970
Blacket
Doctor Who: The Smugglers
Movie • 1966
Cherub
Tom Jones
Movie • 1963
Mr. Fitzpatrick
In the Doghouse
Movie • 1962
Examiner (Uncredited)
Office Party
Movie • 1971
Manager
Start the Revolution Without Me
Movie • 1970
Dr. Duval
Violent Playground
Movie • 1958
Chief Inspector
Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done
Movie • 1975
The Pirate King (voice)
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
Movie • 1978
Mr. Twitchell
Customers From Hell
Movie • 1989
Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat
Movie • 1978
Man
The Ties That Bind Us
Movie • 2008
Cherub (archive footage)
Lifting Safely
Movie • 1972
Miracle in Soho
Movie • 1957
Foreman
Reunion at Fairborough
Movie • 1985
Bartender
Z-Cars
TV • 1962
The Avengers
TV • 1961
Burgess
Heartbeat
TV • 1992
Walter Pettigrew
Crown Court
TV • 1972
The Saint
TV • 1962
Harold Laker
Dixon of Dock Green
TV • 1955
Topper Brown
Doomwatch
TV • 1970
Thomas Prentice
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
TV • 1973
Dr. Finlay's Casebook
TV • 1962
Tom Farquhar
The First Lady
TV • 1968
Espionage
TV • 1963
The New Avengers
TV • 1976
Burt Brandon
Public Eye
TV • 1965
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
TV • 1971
Inspector Beedel
No Hiding Place
TV • 1959
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Ashcroft
The Expert
TV • 1968
Arnold Bottomley
Man in a Suitcase
TV • 1967
An Age of Kings
TV • 1960
Earl of Northumberland
Billy Liar
TV • 1973
Sherlock Holmes
TV • 1964
Dawson's Weekly
TV • 1975
Dixon of Dock Green
TV • 1955
Jackson
Dixon of Dock Green
TV • 1955
Monty Pitman
Justice
TV • 1971
Supt. George Grover
Wonder Woman
TV • 1975
Gen. Clewes
Casualty
TV • 1986
Albert Collins
Grange Hill
TV • 1978
Mr. Griffiths
All Creatures Great and Small
TV • 1978
Mr. Crump
Two's Company
TV • 1975
Mr. Begley
Terry and June
TV • 1979
Mr. Ridge
Public Eye
TV • 1965
Alec Payton
The Saint
TV • 1962
Milton Ourley
Terry and June
TV • 1979
Uncle Bob
Terry and June
TV • 1979
Eric
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Lionel
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Frank Palmer
Sykes
TV • 1972
Arthur Coats
Nice Work
TV • 1989
Mr. Wilcox Snr
An Age of Kings
TV • 1960
Ancient Pistol
Saturday Playhouse
TV • 1958
George Day
Saturday Playhouse
TV • 1958
Bob Sanders
Saturday Playhouse
TV • 1958
Mr. Jackson
Saturday Playhouse
TV • 1958
Inspector Fitchitt
BBC2 Play of the Week
TV • 1977
Man
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
TV • 1967
Mr. Fawcett
King of the River
TV • 1966
Reverend Ackroyd
Budgie
TV • 1971
Det. Inspector Shepherd
Budgie
TV • 1971
Inspector Shepherd
The Ronnie Barker Playhouse
TV • 1968
Badger
Mind Your Language
TV • 1977
Mr Short
Shadows
TV • 1975
Higgs
Theatre 625
TV • 1964
Arkwright
Theatre 625
TV • 1964
Governor
The Avengers
TV • 1961
Maxwell Barker