
George A. Cooper
Known for Acting · 96 credits
- Born
- 1925-03-07
- Died
- 2018-11-16
- Place of birth
- Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
- Also known as
- George Alphonsus 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
TV Shows (48)

Casualty
1986
as Albert Collins

Crown Court
1972

The Avengers
1961
as Burgess / Maxwell Barker

Play for Today
1970
as Ashcroft / Lionel / Frank Palmer

Grange Hill
1978
as Mr. Griffiths

Z-Cars
1962

The Wednesday Play
1964
as Mr. Winter

Heartbeat
1992
as Walter Pettigrew

The Saint
1962
as Harold Laker / Milton Ourley

No Hiding Place
1959

Dr. Finlay's Casebook
1962
as Tom Farquhar

Dixon of Dock Green
1955
as Topper Brown / Jackson / Monty Pitman

Theatre 625
1964
as Arkwright / Governor

All Creatures Great and Small
1978
as Mr. Crump

BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
as Man

Public Eye
1965
as Alec Payton

ITV Playhouse
1967
as Albert Verdoni / Mr. Tundish / Grimston

Danger Man
1960
as Blatta

Justice
1971
as Supt. George Grover

The Expert
1968
as Arnold Bottomley

Sykes
1972
as Arthur Coats

Wonder Woman
1975
as Gen. Clewes

Man in a Suitcase
1967

The New Avengers
1976
as Burt Brandon

ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Ted Crampton / Bert Clarke

Doomwatch
1970
as Thomas Prentice

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
as Inspector Beedel

Terry and June
1979
as Mr. Ridge / Uncle Bob / Eric

Mind Your Language
1977
as Mr Short

Espionage
1963
as Leo Winters

Sherlock Holmes
1964

The First Lady
1968

An Age of Kings
1960
as Earl of Northumberland / Ancient Pistol

Budgie
1971
as Det. Inspector Shepherd

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
1973

Two's Company
1975
as Mr. Begley

Steptoe and Son
1962
as Uncle Arthur

Shadows
1975
as Higgs
King of the River
1966
as Reverend Ackroyd

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
1967
as Mr. Fawcett

Billy Liar
1973

Armchair Theatre
1956
as Vincenzo Galassi / Dennis Fleming / Manager
Saturday Playhouse
1958
as George Day / Bob Sanders / Mr. Jackson / Inspector Fitchitt

Q.E.D.
1982
as Lord Eastleigh
The Ronnie Barker Playhouse
1968
as Badger
Turning Year Tales
1979
as Alan

Nice Work
1989
as Mr. Wilcox Snr

Dawson's Weekly
1975
Movies (48)

A Night to Remember
1958
as Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)

Fair Game
1994
as George

Tom Jones
1963
as Mr. Fitzpatrick

Okinawa
1952
as Yeoman

The Star Chamber
1983
as State Senator Walden

The Bargee
1964
as Official in Office

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
1968
as Village Landlord

Violent Playground
1958
as Chief Inspector

Start the Revolution Without Me
1970
as Dr. Duval

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
as Blacket

Nightmare
1964
as John

The Ties That Bind Us
2008
as Cherub (archive footage)

Customers From Hell
1989

Life at the Top
1965
as Graffham

Smashing Time
1967
as Irishman

The Light Princess
1978
as King

Reunion at Fairborough
1985
as Bartender

Fortune Is a Woman
1957
as Hotel Porter

Red Monarch
1983
as Kaganovitch

Trial by Combat
1976
as 2nd Leather Jerkin

Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat
1978
as Man

Bless This House
1972
as Mr. Wilson

Hell Is a City
1960
as Doug Savage

Doctor Who: The Smugglers
1966
as Cherub

Somewhere More Central
1981
as Uncle Joe

The Brain
1962
as Thomas Gabler

The Strange Affair
1968
as Supt. Kingsley

A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
1978
as Mr. Twitchell

Ferry Cross the Mersey
1965
as Mr. Lumsden

The Secret Place
1957
as Harry

The Villa Maroc
1972
as Lionel

What Became of Jack and Jill?
1972
as Trouncer

The Cracksman
1963
as Fred

In Two Minds
1967
as Mr. Winter

Awkward Customers
1975
as Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog

Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done
1975
as The Pirate King (voice)

Lifting Safely
1972

Miracle in Soho
1957
as Foreman

Amy
1984
as Will Johnson

In the Doghouse
1962
as Examiner (Uncredited)
The Confession
1967
as Albert Verdoni

Roll On Four O'Clock
1970
as Ted Crampton

I Can't See My Little Willie
1970
as Frank Palmer
Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It
1970
as Mr. Tundish

Office Party
1971
as Manager
Decorators Limited
1976
as Porter

The Bouncing Boy
1972
as Ashcroft

Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle
1984
as Alf
About George A. Cooper
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 o… With 96 credits spanning from 1952 to 2008, George A. Cooper has appeared in 48 films and 48 TV shows.
Fans searching for George A. Cooper movies, George A. Cooper filmography, or the latest projects starring George A. Cooper can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular George A. Cooper Movies
- A Night to Remember (1958) — as Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)
- Fair Game (1994) — as George
- Tom Jones (1963) — as Mr. Fitzpatrick
- Okinawa (1952) — as Yeoman
- The Star Chamber (1983) — as State Senator Walden
Where to Watch George A. Cooper Films
Most George A. Cooper movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring George A. Cooper, check our movies catalogue and browse page.