George A. Cooper
Known for Acting · 92 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 (44)
Casualty
1986
as Albert Collins
Play for Today
1970
as Ashcroft / Frank Palmer / Lionel
The Avengers
1961
as Burgess / Maxwell Barker
Crown Court
1972
The Saint
1962
as Harold Laker / Milton Ourley
Heartbeat
1992
as Walter Pettigrew
Grange Hill
1978
as Mr. Griffiths
Z-Cars
1962
Theatre 625
1964
as Arkwright / Governor
ITV Playhouse
1967
as Albert Verdoni / Mr. Tundish / Grimston
No Hiding Place
1959
Danger Man
1960
as Blatta
All Creatures Great and Small
1978
as Mr. Crump
Dr. Finlay's Casebook
1962
as Tom Farquhar
Wonder Woman
1975
as Gen. Clewes
The Expert
1968
as Arnold Bottomley
Justice
1971
as Supt. George Grover
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
as Man
Public Eye
1965
as Alec Payton
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
as Inspector Beedel
Doomwatch
1970
as Thomas Prentice
The New Avengers
1976
as Burt Brandon
Terry and June
1979
as Mr. Ridge / Uncle Bob / Eric
Sykes
1972
as Arthur Coats
Dixon of Dock Green
1955
as Topper Brown / Jackson / Monty Pitman
Espionage
1963
as Leo Winters
Man in a Suitcase
1967
Mind Your Language
1977
as Mr Short
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Ted Crampton / Bert Clarke
Budgie
1971
as Det. Inspector Shepherd
An Age of Kings
1960
as Earl of Northumberland / Ancient Pistol
Sherlock Holmes
1964
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
1973
Saturday Playhouse
1958
as George Day / Bob Sanders / Mr. Jackson / Inspector Fitchitt
Two's Company
1975
as Mr. Begley
Shadows
1975
as Higgs
King of the River
1966
as Reverend Ackroyd
The Ronnie Barker Playhouse
1968
as Badger
Armchair Theatre
1956
as Vincenzo Galassi / Dennis Fleming / Manager
The First Lady
1968
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
1967
as Mr. Fawcett
Nice Work
1989
as Mr. Wilcox Snr
Dawson's Weekly
1975
Billy Liar
1973
Movies (48)
A Night to Remember
1958
as Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)
Tom Jones
1963
as Mr. Fitzpatrick
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
1968
as Village Landlord
The Star Chamber
1983
as State Senator Walden
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
1978
as Mr. Twitchell
Start the Revolution Without Me
1970
as Dr. Duval
Trial by Combat
1976
as 2nd Leather Jerkin
Nightmare
1964
as John
Life at the Top
1965
as Graffham
Red Monarch
1983
as Kaganovitch
Hell Is a City
1960
as Doug Savage
Fair Game
1994
as George
The Brain
1962
as Thomas Gabler
Bless This House
1972
as Mr. Wilson
The Ties That Bind Us
2008
as Cherub (archive footage)
Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle
1984
as Alf
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
as Blacket
Amy
1984
as Will Johnson
Smashing Time
1967
as Irishman
The Bargee
1964
as Official in Office
Doctor Who: The Smugglers
1966
as Cherub
Reunion at Fairborough
1985
as Bartender
Okinawa
1952
as Yeoman
The Secret Place
1957
as Harry
In the Doghouse
1962
as Examiner (Uncredited)
Violent Playground
1958
as Chief Inspector
What Became of Jack and Jill?
1972
as Trouncer
Miracle in Soho
1957
as Foreman
Roll On Four O'Clock
1970
as Ted Crampton
The Light Princess
1978
as King
Ferry Cross the Mersey
1965
as Mr. Lumsden
The Cracksman
1963
as Fred
The Strange Affair
1968
as Supt. Kingsley
Fortune Is a Woman
1957
as Hotel Porter
Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done
1975
as The Pirate King (voice)
The Confession
1967
as Albert Verdoni
Office Party
1971
as Manager
Somewhere More Central
1981
as Uncle Joe
Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It
1970
as Mr. Tundish
Decorators Limited
1976
as Porter
Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat
1978
as Man
Awkward Customers
1975
as Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog
I Can't See My Little Willie
1970
as Frank Palmer
The Bouncing Boy
1972
as Ashcroft
In Two Minds
1967
as Mr. Winter
The Villa Maroc
1972
as Lionel
Customers From Hell
1989
Lifting Safely
1972
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 92 credits spanning from 1952 to 2008, George A. Cooper has appeared in 48 films and 44 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)
- Tom Jones (1963) — as Mr. Fitzpatrick
- Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) — as Village Landlord
- The Star Chamber (1983) — as State Senator Walden
- A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story (1978) — as Mr. Twitchell
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.