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