Acting
George A. Cooper
Born Mar 7, 1925 · Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK · Died Nov 16, 2018
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.
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Acting
The Ties That Bind Us
2008
Documentary · Science Fiction
Fair Game
1994
Drama · TV Movie
Heartbeat
1992
Crime · Drama · Comedy
Nice Work
1989
Drama
Customers From Hell
1989
Comedy · TV Movie
Casualty
1986
Drama · Soap
Reunion at Fairborough
1985
Drama · Romance · TV Movie
Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle
1984
Drama · Comedy
Amy
1984
History · TV Movie
The Star Chamber
1983
Drama · Thriller
Red Monarch
1983
Comedy
Q.E.D.
1982
Action & Adventure · Mystery · Comedy
Somewhere More Central
1981
Terry and June
1979
Comedy
The Light Princess
1978
Fantasy
The Upchat Connection
1978
Comedy
Grange Hill
1978
Drama
Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat
1978
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
1978
Drama · TV Movie
All Creatures Great and Small
1978
Comedy · Drama
Mind Your Language
1977
Comedy
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
Drama · Comedy
The New Avengers
1976
Drama · Action & Adventure
Trial by Combat
1976
Action · Comedy · Adventure
Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done
1975
Animation
Awkward Customers
1975
Comedy
Wonder Woman
1975
Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Action & Adventure · Drama
Two's Company
1975
Comedy
Shadows
1975
Drama · Mystery
Dawson's Weekly
1975
Comedy
Billy Liar
1973
Comedy
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
1973
Comedy
The Bouncing Boy
1972
Drama · TV Movie
Crown Court
1972
Drama
Sykes
1972
Comedy
Bless This House
1972
Comedy
What Became of Jack and Jill?
1972
Thriller · Horror · Mystery
The Villa Maroc
1972
Comedy · Drama · TV Movie
Lifting Safely
1972
Animation
Justice
1971
Drama
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
Mystery · Crime · Drama
Office Party
1971
Drama
Budgie
1971
Roll On Four O'Clock
1970
Drama
I Can't See My Little Willie
1970
TV Movie · Drama · Comedy
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
Comedy · Drama
Play for Today
1970
Drama
Doomwatch
1970
Drama · Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Start the Revolution Without Me
1970
Comedy · History
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
1968
Horror
The Strange Affair
1968
Drama
The Expert
1968
Drama
The First Lady
1968
Drama
Smashing Time
1967
Comedy · Music
Man in a Suitcase
1967
Action & Adventure · Drama
ITV Playhouse
1967
Drama
In Two Minds
1967
Drama · TV Movie
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
1967
Drama
Doctor Who: The Smugglers
1966
Science Fiction · Drama · Adventure
Life at the Top
1965
Drama
The Troubleshooters
1965
Drama
Ferry Cross the Mersey
1965
Comedy · Music
Public Eye
1965
Crime · Drama
The Wednesday Play
1964
Drama
Sherlock Holmes
1964
Mystery · Crime · Drama
Theatre 625
1964
Drama
The Bargee
1964
Comedy
Nightmare
1964
Thriller · Horror · Mystery
Espionage
1963
Action & Adventure · Drama
Tom Jones
1963
Comedy · Romance · History
Sergeant Cork
1963
Drama · Crime
The Cracksman
1963
Comedy
The Saint
1962
Action & Adventure · Crime · Drama
The Brain
1962
Science Fiction · Crime · Horror
Dr. Finlay's Casebook
1962
Comedy · Drama
In the Doghouse
1962
Comedy · Drama
Steptoe and Son
1962
Comedy
Z-Cars
1962
Drama
The Avengers
1961
Action & Adventure · Crime · Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Danger Man
1960
Action & Adventure · Drama
An Age of Kings
1960
Drama · War & Politics
Hell Is a City
1960
Thriller · Crime
No Hiding Place
1959
Crime · Drama
A Night to Remember
1958
Drama · Action · History
Violent Playground
1958
Crime · Drama
Miracle in Soho
1957
Drama
Fortune Is a Woman
1957
Thriller · Crime
The Secret Place
1957
Crime
Armchair Theatre
1956
Drama
The Adventures of Robin Hood
1955
Action & Adventure · Family
Dixon of Dock Green
1955
Drama
Okinawa
1952
War · Action · Drama