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