Acting · Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK · Born March 7, 1925
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.
MovieThe Ties That Bind Us
2008
as Cherub (archive footage)
MovieFair Game
1994
as George
TVHeartbeat
1992
as Walter Pettigrew
TVNice Work
1989
as Mr. Wilcox Snr
MovieCustomers From Hell
1989
TVCasualty
1986
as Albert Collins
MovieReunion at Fairborough
1985
as Bartender
MovieGive Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle
1984
as Alf
MovieAmy
1984
as Will Johnson
MovieThe Star Chamber
1983
as State Senator Walden
MovieRed Monarch
1983
as Kaganovitch
TVQ.E.D.
1982
as Lord Eastleigh
MovieSomewhere More Central
1981
as Uncle Joe
TVTerry and June
1979
as Mr. Ridge
Turning Year Tales
1979
as Alan
MovieThe Light Princess
1978
as King
TVGrange Hill
1978
as Mr. Griffiths
MovieMr and Mrs Bureaucrat
1978
as Man
MovieA Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
1978
as Mr. Twitchell
TVAll Creatures Great and Small
1978
as Mr. Crump
TVMind Your Language
1977
as Mr Short
TVBBC2 Play of the Week
1977
as Man
TVThe New Avengers
1976
as Burt Brandon
MovieTrial by Combat
1976
as 2nd Leather Jerkin
Decorators Limited
1976
as Porter
MovieDick Deadeye, or Duty Done
1975
as The Pirate King (voice)
MovieAwkward Customers
1975
as Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog
TVWonder Woman
1975
as Gen. Clewes
TVTwo's Company
1975
as Mr. Begley
TVShadows
1975
as Higgs
TVDawson's Weekly
1975
TVBilly Liar
1973
TVSome Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
1973
MovieThe Bouncing Boy
1972
as Ashcroft
TVCrown Court
1972
TVSykes
1972
as Arthur Coats
MovieBless This House
1972
as Mr. Wilson
MovieWhat Became of Jack and Jill?
1972
as Trouncer
MovieThe Villa Maroc
1972
as Lionel
MovieLifting Safely
1972
TVJustice
1971
as Supt. George Grover
TVThe Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
as Inspector Beedel
MovieOffice Party
1971
as Manager
TVBudgie
1971
as Det. Inspector Shepherd
MovieRoll On Four O'Clock
1970
as Ted Crampton
MovieI Can't See My Little Willie
1970
as Frank Palmer
MovieThe Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
as Blacket
TVPlay for Today
1970
as Ashcroft
Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It
1970
as Mr. Tundish
TVDoomwatch
1970
as Thomas Prentice
MovieStart the Revolution Without Me
1970
as Dr. Duval
TVITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Ted Crampton
MovieDracula Has Risen from the Grave
1968
as Village Landlord
MovieThe Strange Affair
1968
as Supt. Kingsley
TVThe Expert
1968
as Arnold Bottomley
TVThe First Lady
1968
The Ronnie Barker Playhouse
1968
as Badger
MovieSmashing Time
1967
as Irishman
The Confession
1967
as Albert Verdoni
TVMan in a Suitcase
1967
TVITV Playhouse
1967
as Albert Verdoni
MovieIn Two Minds
1967
as Mr. Winter
TVSir Arthur Conan Doyle
1967
as Mr. Fawcett
MovieDoctor Who: The Smugglers
1966
as Cherub
King of the River
1966
as Reverend Ackroyd
MovieLife at the Top
1965
as Graffham
MovieFerry Cross the Mersey
1965
as Mr. Lumsden
TVPublic Eye
1965
TVThe Wednesday Play
1964
as Mr. Winter
TVSherlock Holmes
1964
TVTheatre 625
1964
as Arkwright
MovieThe Bargee
1964
as Official in Office
MovieNightmare
1964
as John
TVEspionage
1963
as Leo Winters
MovieTom Jones
1963
as Mr. Fitzpatrick
MovieThe Cracksman
1963
as Fred
TVThe Saint
1962
as Harold Laker
MovieThe Brain
1962
as Thomas Gabler
TVDr. Finlay's Casebook
1962
as Tom Farquhar
MovieIn the Doghouse
1962
as Examiner (Uncredited)
TVSteptoe and Son
1962
as Uncle Arthur
TVZ-Cars
1962
TVThe Avengers
1961
as Burgess
TVDanger Man
1960
as Blatta
TVAn Age of Kings
1960
as Earl of Northumberland
MovieHell Is a City
1960
as Doug Savage
TVNo Hiding Place
1959
MovieA Night to Remember
1958
as Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)
MovieViolent Playground
1958
as Chief Inspector
Saturday Playhouse
1958
as George Day
MovieMiracle in Soho
1957
as Foreman
MovieFortune Is a Woman
1957
as Hotel Porter
MovieThe Secret Place
1957
as Harry
TVArmchair Theatre
1956
as Vincenzo Galassi
TVDixon of Dock Green
1955
as Topper Brown
MovieOkinawa
1952
as Yeoman
