George A. Cooper
Born
March 7, 1925
Died
November 16, 2018 (93 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
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 Ties That Bind Us
Cherub (archive footage)
2008
Fair Game
George
1994
Heartbeat
Walter Pettigrew · (1 episode)
1992
Nice Work
Mr. Wilcox Snr · (1 episode)
1989
Customers From Hell
1989
Casualty
Albert Collins · (1 episode)
1986
Give Us a Break: Hustle Bustle Toil and Muscle
Alf
1984
Amy
Will Johnson
1984
The Star Chamber
State Senator Walden
1983
Red Monarch
Kaganovitch
1983
Somewhere More Central
Uncle Joe
1981
Terry and June
Mr. Ridge · (1 episode)
1979
Terry and June
Uncle Bob · (1 episode)
1979
Terry and June
Eric · (1 episode)
1979
The Light Princess
King
1978
Grange Hill
Mr. Griffiths · (149 episodes)
1978
Mr and Mrs Bureaucrat
Man
1978
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
Mr. Twitchell
1978
All Creatures Great and Small
Mr. Crump · (1 episode)
1978
BBC2 Play of the Week
Man · (1 episode)
1977
The New Avengers
Burt Brandon · (1 episode)
1976
Trial by Combat
2nd Leather Jerkin
1976
Decorators Limited
Porter
1976
Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done
The Pirate King (voice)
1975
Awkward Customers
Awkward Customer: Mr. Wart-hog
1975
Wonder Woman
Gen. Clewes · (1 episode)
1975
Two's Company
Mr. Begley · (1 episode)
1975
Dawson's Weekly
(1 episode)
1975
Billy Liar
(25 episodes)
1973
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
(0 episode)
1973
The Bouncing Boy
Ashcroft
1972
Crown Court
(1 episode)
1972
Sykes
Arthur Coats · (1 episode)
1972
Bless This House
Mr. Wilson
1972
What Became of Jack and Jill?
Trouncer
1972
The Villa Maroc
Lionel
1972
Lifting Safely
1972
Justice
Supt. George Grover · (1 episode)
1971
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
Inspector Beedel · (1 episode)
1971
Barlow
(1 episode)
1971
Office Party
Manager
1971
Roll On Four O'Clock
Ted Crampton
1970
I Can't See My Little Willie
Frank Palmer
1970
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
Blacket
1970
Play for Today
Ashcroft · (1 episode)
1970
Play for Today
Frank Palmer · (1 episode)
1970
Play for Today
Lionel · (1 episode)
1970
Don't Touch Him, He Might Resent It
Mr. Tundish
1970
Doomwatch
Thomas Prentice · (1 episode)
1970
Start the Revolution Without Me
Dr. Duval
1970
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
Village Landlord
1968
The Strange Affair
Supt. Kingsley
1968
The Expert
Arnold Bottomley · (1 episode)
1968
The First Lady
(1 episode)
1968
The Ronnie Barker Playhouse
(1 episode)
1968
Smashing Time
Irishman
1967
The Confession
Albert Verdoni
1967
Man in a Suitcase
(1 episode)
1967
In Two Minds
Mr. Winter
1967
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Mr. Fawcett · (1 episode)
1967
Doctor Who: The Smugglers
Cherub
1966
King of the River
Reverend Ackroyd · (4 episodes)
1966
Life at the Top
Graffham
1965
Ferry Cross the Mersey
Mr. Lumsden
1965
Public Eye
(1 episode)
1965
Public Eye
Alec Payton · (1 episode)
1965
Sherlock Holmes
(1 episode)
1964
Nightmare
John
1964
The Bargee
Official in Office
1964
Espionage
(1 episode)
1963
Tom Jones
Mr. Fitzpatrick
1963
The Cracksman
Fred
1963
The Saint
Harold Laker · (1 episode)
1962
The Saint
Milton Ourley · (1 episode)
1962
The Brain
Thomas Gabler
1962
Dr. Finlay's Casebook
Tom Farquhar · (2 episodes)
1962
In the Doghouse
Examiner (Uncredited)
1962
Z-Cars
(4 episodes)
1962
The Avengers
Burgess · (2 episodes)
1961
An Age of Kings
Earl of Northumberland · (4 episodes)
1960
An Age of Kings
Ancient Pistol · (4 episodes)
1960
Hell Is a City
Doug Savage
1960
No Hiding Place
(3 episodes)
1959
A Night to Remember
Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)
1958
Violent Playground
Chief Inspector
1958
Saturday Playhouse
George Day · (1 episode)
1958
Saturday Playhouse
Bob Sanders · (1 episode)
1958
Saturday Playhouse
Mr. Jackson · (1 episode)
1958
Saturday Playhouse
Inspector Fitchitt · (1 episode)
1958
Fortune Is a Woman
Hotel Porter
1957
The Secret Place
Harry
1957
Dixon of Dock Green
Topper Brown · (2 episodes)
1955
Dixon of Dock Green
Jackson · (1 episode)
1955
Dixon of Dock Green
Monty Pitman · (1 episode)
1955
Okinawa
Yeoman
1952