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George A. Cooper

George A. Cooper

Known For Acting
Birthday Mar 07, 1925
Died Nov 16, 2018 (93)
Birthplace Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK
Popularity 0.4 (history)
Updated Oct 08, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

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 Works ... hop 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

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Filmography

Fair Game

Fair Game

1994

as George

Amy

Amy

1984

as Will Johnson

Red Monarch

Red Monarch

1983

as Kaganovitch

The Star Chamber

The Star Chamber

1983

as State Senator Walden

The Light Princess

The Light Princess

1978

as King

Trial by Combat

Trial by Combat

1976

as 2nd Leather Jerkin

Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done

Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done

1975

as The Pirate King (voice)

The Villa Maroc

The Villa Maroc

1972

as Lionel

Bless This House

Bless This House

1972

as Mr Wilson

I Can't See My Little Willie

I Can't See My Little Willie

1970

as Frank Palmer

The Strange Affair

The Strange Affair

1968

as Supt. Kingsley

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave

1968

as Village Landlord

In Two Minds

In Two Minds

1967

as Mr. Winter

Smashing Time

Smashing Time

1967

as Irishman

Ferry Cross the Mersey

Ferry Cross the Mersey

1965

as Mr. Lumsden

Life at the Top

Life at the Top

1965

as Graffham

Nightmare

Nightmare

1964

as John

The Bargee

The Bargee

1964

as Official in Office

Tom Jones

Tom Jones

1963

as Mr. Fitzpatrick

The Brain

The Brain

1962

as Thomas Gabler

In the Doghouse

In the Doghouse

1962

as Examiner (Uncredited)

Hell Is a City

Hell Is a City

1960

as Doug Savage

Violent Playground

Violent Playground

1958

as Chief Inspector

A Night to Remember

A Night to Remember

1958

as Carpathia Purser Hughes (uncredited)

The Secret Place

The Secret Place

1957

as Harry

Fortune Is a Woman

Fortune Is a Woman

1957

as Hotel Porter

Okinawa

Okinawa

1952

as Yeoman

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

Grange Hill

as Mr. Griffiths

Episodes: 149

First Aired: Feb 08, 1978

An Age of Kings

as Earl of Northumberland

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Apr 28, 1960

An Age of Kings

as Ancient Pistol

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Apr 28, 1960

King of the River

as Reverend Ackroyd

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Jul 06, 1966

The Avengers

as Burgess

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jan 07, 1961

Dixon of Dock Green

as Topper Brown

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Jul 09, 1955

Dr. Finlay's Casebook

as Tom Farquhar

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Aug 16, 1962

Heartbeat

as Walter Pettigrew

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 10, 1992

The Saint

as Harold Laker

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1962

Doomwatch

as Thomas Prentice

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 09, 1970

The New Avengers

as Burt Brandon

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 22, 1976

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

as Inspector Beedel

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1971

Play for Today

as Ashcroft

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 15, 1970

The Expert

as Arnold Bottomley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 05, 1968

Dixon of Dock Green

as Jackson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 09, 1955

Dixon of Dock Green

as Monty Pitman

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 09, 1955

Justice

as Supt. George Grover

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 08, 1971

Wonder Woman

as Gen. Clewes

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 07, 1975

Casualty

as Albert Collins

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 06, 1986

All Creatures Great and Small

as Mr. Crump

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 08, 1978

Two's Company

as Mr. Begley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 06, 1975

Terry and June

as Mr. Ridge

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 24, 1979

Public Eye

as Alec Payton

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 23, 1965

The Saint

as Milton Ourley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1962

Terry and June

as Uncle Bob

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 24, 1979

Terry and June

as Eric

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 24, 1979

Play for Today

as Frank Palmer

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 15, 1970

Play for Today

as Lionel

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 15, 1970

Sykes

as Arthur Coats

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 14, 1972

Nice Work

as Mr. Wilcox Snr

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1989

Saturday Playhouse

as George Day

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 04, 1958

Saturday Playhouse

as Bob Sanders

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 04, 1958

Saturday Playhouse

as Mr. Jackson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 04, 1958

Saturday Playhouse

as Inspector Fitchitt

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 04, 1958

BBC2 Play of the Week

as Man

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 21, 1977

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

as Mr. Fawcett

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 15, 1967

Budgie

as Det. Inspector Shepherd

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 09, 1971

Budgie

as Inspector Shepherd

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 09, 1971

The Ronnie Barker Playhouse

as Badger

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 03, 1968

Mind Your Language

as Mr Short

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 30, 1977

Shadows

as Higgs

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 03, 1975

Billy Liar

Episodes: 25

First Aired: Nov 02, 1973

Z-Cars

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Jan 02, 1962

No Hiding Place

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 16, 1959

Crown Court

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 11, 1972

Barlow

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 15, 1971

The First Lady

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 07, 1968

Espionage

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1963

Public Eye

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 23, 1965

Man in a Suitcase

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 27, 1967

Sherlock Holmes

Episodes: 1

First Aired: May 17, 1964

Dawson's Weekly

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 12, 1975

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

Episodes: 0

First Aired: Feb 15, 1973

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 5 7 2
2024 7 6 11 2
2024 8 4 13 2
2024 9 5 9 1
2024 10 4 11 1
2024 11 3 6 1
2024 12 3 7 1
2025 1 2 5 1
2025 2 2 5 1
2025 3 2 3 1
2025 5 1 1 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 0 3 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 0 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2025 10 504 441

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