Early life
Cooper was born in Leeds, the son of William and Eleanor (née Dobson) Cooper. His father worked on the railways as a train guard. The younger Cooper began to train as an electrical engineer, but enlisted in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War, acting with the Royal Artillery Depot Players in India.Stage career
After a short period as a draughtsman he joined Theatre Workshop, then based in Manchester. Joan Littlewood's company, also based in Glasgow for a time, then concentrated on performing its productions on tour. The company's permanent base became London's Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1953, the opening production being ''Twelfth Night'' with Cooper as Malvolio and Harry H. Corbett as Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Both men were often cast in antagonist roles in Theatre Workshop productions during the next few years. Cooper left the company in 1955. Cooper played Geoffrey Fisher, the stern father of the eponymous antihero ''Billy Liar'', in the original West End theatre, West End Billy Liar#Play, stage production in 1960. His wife, Shirley Jones (married 1955), who worked as a Theatre Workshop costume assistant, did not like his absences during the evenings, and Cooper himself found eight performances of ''Billy Liar'' a week to be a strain. Increasingly he turned to television for work.Television and film career
He had a recurring role in ''Coronation Street'' as Willie Piggott, a dubious businessman, between 1964 and 1971. One of his other regular roles was as the Janitor, caretaker Mr. Griffiths in the long-running children's TV series ''Grange Hill''. from 1985 to 1992. He returned to the role of Geoffrey Fisher in the sitcom version of ''Billy Liar (TV series), Billy Liar'' (1973–74). Among Cooper's other television credits are ''Danger Man'', ''Z-Cars'', ''Dixon of Dock Green'', ''No Hiding Place'', ''Doctor Who'' (in the serial ''The Smugglers''), ''Angel Pavement (1967 TV series), Angel Pavement'', ''Softly, Softly (TV series), Softly, Softly'', ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'', ''The Saint (TV series), The Saint'', ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', ''The Troubleshooters'', ''Steptoe and Son'', ''A Family at War'', ''Doomwatch'', ''Public Eye (TV series), Public Eye'', ''Budgie (TV series), Budgie'', ''Bless This House (UK TV series), Bless This House'', ''Sykes (TV series), Sykes'', ''Rising Damp'', ''The New Avengers (TV series), The New Avengers'', ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', ''All Creatures Great and Small (1978 TV series), All Creatures Great and Small'', ''Poor Little Rich Girls (1984 TV series), Poor Little Rich Girls'', ''Juliet Bravo'', ''When the Boat Comes In'', ''Terry and June'', ''Taggart (series), Taggart'', ''Casualty (TV series), Casualty'' and ''Heartbeat (UK TV series), Heartbeat''. Cooper had roles in many films including: ''Violent Playground'' (1958), ''Hell Is a City'' (1960), ''The Cracksman'' (1963), ''Nightmare (1964 film), Nightmare'' (1964), ''Dracula Has Risen from the Grave'' (1968) with Christopher Lee and the film version of ''Bless This House (film), Bless This House'' (1972) with Sid James.Selected filmography
* ''Men of Two Worlds'' (1946) - Orchestra Conductor * ''Okinawa (film), Okinawa'' (1952) - Yeoman (uncredited) * ''The Passing Stranger'' (1954) - Charlie * ''Jumping for Joy'' (1956) - Farmer (uncredited) * ''Sailor Beware! (1956 film), Sailor Beware!'' (1956) - Petty Officer (uncredited) * ''The Secret Place (film), The Secret Place'' (1957) - Harry * ''Miracle in Soho'' (1957) - Foreman * ''Violent Playground'' (1958) - Chief Inspector * ''A Night to Remember (1958 film), A Night to Remember'' (1958) - Purser Ernest G. F. Brown, SS Carpathia (uncredited) * ''Friends and Neighbours'' (1959) - George Wheeler * ''Hell Is a City'' (1960) - Doug Savage * ''Follow That Horse!'' (1960) - Rudd * ''In the Doghouse (film), In the Doghouse'' (1961) - Veterinary Examiner - (voice overdubbed by Scottish accent) * ''The Brain (1962 film), The Brain'' (1962) - Thomas Gabler * ''The Wild and the Willing'' (1962) - 1st Customer * ''The Cracksman'' (1963) - Fred * ''Tom Jones (1963 film), Tom Jones'' (1963) - Mr. Fitzpatrick * ''Nightmare (1964 film), Nightmare'' (1964) - John * ''The Bargee'' (1964) - Official in Office * ''Ferry Cross the Mersey (film), Ferry Cross the Mersey'' (1964) - Mr. Lumsden * ''Life at the Top (film), Life at the Top'' (1965) - Graffham * ''Smashing Time'' (1967) - Irishman * ''The Strange Affair'' (1968) - Supt. Kingley * ''Dracula Has Risen from the Grave'' (1968) - Landlord * ''Start the Revolution Without Me'' (1970) - Dr. Duval * ''Cromwell (film), Cromwell'' (1970) - (scenes deleted) * ''The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer'' (1970) - Blacket * ''What Became of Jack and Jill?'' (1972) - Trouncer * ''Bless This House (film), Bless This House'' (1972) - Mr Wilson * ''The Vault of Horror (film), The Vault of Horror'' (1973) - (scenes deleted) * ''The Black Windmill'' (1974) - Pincus (uncredited) * ''Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done'' (1975) - The Pirate King (voice) * ''Trial by Combat (film), Trial by Combat'' (1976) - 2nd Leather JerkinReferences
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, George A. 1925 births 2018 deaths English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Leeds British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery soldiers Military personnel from Leeds