George A. Cooper

Balding Leeds-born English character actor who usually portrayed stern, implacable or vindictive types. Initially trained as an electrical engineer and architect, Cooper became interested in the performing arts while doing his stint of national service with the Royal Artillery in India. He subsequently joined Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop in Manchester, at this time adding the initial 'A' to his stage name to avoid being confused with American actor George Cooper (1920-2015).

During the 60s and 70s he became a familiar face on British TV with numerous appearances in popular entertainments including The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955), Ivanhoe (1958), Danger Man (1960), The Avengers (1961), Sherlock Holmes (1964) and Softly Softly (1966).

His gallery of characters more often tended towards the dark side: treacherous pirates (Cherub in Doctor Who (1963)), authoritarian fathers (Billy Liar (1973)), grumpy caretakers (Grange Hill (1978)), dishonest businessmen (Coronation Street (1960)) and cowardly braggarts (An Age of Kings (1960)). The flip side contained clergymen, court officials and more than a few police inspectors.

Provided the character voice of a boss in an animated public information film about sick pay in the early 1970s.

Cooper is also fondly remembered from several classic British sitcoms, in particular Bless This House (1972) (as the cafe owner who ends of being 'caked'), Steptoe and Son (1962) (as the self-serving Uncle Arthur) and Rising Damp (1974) (as a stern father, appropriately named 'Mr. Cooper').