Tommy Cooper
Date of birth: 1921-03-19
Place of birth: Caerphilly, South Wales
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Thomas Frederick Cooper
Biography
Born in Caerphilly, South Wales, at 19 Llwyn Onn Street, Trecenydd, Cooper was delivered by the woman who owned the house in which the family was lodging. His parents were Welsh-born army recruiting sergeant father Thomas H. (Tom) Cooper, and his English-born wife Gertrude (née Gertrude C. Wright) from Crediton, Devon. In light of the heavily polluted air and the offer of a job for his father, the family moved to Exeter, Devon, when Cooper was three and gained the West Country accent that was part of his act. The family lived in the back of Haven Banks, where Cooper attended Mount Radford School for Boys, and helped his parents run their ice cream van, which attended fairs on the weekend. At the age of eight an aunt bought Cooper a magic set and he spent hours perfecting the tricks. Magic ran in his family—his brother David (born 1930) opened a magic shop in the 1960s in Slough High Street (then Buckinghamshire now Berkshire) called D. & Z. Cooper's Magic Shop. On 15 April 1984, Cooper collapsed and soon after died from a heart attack in front of millions of television viewers, midway through his act on the London Weekend Television variety show Live From Her Majesty's, transmitted live from Her Majesty's Theatre. His stage persona required that his act intentionally went wrong for comic purposes, leading to some initial uncertainty about whether this collapse was real.
Movie Credits
The Best of Tommy Cooper
2004-05-17
In his trademark fez, look of heroic confusion and perfect sense of comic timing, Tommy Cooper could
Tommy Cooper - Just Like That
Who could ever forget the great Tommy Cooper? A legend in his own lifetime and now sadly missed by a
The Plank
1967-05-18
A slapstick comedy about two workmen delivering planks to a building site. This is done with music a
It's Your Move
1982-10-18
A silent slapstick comedy depicting the travails of young couple moving into a new home, who hire an
Parkinson at 50
2021-08-28
Sir Michael Parkinson looks back over his 50 years as a broadcaster, revealing some tricks of the in
And the Same to You
1960-02-01
Dickie Dreadnought is the boxing-mad nephew of pious clergyman Reverend Sydney Mullet. To mollify hi
Tommy Cooper: In His Own Words
2018-12-25
An affectionate look back at Tommy Cooper's life and career. Sir Michael Parkinson, Jimmy Tarbuck an
The Cool Mikado
1963-01-07
In this musical, the Gilbert and Sullivan classic is updated and set in post-war Japan. This time, t
Tommy Cooper: Master Of Comedy
1997-03-12
A Fez-tival of Fun! Join the feztival of fun which contains the best loved sketches and side-splitti
Tommy Cooper - The Very Best Of
2006-09-04
Tommy Cooper's comedy was timeless, a true original who was everyone's favourite clown. Wearing his
Tommy Cooper - The Missing Pieces
2006-09-04
Tommy Cooper's comedy was timeless, a true original who was everyone's favourite clown. Wearing his
An Audience with Joan Rivers
1984-03-17
The shockingly controversial, outrageous, and wickedly funny comedienne performing live in front of
Just Like That!
1989-01-01
Just Like That! is a celebration of the comic genius of Tommy Cooper] - just like that! But nobody c
Tommy Cooper - The Magic Touch
1993-01-01
Tommy Cooper, the hapless magician who was in a league of his own, is joined here by a star-studded
Tommy Cooper - Tribute To A Comic Genius
2000-10-09
Tommy Cooper, one of Britain's most loved magicians, features in some of the best sketches from his
Tommy Cooper - A Feztival Of Fun With Tommy Cooper
2001-09-16
Join in this feztival of fun which contains the best loved sketches and classic routines from one of
Tommy Cooper at the BBC
To mark 100 years since the birth of comedy legend Tommy Cooper, Sir Lenny Henry - one of Tommy’s b
A Tribute to Tommy Cooper
1986-09-16
A retrospective of the comedy genius of Tommy Cooper, with tributes from the likes of Eamonn Andrews
Tommy Cooper: The Lost Tapes
2024-12-30
This celebratory special showcases appearances by the revered comedian, featuring material previousl