Thomas Frederick "Tommy" Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a British prop comedian and magician.Cooper was a member of the Magic Circle, and respected by traditional magicians. He was famed for his red fez, and his appearance was large and lumbering, at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and more than 15 stone (210 lb; 95 kg) in weight.On 15 April 1984 Cooper collapsed and died soon afterwards 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.
April 15, 1984, Her Majesty's Theatre, London, United Kingdom
Place Of Birth
Caerphilly, Wales, UK
Height
6' 4" (1.93 m)
Profession
Actor, Soundtrack
Spouse
Gwen Cooper (m. 1947–1984)
Children
Thomas Henty, Vicky Cooper
Star Sign
Pisces
#
Trademark
1
Normally wore a red fez on his live shows
2
His groggy voice and laughter
3
Would pretend to bumble his way through a magic trick but often managed to pull it off in the end.
#
Quote
1
Catchphrase: "Just like that!"
#
Fact
1
His sudden death, along with Eric Morecambe's inspired Ronnie Barker to retire at the age of 59, rather than work himself into an early grave.
2
Although his stage and TV act portrayed him as a failed magician whose tricks always went wrong, he was actually an accomplished magician and a member of the Magic Circle.
He collapsed on stage while in the middle of his act on a live Sunday evening variety show, falling backwards through the centre of the stage curtain. As he began to snore loudly (often a symptom of a massive heart attack) and as his feet remained protruding underneath the bottom of the curtain the theatre audience assumed this was part of his "failed magic trick" act and continued to roar with laughter. After a few moments of confusion the orchestra struck up and the show went to a commercial. Although the incident had been seen live by millions of viewers at the time, the sequence was never shown again out of respect to his family and to his memory.
5
Although the hallmark of his act was to get magic tricks wrong, he was in reality an accomplished magician and member of the Magic Circle.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Comedy Heroes: Tommy Cooper
2007
Video
It's Your Move
1982
TV Short
Big removal man
The Eric Sykes 1990 Show
1982
TV Movie
Entertainer
Cooper
1975
TV Series
Various roles
The Plank
1967
Larger Workman
Sykes Versus ITV
1967
TV Movie
The Bruce Forsyth Show
1966-1967
TV Series
Cooperama
1966
TV Series
The Cool Mikado
1963
Pooh-Bah, Private Detective
And the Same to You
1960
Horace Hawkins
After Hours
1959
TV Series
A Santa for Christmas
1957
TV Movie
Panto Parade
1954
TV Movie
Television Christmas Party
1952
TV Movie
Comedy Capers
1948
TV Short
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Tommy Cooper Hour
1978
TV Movie performer: "We'll Meet Again"
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Live from Her Majesty's
1984
TV Series
Himself
An Audience with Joan Rivers
1984
TV Movie
Himself - Audience Member
The Bob Monkhouse Show
1983
TV Series
Himself
Entertainment Express
1983
TV Series
Parkinson
1979
TV Series
Himself
London Night Out
1978-1979
TV Series
Himself
Must Wear Tights
1978
Himself
Cooper, Just Like That
1978
TV Series
Himself
The Tommy Cooper Hour
1978
TV Movie
Himself
This Is Your Life
1978
TV Series documentary
Himself
America Salutes the Queen
1977
TV Movie
Himself
Night Out at the London Casino
1977
TV Series
Himself
The Tommy Cooper Hour
1973-1975
TV Series
Himself
The Royal Variety Performance 1971
1971
TV Movie
Himself
It's Tommy Cooper
1969-1971
TV Series
Himself
Toulouse-Lautrec
Henry VIII
...
The David Frost Show
1969
TV Series
Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show
1963-1967
TV Series
Comic Magician / Himself
Spotlight
1967
TV Series
Himself
The London Palladium Show
1966-1967
TV Series
Himself
Mike and Bernie's Music Hall
1967
TV Series
Himself
Life with Cooper
1966
TV Series
Himself
Frankie and Bruce
1966
TV Series
Himself - Guest Star
Blackpool Night Out
1965
TV Series
Himself
The Royal Variety Performance 1964
1964
TV Movie
Himself
Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium