George Cole OBE

About:

Born in 1925 in Tooting, London, George Cole appeared in his first film at the age of sixteen, and has continued to dominate the world of British film and television ever since. His career paused only briefly for a stint in the Royal Air Force from 1944 to 1947, which gave him the great benefit of being able to switch the South London accent on and off impeccably.

He was a major part of the glory years of British film comedy in the 1950’s, contributing greatly to the creation of the highly successful Ealing Comedy brand. He was spotted and thereafter mentored by the great British comedy actor Alastair Sim, and the two appeared in 11 films together most famously the St Trinian’s series. It gave an added merriness to George Cole’s reading of A Christmas Carol for us that one of these films was the 1951 version of the story in which Sim played Scrooge and Cole played the young Scrooge. By the end of his life Sim had all but adopted his young protégé. Indeed George Cole still lives in the great actor’s house, having been left it in Sim’s will.

His television stardom was sealed by his role as Arthur Daley in the 1980’s British series Minder, Cole creating a character which has become the definition of the shady second-hand car dealer, gloriously convinced, against all the evidence, of his own genius cunning. His creation of the part was indeed so convincing that he has often mentioned the trouble he has in getting people to accept his cheques, we’re hoping the addition of the perfect rendition of Mr Scrooge doesn’t inconvenience him further.

His first wife was the actress Ellen Moore and he now lives with his second wife, Penny Morrell and their two children.

Selected Filmography:

Diamond Geezer (TV Series)
A Class Apart (TV Series)
Minder (TV Series)
Root into Europe (TV Series)
Cleopatra