Tommy Cooper
Tommy Cooper (born March 19, 1921 in Caerphilly , † April 15, 1984 in London ) was a British comedian and magician .
Career
Tommy Cooper's trademarks were the red fez and artfully failed magic tricks. Although he played the dilettante on stage, he was actually a very accomplished magician who was a member of the magic circle .
After completing his military service in 1947, he began performing in variety shows . However, he achieved his breakthrough through his television appearances. In 1948 he made his television debut on the talent show New to You . Soon after, he got his own television shows. From 1968 to 1980 he worked with the British production company Thames .
Tommy Cooper was a heavy smoker with a heavy propensity for alcohol. In 1977 he suffered a heart attack in Rome . Thames decided in 1980 to discontinue the collaboration due to his alcohol addiction. After that, Cooper only appeared sporadically as a guest on television shows.
On April 15, 1984, Tommy Cooper suffered another heart attack while broadcasting Live from Her Majesty's , and collapsed in front of an audience of millions. Viewers initially thought this was part of the show. Tommy Cooper died on the way to the hospital.
In the program The Comedians' Comedian on the British television channel Channel 4 , Tommy Cooper was voted sixth greatest comedian by colleagues in 2005.
Web links
- Tommy Cooper in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cooper, Tommy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British comedian and magician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 19, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Caerphilly |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 15, 1984 |
| Place of death | London |