''Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This'' is a 2014 television film directed by

Benjamin Caron Benjamin Caron (born 2 July 1976) is a Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA-winning British film and television director. Life and career Born in the West Midlands, Caron was educated at Homerton College, Cambridge. Caron began his television career maki ...

starring

David Threlfall David John Threlfall (born 12 October 1953) is an English stage, film and television actor and director. He is best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Channel 4's series '' Shameless''. He has also directed several episodes of the show. In Ap ...

. It was written by

Simon Nye Simon Nye (born 29 July 1958) is an English screenwriter, best known for television comedy. He wrote the hit British sitcom, sitcom ''Men Behaving Badly'', and all of the four ITV Pantos. He co-wrote the 2006 film ''Flushed Away'', created an ad ...

and made by

Left Bank Pictures Left Bank Pictures Ltd. (stylised as LEFT BANK Pictures) is a British film and television production company owned by Sony Pictures Television through its International Production division. It was formed in 2007 and was the first British media c ...

. The film is about British comedian

Tommy Cooper Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a Welsh prop comedian and magician. As an entertainer, his appearance was large and lumbering at , and he habitually wore a red fez when performing. He served in the British Army ...

Plot

The film focuses on the life of the late

, the popular British comedian and the dilemma he faced when he fell in love with his assistant Mary Kay. At the time he was married to Gwen, whom he affectionately nicknamed "Dove". Tommy was unable to choose between the two women and embarked upon a dual relationship that would last for 17 years. Cooper died during a live TV recording of ''

Live from Her Majesty's ''Live from Her Majesty's'', ''Live from the Piccadilly'' and ''Live from the Palladium'' were Sunday night live entertainment variety television shows that aired on ITV from 16 January 1983 to 27 November 1988 and were hosted by Jimmy Tarbuck ...

'' in front of millions of television viewers on 15 April 1984.

Cast

Helen McCrory Helen Elizabeth McCrory (17 August 1968 – 16 April 2021) was an English actress. After studying at the Drama Centre London, she made her professional stage debut in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' in 1990. Other theatre roles include play ...

as Mary Kay *

Amanda Redman Amanda Jacqueline Redman (born 12 August 1957) is an English actress, known for her roles as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman in the BBC One series ''New Tricks'' (2003–2013) and as Dr. Lydia Fonseca in '' The Good Karma Hospital'' (2 ...

as Gwen 'Dove' Cooper *

Gregor Fisher Gregor Fisher (born 22 December 1953) is a Scottish comedian and actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the comedy series '' Rab C. Nesbitt'', a role he has played since the show's first episode in 1988. He has also ...

as Miff Ferrie * Andy Rush as Tom Cooper Jr. *

Paul Ritter Simon Paul Adams (20 December 1966 – 5 April 2021), known professionally as Paul Ritter, was an English actor. He had roles in films including ''Son of Rambow'' (2007), ''Quantum of Solace'' (2008), ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (f ...

Eric Sykes Eric Sykes (4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012) was an English radio, stage, television and film writer, comedian, actor and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and performed with many other leading com ...

Bob Golding Bob Golding is an English actor and voice artist. He is best known for the voices of Milo and Max in the CBeebies show ''Tweenies''. Career Television He worked on the CBeebies pre-school children's television series ''Tweenies'' as the voice ...

Eric Morecambe John Eric Bartholomew (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984), known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's de ...

Jordan Metcalfe Jordan Metcalfe (born 24 May 1986) is an English actor, best known for his role as Adil in the sitcom Genie in the House. Metcalfe has appeared as Jake in '' The Queen's Nose'' in 2003. He has played the roles of Chris Travis in '' Heartbeat'' ...

Les Dennis Leslie Dennis Heseltine (born 12 October 1953) is an English television presenter, actor and comedian. He presented '' Family Fortunes'' from 1987 to 2002. Early life Dennis was born as Leslie Dennis Heseltine on 12 October 1953 in the Liv ...

Jason Manford Jason John Manford (born 26 May 1981) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and singer. Manford was a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show ''8 Out of 10 Cats'' from 2007 until 2010 and has presented numerous television shows for the BBC an ...

as Ken Brooke * Albie Marber as Tom Cooper Jr. (as a child) *

Tilly Vosburgh Matilda Vosburgh (born 17 December 1960) is a British character actress. Early life Born in the Westminster district of London, England, Vosburgh is the daughter of comedy writer and lyricist Dick Vosburgh and former actress Beryl Vosburgh (n ...

as Sheila *

David Sterne David Sterne (born 1946) is an English actor. He has appeared in more than 90 films since 1973. Career After leaving the British Army, Sterne trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Compa ...

as Billy Mayo * Andrew Harrison as David Bell * Jacinta Mulcahy as Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

* James Carcaterra as Dustin Gee

Reception

In ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

,''

Lucy Mangan Lucy Mangan (born 1974) is a British journalist and author. She is a columnist, features writer and TV critic for ''The Guardian'' and an opinion writer for '' i'' news. Early life and education Mangan was born in 1974 and grew up in Catford, ...

wrote: "David Threlfall should walk off with this year's best actor

Bafta The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

after a pitch-perfect portrayal of the much-loved comedian, supported by a phalanx of perfectly turned supporting role." ''The Independe''nt wrote: "It's what was left out of this biopic, not what was put in, which rankled most. By picking the story up in 1966, when Cooper was already middle-aged, we lost insight into his fascination with magic tricks and how he honed his act while stationed in Egypt during the war (hence the fez). It's not like there wasn't time enough in a two-hour film to cover these sides of the man."

References

External links

* {{Benjamin Caron 2014 television films 2014 films Biographical television films British television films Films directed by Benjamin Caron