rifleman cooper
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Cooper appears on the first page of the book, Sharpe's Rifles and also early on in the film too. From there he pops up quite a lot until finally leaving after Sharpe's Gold. Cooper is an old hand at the game of survival, like Sharpe he was born and bred in the London slums where he learnt his trade in thieving and pick pocketing. Remember, in Sharpe's Rifles when Sharpe asks Cooper for a picklock? "Catch me with a picklock sir?" says Cooper Whilst not over endowed on the brains side, Cooper nevertheless is quick witted and a good shot, never one to miss any opportunity, whether its to leave the column to shoot a rabbit for supper or to eye up a pretty girl. He is fiercely loyal to his mates, but won't stand for any injustice within his company. Cooper possesses a dry kind of humour, and it was a sad day when he disappeared after Sharpe's Gold. However, he did return to narrate Sharpe the Legend - sitting in a pub! |
michael mears
Michael was born in North London in 1957, grew up there and trained as an actor at the DRAMA CENTRE, LONDON.
He has worked in many theatres in Britain, recently finishing a two-year spell as a member of the ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, taking part in Steven Pimlott’s production of HAMLET, and JUBILEE by Peter Barnes, in which he played Thomas Arne. Last year he played the title role in Moliere’s THE HYPOCHONDRIAC at Bolton Octagon in a new version by Ranjit Bolt and all the Alec Guiness parts in a stage version of the classic Ealing Comedy film KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS at Hornchurch Queen’s Theatre.
Other theatre work includes playing Christ in the Medieval Mystery Plays cycle in the Old Cathedral Ruins at Coventry, and Fagin in the musical OLIVER! and Sherlock Holmes in HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre. He spent a year touring Britain and the Far East and Australia with the Actor’s Touring Co., doubling as both Malvolio and Orsino in Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT.
Film work includes FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, LITTLE DORRIT (in which he played two parts, including Alec Guinness’ s Valet), QUEEN OF HEARTS, and THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP.
Television work includes INSPECTOR MORSE, the first six SHARPE films (playing Rifleman Cooper), and Alex Kozobolis in two series of the BBC’s LENNY HENRY SHOW.
He has also written and performed two solo stage plays. TOMORROW WE DO THE SKY, in which he played all the men and women working in a factory canteen, was premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in 1991 - and nominated for the Independent Theatre Award. It then transferred to London’s Lyric Studio. SOUP, in which he played five homeless people and the architect who befriends them, followed in 1995, selling out and winning a FRINGE FIRST AWARD at that year’s Edinburgh Festival. Michael was also nominated for Best Actor at the Festival that year.
Both have been performed by him on BBC Radio 4, who also commissioned him to write and perform three solo plays specially for radio, A SLIGHT TILT TO THE LEFT, SLOW TRAIN TO WOKING, and UNCLE HAPPY, all produced by Enyd Williams. His latest piece, JAM, about a nightmare car journey, was broadcast on Radio 4 last year.
In June and July of 2004 Michael took two months off to walk the 500 mile ancient pilgrimage route in northern Spain, to Santiago de Compostela. His feet are still recovering. He raised over £5000 for the charity WATERAID including kind contributions from SAS members. In 2004 he will be seen in EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MEN, a new comedy series for the BBC, and in the Christmas Day special of MY FAMILY.
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Last update June 19th 2004