Film star unveils tribute to comedian

A statue honouring one of the great British comedians is to be unveiled later today by an Oscar-winning actor.

Anthony Hopkins will pull the covers off a 9ft tall bronze statue of Tommy Cooper in the fez-wearing comic’s birth town of Caerphilly, South Wales, at midday.

The Tommy Cooper society campaigned for many years and raised £45,000 to fund the tribute to the comedian, who was born in 1921 in the town’s Llwyn Onn Street before leaving with his family as a small boy to live in Exeter.

After plying his trade in theatres and variety clubs, Cooper became a big hit with television audiences with his unique brand of humour and back-firing magic tricks.

He died of a massive heart attack in April 1984 after collapsing on stage during a live TV broadcast from Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.

The statue will go on display at a site overlooking the town’s 13th century castle – the second largest in Europe.

Hopkins said: “I am delighted to be unveiling a statue which will commemorate not just one of my heroes, but one of the greatest comics of all time.”

After the statue is unveiled, Sir Anthony is due to attend a private lunch with society members at the Castle’s Great Hall.

Tudor Jones, secretary of the Tommy Cooper Society, said: “Tommy was always larger than life so it is fitting that his statue will stand proud in the centre of the town where he was born.

“This will be a long awaited tribute to Tommy from his home town of Caerphilly.”